Paid vs. Unpaid Work
My husband and I like to compare the work of the home (and all work, really) to the meaninglessness portrayed in Ecclesiastes. When we pick up toys at the end of the day, knowing full well that they will be strewn about by toddlers in the morning, we stare at each other and say, “This, too, is chasing after the wind!” (see Eccles. 1:14). Don’t you feel that way sometimes? The writer of Ecclesiastes knew this frustration well. He captures the feelings we all face when work is not all it is cracked up to be.
One contributing factor to our disillusionment with at-home work is that we aren’t paid for it. The work of the home used to be viewed as contributive work. Although the father might bring in income, the income was collective and for the entire family unit. The mother’s work (and even the children’s work) was seen as providing a way for the family unit to thrive. The father may have been a farmer or,…
