A GOOD WIFE IS BETTER THAN A GOOD JOB by Gary Thomas Why do so many Christians believe that passionately pursuing a marriage somehow threatens God, undermines his providence, and is tantamount to idolatry? The same women who say, “God will bring the right person at the right time; I’m just going to sit around and wait” rarely display that attitude when it comes to finding a wedding dress. They pore over magazines and catalogues, they shop many stores, they spend days and even weeks finding the perfect dress. Why is it idolatrous to pursue a good man, but it’s not idolatrous to pursue a beautiful dress? If you don’t wait for God to bring you a dress, why wait for God to bring you a man? And when it comes to men finding women, the Bible uses the most explosive, enticing language possible to urge men to take the pursuit more seriously. It not only assumes a search, “A noble wife, who can find?” (Prov. 31:10) but then makes it sound even more urgent by adding, “she is worth far more than jewels.” Jewels in ancient Near Eastern culture provided you with your standard of living, much like a job does today. It was the currency of wealth. A modern translation might say, “A good wife is better than a good job.” Think about how much effort so many people put into educational and vocational training, mostly to get a good job. Yet the Bible says a good wife is better than a good job. A recent Northeastern University study found that 40% of college graduates under thirty are in a job that doesn’t require any college degree at all, much less one related to their chosen major. I’m a big fan of advanced education and believe it’s worth the investment for its own sake, not just the job it lands you, but it strikes me how many college students study for something they won’t really “use,” yet few suggest this is wasted time or money. On the other hand, men and women who go to college or university or attend a large church hoping to land a good spouse are often ridiculed. Intentionally planning to find the best spouse possible seems calculating to many people today in a way that intentionally starting a franchise, or making an investment, or getting into a college, isn’t. But which lasts longer, on average—your first job or your marriage? Which will affect you more over the course of your life? If you’re looking at life satisfaction, your marital status will affect you far more than your material status, which is why I think spending just as much time and effort choosing a wife or husband as you do looking and/or preparing for a vocation is a recipe for happiness. If all of this is true, why not take God at His word and, with His blessing, more earnestly pursue a wise marital match, without embarrassment or apology? Many people are willing to relocate to get a job or education; if you have to relocate to find a good mate because you happen to be in a place where there aren’t any, what’s wrong with that? High schoolers do community work and get involved in certain activities to look more attractive to colleges; why not do certain things to become more attractive to a future spouse? You research a company to make sure it’s a good place to invest your time in; why not put that research into getting to know and finding a potential life mate? This might sound so radical that it borders on the bizarre, but it’s just taking God at His word. It’s certainly an indictment of the passive way so many believers seem to think most honors God. If God is telling us that a good wife is better than a good job, let’s put marital status above material status and act accordingly. garythomas
Posted on: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 11:26:42 +0000
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