How should Christian women conduct themselves? What should their ambitions be? How should they speak? What is their role in their homes?
Thankfully the Bible is not silent on this topic of a woman’s conduct. In fact it is very specific as to how God intended for women to conduct their lives.
Her speech
She is not loud or boisterous but instead she is quiet and meek
“A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.” – Proverbs 9:13 (KJV)
“But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” – I Peter 3:3-4 (KJV)
She is not a gossip but rather she is a trustworthy confident
“And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.” – I Timothy 5:13 (KJV)
“The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.” – Proverbs 31:11 (KJV)
She knows when and where to speak and when to hold her tongue
“As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.” – Proverbs 11:22 (KJV)
When she does speak she does so in a wise and kind manner
“She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” – Proverbs 31:26 (KJV)
Her ambitions
She is ambitious to be a wife, mother and homemaker
“I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” – I Timothy 5:14 (KJV)
When she has a home she is ambitious toward the care of it and is never lazy or idle
“She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens…
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.” – Proverbs 31:15 & 27 (KJV)
When she has children she is ambitious to be joyful in her care of them
“He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.” – Psalm 113:9 (KJV)
Her love
She shows compassion and empathy towards those in need around her
“She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” – Proverbs 31:20 (KJV)
Second only to God, a woman’s greatest love and affection is reserved for her husband and her children
“That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children” – Titus 2:4 (KJV)
Her sexuality
She protects her virginity for marriage and does not manipulate men with her sexuality
“For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.” – Proverbs 6:26 (KJV)
“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” – Hebrews 13:4 (KJV)
In marriage she ravishes her husband with her body and she never defrauds him
“18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.” – Proverbs 5:18-19 (KJV)
“4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.” – I Corinthians 7:4-5 (KJV)
Her appearance
She dresses in a way that never places her femininity in doubt
“The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.” – Deuteronomy 22:5 (KJV)
She dresses appropriate to the occasion (modestly)
“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;” – I Timothy 2:9 (KJV)
She cares for her beauty knowing that her husband desires it as God desires the beauty of his church
“So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.” – Psalm 45:11 (KJV)
“How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!” – Song of Solomon 7:6 (KJV)
Her submission
She has a submissive spirit as opposed to a contentious spirit
“It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.” – Proverbs 21:19 (KJV)
She embraces patriarchy (male authority over women) in the home, the Church and in society
“5 But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the Lord shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.” – Numbers 30:5 (KJV)
“22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.” – Ephesians 5:22-24 (KJV)
“11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” – I Timothy 2:11-12 (KJV)
“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” – I Corinthians 11:3 (KJV)
Her dependence
She looks to her father and later her husband for her provision
“For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church” – Ephesians 5:29 (KJV)
She embraces that fact that God has placed her in “the weaker vessel” and that she needs the protection of men
“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” – I Peter 3:7
She looks to her father and later her husband for her spiritual guidance
“And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” – I Corinthians 14:35 (KJV)
Her place
She embraces the fact that God made her to be the helper to her husband, not him to be her helper
“Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.” – I Corinthians 11:9 (KJV)
She sees her husband as her master and not her equal partner
“5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.” – I Peter 3:5-6 (KJV)
Her methods of persuasion
She does not nag her husband into doing what is right
“A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.” – Proverbs 27:15 (KJV)
She wins her husband by her righteous behavior toward him in spite of his failings
“1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.” – I Peter 3:1-2 (KJV)
Her reverence for her husband
She never makes her husband ashamed, but rather she brings him honor
“A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.” – Proverbs 12:4 (KJV)
She reverences her husband’s position despite the flaws of his person
“Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” – Ephesians 5:33 (KJV)
Her Influence
She influences and teaches other women to be good wives and mothers
“3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” – Titus 2:3-5(KJV)
Her legacy
She realizes that her greatest legacy is built by what she does in her home and not what she does outside her home
“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” – Proverbs 14:1 (KJV)
“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” – Proverbs 31:28 (KJV)
