Christian teaching

 Being a Mother can be amazingly demanding!

Here’s a fact -the average-five-year old asks 437 questions a day. Although raising kids is a full time job in itself, I don’t know of any mom who only does this. Moms also work at home, have their own careers, or some combination of these, plus other obligations.

I can bear witness to how hard it is to be the primary person caring for a child. I stayed at home with Marie for six months when she was a baby. I have worked in a lot of different jobs – general construction, brick laying, house painting – and none of these were as hard as that – and I only had one baby.

Being a mother can be amazingly demanding. Guys I hope you understand this. It’s hard when they are young. It’s sheer craziness at times. But it doesn’t stop when they grow up. To take a biblical example – Simeon the prophet said to Mary, when Jesus was a baby, “and a sword will pierce through your own soul also” – Luke 2:35 referring to the pain she would have as she saw here son suffer and die –  John 19:25.

Given all this I want to share –

Four encouragements for mothers from the Scriptures

Hopefully this can comfort you and give you strength for the journey – wherever you are in that journey.

First, a recognition: Mothering embodies the characteristics of God. Since you are doing things that God does, it must be pretty important.

• Mothers give birth to children. So does God. Deuteronomy 32:18 says ofIsrael, “You forgot the God who gave you birth. . .”
• Mothers comfort their children. So does God. Isaiah 66:13 says, “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.”
• Mothers are kind and tender. So is God. James 5:11 says, “the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” Luke 1:78 speaks of “the tender mercy of our God.”
• Mothers are always mindful of their children. So is God. Isaiah 49:15 says this speaking of God, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”
• Mothers try to protect their children. So does God. Luke 13:34 says, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!”

So don’t be discouraged! What you do as mothers is of utmost importance. Even God embodies these traits and activities in caring for us.

 Second, a promise: You will be honored for your “lowly” work. How many minute, mundane tasks do you do each day for your children? Things that know one even knows about, much less recognizes you for, or thanks you for. Such is the life of a mother.

Yet Jesus praises just this kind of lowly work. Work that doesn’t gain you recognition or social status; that has to do with serving the needs of others – the needy and the weak.

He says in Luke 14:11, “those who humble themselves will be exalted” (NRSV). He goes on to talk about serving the needy who can’t repay you. This is a promise – God will not overlook your labors. God knows each act of kindness and patience, each diaper change and nose wipe, each sacrifice and frustration, and God will honor you for it.

Third, a praise: Those who serve children because of Jesus are some of the greatest disciples in the kingdom. In Mark 9 the disciples had been arguing about who was the greatest. Jesus announces in v. 35, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Then Jesus presents a child to the disciples. A child was at the bottom of the social ladder in that day, even below slaves. Jesus is saying, if you want to be great, the way to do it is by lowering yourself below the lowest and by serving those who are lowly like this child.

In terms of serving children this applies to Christian fathers, Sunday school teachers, and others, but who does it apply to more than Christian mothers? Moms, you are doing what it takes to be first in thekingdomofGod

Fourth, a revelation: Those who serve children because of Jesus are actually serving Jesus and the Father. Mothers, when you take your calling as a mother to include a call to train and disciple your children for the kingdom, Mark 9:37 applies to you. It says, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

When you are caring for your children as a Christian mother – you are really ministering to Jesus and to the Father! This certainly puts a little different light on what you are doing day in and day out with your children.

So yes, it is demanding, but be encouraged:

• Your work is significant. It is work that God does.
• You will be rewarded for your work.
• You are great in the kingdom.
• You are ministering to Jesus and the Father.

William Higgins