Where I live in the Middle East, people from many cultures love to comment about how I have my hands full. It’s not a figure of speech, because I literally have my hands full with four children swarming around as we run errands. Without a hint of cynicism, men and women will say (as I take the groceries and little ones across the street like a ninja), “You are blessed!”
I’m grateful for the reminders that my children are blessings. Regardless of your culture’s view of motherhood, though, Christians stand on eternal truth when we say motherhood is a gift.
We read in God’s Word that people are God’s image bearers. Adam and Eve were given the royal task of filling the earth with more imagers of the one true King (Gen. 1:26–28). Especially now, after the fall, we see that life is a gift of grace, never to be presumed or rejected. Every minute of our lives has been numbered by a gracious God who does all things well.
God has ordained all our mothering moments and seasons “for such a time as this,” until the King returns.
Not Feeling It? Think It.
Though we affirm these truths, it would be an understatement to say we don’t always feel motherhood is a gift. We need our shortsighted vision corrected with eternal perspective. But eternity just seems so far away. (Unless you’re ironing shirts; then eternity feels very real.) We need to renew our minds in God’s Word, and walk in the obedience of faith with God’s help. Our fickle feelings about motherhood must submit to God’s truth.
Each day I talk to my children about consequences. But we need to talk to ourselves about consequences, too. If we neglect God’s Word, we will ignore the deepest need we have—to abide in Christ. We won’t hold out the gospel to ourselves or anyone else as the one solution to our sin. We will forget the fact that right now and forever we’re all in a season of life.
Greater than Motherhood
God’s gift of life, in spite of our sin, is overwhelming. We are alive for a purpose—to make known the Lord’s mighty deeds among the nations. Let your mind be blown by the reality that Jesus is currently, intentionally holding our lives together by the word of his power.
Sisters in Christ, whatever season we’re in, whatever kind of nurturing work we’re doing, and however long our season lasts, life in Christ is our new normal. And it will still be 30 trillion years from now.
When the Son of God was lifted up on the cross to die, his death atoned for the sin of all who would repent and believe in him. Three days later, his grave was empty. And it’s still empty. The One who called himself “the resurrection and the life” got up and walked out. The world hasn’t been the same since. By the grace of God, you and I get to live in light of this truth. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, God has given us the greatest gift—life with him.
Gift that Keeps on Giving
With Christ’s joy as our strength, we can rejoice that the thousand deaths to self we die each day are our servants—midwives bringing us gain, an eternal weight of glory. We mothers think we’re the ones serving, but actually God is serving us as he uses motherhood to make us more like his Son.
Our nurturing work done unto Christ is part and parcel of the new creation, an invisible kingdom growing like a mustard seed in a garden, spreading throughout the world like leaven through dough. Motherhood is a gift that keeps on giving. Each day (and night) brings even more ways we get to live out his big story, the story that says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).
Editors’ note: Join Gloria Furman for a six-week online Bible study beginning Thursday, September 29, as she looks to Scripture for evidence of God’s mission for motherhood and his greater purpose for each and every woman. Learn more and sign up today. This article originally appeared at LifeWay Women.
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In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
