Dear Pastor,

Greetings in Jesus' name. I am writing for your advice. I am 40, and from I was 19 I have been working and supporting myself.

I am a Christian and I am single. I have two sisters and they are married. My parents are living with me, and the family house is rented.

Pastor, I met a man about a year ago and we fell in love. He is 70. He too is a Christian, and he has asked me to marry him. He is also an elder of his church and he does not believe that his wife should work. He is in a good-paying job, but he will soon retire. He has good investments, but he also has children. I would like to get married to him, but I would like to keep my job.

The men of his church prefer women who do not work outside the home. They believe men should take care of their women, and the women should take care of the men and the home in every way.

Please help me to make a decision.

A.W.,

Dear A.W.,

There are indeed some Christian men who believe that their wives should not work outside the home. This is a teaching of their church (denomination). It is not something that they can substantiate from Scripture.

If you believe that you love this man and he is wealthy and he can fully support you and offer you even more than you are earning now, you may go for it. Of course, you will have to bear in mind that he will soon be a pensioner and he may die much sooner than you. Therefore, you should make sure you will be in a position to support yourself until you die.

Love is blind, people say. I urge you to take off your blinkers, so you can see far into the future before you make your decision.

Pastor