The Biblical Call of Motherhood
Motherhood is an emotional experience, to say the least. One moment you are delirious with delight over a godly choice your child has made, and the next you are on your knees with hands lifted high, praying on your child’s behalf. You are calling out to God to give you the strength to survive another day of chaos that threatens the protective covenant of your family.
While this roller coaster can be exhausting, the good news is that you are not on it alone. God has given us several tools that can help us find joy in the ride, even in the midst of the ups, downs, and unexpected twists that accompany motherhood.
In order to understand the calling of being a mother, it is important to recognize that we have been soaked in a world of lies when it comes to parenting.
How can you renounce the messages that our culture sends about motherhood and reclaim the blessings that come from our heritage as co-heirs with Jesus?
God’s Intentional Design
God’s intention for His children was not focused on their academic achievements nor their unsurpassed skills on a soccer field. His intention was not for children to fill a hole in your heart created by an imaginary biological clock.
His intention was and is for you to pass on a rich heritage of faith to your children. A heritage that is rooted in His truth and anchored in trusting Him and His righteousness. A heritage that honors Him and brings glory to His Kingdom.
God wants you to sow seeds into your children that will bear fruit as they age into adults. He knows that faith, when it is taught and passed down within the knowledge of the covenant relationship, is the greatest gift that can be given to children. After all, faith is the only gift that ensures salvation to the one who possesses it, making it invaluable. That same faith activates the blessings given to you by the blood of the Lamb.
The Biblical Call of Motherhood
In short, a woman is called to honor God, as well as her husband, children, family, church, and community. Just as the Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians…
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”—1 Corinthians 10:31
If we want to be aligned with the Lord, coming into agreement with His Word and His calling for us as mothers, then we need to ask ourselves, “Is my motive and heart behind my actions bringing glory to God?”
A Mother’s Call to Honor God…
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”—Matthew 6:33 (emphasis added)
God was well aware of the distractions that mothers would be facing in this season. That is why He has called His followers to keep their focus on Him and His will. Seeking God’s will is not a one-time prayer. It is a continuous effort and conversation with the Spirit.
As a mother, there is a calling upon you to seek God’s will, and if you are a Believer, you need to be able to discern His will. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because something is working out for you it is “God’s will”—or worse, that if things are hard for you, then you are somehow working against His will.
God can and will equip your children with knowledge and talents. It is your privilege as a mother to remind your children that those talents are God’s gift to them. It is His desire for those gifts to produce seeds that will then be sown into fertile soil to multiply blessings to be used in a way that furthers His Kingdom here on earth.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”—James 1:17
A Mother’s Call to Honor Her Husband…
“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward… rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”—1 Peter 3:1-4
The Lord’s instruction to honor your husband is subsequently honoring Him. Why does the Lord want His children to have an inner beauty made up of a gentle and quiet spirit? Because these are the qualities that our Messiah possessed.
Ultimately, the more you honor your husband, the more your mind is transformed into that of Christ. Think about it… having a soft heart toward others creates easier acceptance of their differences. God did not create us all exactly the same, so that must mean that He wanted us to understand the differences—even when those difference are in the ones you watered, grew, and trained up.
A Mother’s Call to Honor Her Children…
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.”—Psalm 127:3-4
Children are precious to God, and therefore they should be precious to us. The Bible makes it clear that we are to love, respect, and care for our children; bringing them up to be the adults that God intends them to be, so that legacy can be passed on and they gain wisdom of their true identity.
Children learn by example…
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”—Proverbs 22:6
Children look to their mothers for guidance. If your relationship with God only manifests itself occasionally, it may be time to reevaluate that relationship. God is constant, meaning you have to decide how close to Him you want to stand.
“So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”—Revelation 3:16
God’s desire is for us to be “all in” when it comes to a relationship with Jesus. That is the heart behind the covenant relationship. Lukewarm will not pass on the heritage of faith to our children, nor will it be enough to unlock the blessings that come from obedience to His callings.
A Mother’s Call to Honor Her Family…
“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”—1 Timothy 5:8
We honor family by remembering that we are co-heirs with Jesus, and thus we are representing His family name with our conduct. If you call yourself a Christian, then your actions should contrast with the rest of the world.
Just as the Lord set apart Abraham and His family to reveal His light, we are to be set apart in this time. How will the world know God—who by nature is the opposite of it—if we do not walk in the Spirit and look different from our surroundings?
Created uniquely by Him for a purpose, your children are to be raised up embracing the favor of knowing they are kings and priests of His Kingdom, not ours. A mother’s calling is to teach them to seek God’s instruction and then be obedient to it—opening up heaven’s doors.
A Mother’s Call to Honor the Church…
“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body… For, in fact, the body is not one member but many.”—1 Corinthians 12:12-14
Christ loves His bride. As part of His Church, you fill an integral role in the process of building it here on earth. He has a job for you.
A Mother’s Call to Honor Her Community…
When Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest, this was His reply…
“…‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”—Matthew 22:37-40 (emphasis added)
Community made Jesus’ “Top 2” list—this reveals its relevance. There are so many blessings that come from a community of Believers who are authentic in their love and faith.
If you are not fellowshipping with a community of Believers, you are robbing yourself of rich relationships that are honoring to God. Jesus told His disciples…
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”—Matthew 18:19-20
If we want to see God’s hand move on earth on behalf of our children, as mothers, let us join together in community and come into agreement.
Motherhood Is a Ministry
Make no mistake… motherhood in and of itself is a ministry. You are called to teach and preach the full gospel in this mountain so that your heritage is passed on.
This calling is for mothers of all ages. For the wiser, more experienced mother who has raised her children, continue to encourage the younger women around you.
Family is a heritage that is passed on from generation to generation. Look at how the Apostle Paul commends Timothy’s mother and grandmother for the everlasting faith that they were able to pass on to the next generation.
“When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.”—2 Timothy 1:5
This is no small assignment! We need to boldly proclaim God’s truth to the youth in our lives. The above scripture goes on to say…
“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you… For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”—2 Timothy 1:6-7
Let the year 2019/5779 be the year that we “stir up” the gift of the Holy Spirit—the year that we become new wineskins to receive new revelation and new wine to pour out among those who are growing in their faith.
The gift of your purpose—assigned to you by the Spirit of God—causes all the nations to unite and allows us to reclaim the authority that is in the heavenly realm and bring it to earth.
