Carolyn McCulley
By Jessica Chacko, 700 Club Interactive
CBN.com –Carolyn grew up during 60's and 70's when the women's lib began to evolve. In college she studied journalism and the feminist topic. When she turned 30 she became a Christian, which brought new understanding to her ideas about being a woman. Having never married, no children, she has worked all her life, and over time have traveled to places where her "ideas and assumptions have been challenged." She has thoroughly explored what it means to be a "female and what we 'should' be doing as women." Her early thoughts consisted of thinking that woman were meant to be married and have children. That was challenged with the Proverbs 31 description of women. She said that scripture describes women to be "competent, financially savvy, generous, hospitable, loving…" etc. Those words allowed her to see she was no less a woman for being single. There also came the recognition that women have a very fundamental position in tasks that affect many in every area of life. Time has proven that women are still stressed and sometimes discouraged by the different messages they receive about their role in the home and work place. Carolyn says that the only position that matters and has a long term positive effect is God's perspective. Your success, wherever it is, is measured by God and His empowerment in you. If you hold yourself to the world's ideas and standards, it will bring failure and frustration. However, the Lord will always call you to encouragement and to bring out His best in you.
STORY OF WORK
The biblical and culture histories have shaped the way we work and view women in the workplace. The two World Wars, Great Depression and Women's Liberation movement all played a part in defining and redefining a women's role in the workplace. Through sheer necessity during the World Wars, women were encouraged through government-sponsored propaganda (Rosie the Riveter) to bring women into the workforce to help with the war effort. Women excelled in these roles and were noted in an 1942 Business Week reported that women were, "50 to 100 percent more efficient" in wiring instrument panels than men. Once the war was over there was an expectation women would leave the workforce but many ended up staying. There was a 400 percent increase in working mothers throughout the 1950's and then again in the 1970's during the recession, women were a pivotal part of the workforce seeing an increase in their wages for service jobs. Women's wages became necessary and sometimes critical for many families.
THEOLOGY OF WORK
Eve was Adam's companion in his work. They had a shared calling; Eve was not subservient to Adam. Sin is what makes work difficult but there is redemption in Christ, "the gospel can transform everything, even our work." God shows us by example how to work and to reserve one day a week for rest (Exodus 34:21). Women are not excluded from this mandate to work and rest. According to Carolyn, the Bible is not vocationally specific, "telling all Christians to be lawyers or doctors," however; there are cultural and historical assumptions that shape our ideas of women and work. A women's ultimate identity is not in her vocation whether doctor or homemaker, their identity is ultimately in Christ. We work for God's glory not for our ultimate identity. Work does not need to be segregated into secular and sacred categories, "all work is a sacred calling."
LIFE CYCLE OF WORK
Purpose, rest, identity and ambition shape how we work. Carolyn and Nora discuss how to manage these things in various stages or seasons of life. This is done by applying Biblical principles and concepts to the seasons of growing up, launching into adulthood, family, career, managing others and the "open nest" phase of life.
MOMMY WARS
Cultural and historical factors can influence how we define what is a woman's role. Some women are judged for the work choices they make. Defining work and success according to the world's standard can pit women against each other causing division instead of validating God's different callings in each individual woman's life. Understanding stages or seasons of a women's life is also important. A woman may work or leave work for a season (or not) led by the Lord and His unique plan for her life.
MEASURE OF SUCCESS
Carolyn defines success, "as recipients who will one day give an account for how we managed what we were given" this may be as a stay-at-home mother or as a woman in the workforce or both. Whether this is as a stay-at-home mom or as a doctor, God has a unique plan for each woman's life.