Children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. — Psalm 127:3
You wake up early, hoping to get just a few minutes of quiet before the day begins, but the children have other ideas. Your day is full of changing diapers, laundry, getting kids to school or homeschooling, meal preparation, homework, and all those extra activities the children are involved in. At the end of the day, you fall into bed, exhausted. You are overwhelmed and can quickly lose sight of the joy that the gift of mothering brings.
The most high and holy calling is that of being a wife and mother. As mothers, our role in the family is of great importance and will have a huge, life-altering impact on our children. This calling is one to be embraced and revered. The importance of raising our children for Jesus and embracing our role of motherhood will make a God honoring difference in the lives of our children.
We should embrace every opportunity we have to pray with and for our children. This will model a culture of prayer and dependence on the Lord that our children will be guided by. Prayer is one of our most important jobs as mothers. This gift of praying for and with our children will allow them to see their own need of prayer and give them the gift of a strong prayer life with our heavenly Father.
As mothers, we should be challenged by the opportunity to impact our children’s lives for Jesus. Show your children what is truly important in this life. Show them that living for the Lord and His calling in their lives is the most important thing they will ever do. Take time to teach them the Scriptures and guide them to handle their daily struggles in the ways that Jesus proclaims to be truth. Show them that impacting eternity for Jesus will bring far more satisfaction to them and glory to God than anything they could ever experience on this earth.
Embrace the little things. Take the opportunity to kiss the booboos, cry with the hurting child, comfort the one who is scared, and listen to your children while helping answer all the questions they have about life. These small acts of kindness and trust will build relationships that Jesus will be honored in. Embrace those messy diapers and the long sleepless nights, for they will soon pass and be memories. Each opportunity you have been given to show your children the importance of making Jesus a priority in life should be of utmost importance. We might be raising a child who will change the world for the great gospel of Jesus Christ. Our somewhat small and what may seem like a nonmeaningful role will be life altering one day in our children’s lives. Make it count for Jesus!
Bring joy to your children’s lives by showing them that your joy and strength come from the Lord. Your children will learn so much by how you act and react to all situations in life. After difficulties occur, take the time to explain to your children why you reacted the way you did and how Jesus can be glorified by them through those difficulties.
As you embrace raising your children for Christ, not only are you impacting their lives, but in turn you are changing those lives that they will be impacting. You have the opportunity to impact your children for the glory of Jesus as well as your grandchildren and their children. You are leaving a legacy by embracing your calling.
As mothers, we have the chance to impact generations for the gospel by embracing our calling. This calling of being a mother could very well be the most important thing we ever do in our lives! We could be raising the next man who will bring revival to the nations. Embrace your calling! Embrace motherhood!
Action Points
- Which areas of motherhood do you gladly embrace? Which areas do you find challenging or discouraging?
- Have you ever thought about how your children may have a powerful purpose in God’s kingdom? Commit to praying that your children will realize their unique callings in Christ.
- Look for a promise from God’s Word that speaks to your children’s futures. Write it out on a three-by-five card, and post it somewhere you can see it often and be encouraged by it.
This chapter was written by Ashley Vaughan.
Taken from The Extraordinary Mother
