an attractive way that you cannot but notice them. Over a tight-fitting blouse and long, loose silk trousers, she wears a beautiful pastel silk gown, high collared, long sleeved, with a snug fitting bodice and a flowing skirt, split to the waist on each side. In the privacy of her home, she slips off the gown and is modest and comfortable in blouse and trousers. So you see in many Oriental homes “mama” as well as “papa” wears the trousers. This does not in any way indicate that the women are over the men. The husband is definitely the one in the place of authority in the Oriental home. The woman is obedient and subservient to her husband. From childhood in Japan the little girls are taught that a “two-headed” home is a monstrosity, that at least metaphorically the man is to “wear the trous ers.” He is the head of the home. This of course is just what we find in Scripture. “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church . . .” (Ephesians 5: 23). “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man . . .” (I Corinthians 11:3). The other morning a small group of men in a Billings, Montana hotel were discussing this subject. At least one of them was surprised to learn that he was supposed to “wear the trousers.” Another wanted to know just what this meant. As they batted the ques tion around, they came up with some interesting ideas. “This means I have to bring home the bacon and pay the bills.” “Yes, and keep ‘mama’ in order and discipline the kids.” “Doesn’t it also mean you have to be the spiritual head of the house?” “I think it certainly does.” “Do you mean I have to go home and tell ‘mama’ and the kids we are going to have Bible at the table and that I am going to pray?” They came to the sobering conclusion that the husband must be the spiritual leader of the home. From him the wife and children are to learn the se crets of the Christian life. He is the priest in the home, the one who leads the family in worship and teaches them to pray. It is his responsibility to get the family interested and involved in missions and the work of the church at home and abroad. Through the Word, worship, prayer, good books, missionary maps, giving and going, he leads the fam ily forward in spiritual growth. The home will never know peace and happiness until in the spiritual realm the man “starts wearing the trousers.” P.S. Have you noted that both Paul and Peter have something to say about what you should wear? “I want the women . . . to dress becomingly . . . adorning themselves not with the expensive dresses, but with good deeds” (I Timothy 2:9, 10 — Williams transla tion). “Submissive to your husband . . . your adorn ments . . . not of an external nature, but they must be of an internal nature, the character revealed in the heart, the imperishable quality of a quiet, gentle spirit, which is of great value in the sight of God” (I Peter 3:1-3) (Williams translation).
by Dr. Dick Hillis Director, Overseas Crusades
"T f y o u t h i n k m e n “wear the trousers,” you are both right and wrong. In America it is the custom (or used to be) for women to wear dresses and men to wear trousers. In much of the rest of the world things are quite different. Centuries before the U.S.A. was bom, the Chinese woman was wearing a loose peasant blouse and long cotton trousers, wrapped at the waist and reaching almost to her ankles. As far as she was concerned, it was convenient and quite feminine. In most of the hot, humid countries of Southeast Asia, women wear simple variations of this style. The dainty, small-boned women of Vietnam dress in such
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MAY, 1963
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