Do you ever have those surreal moments when you just stop and ask yourself, “Why am I doing all this anyway?”
Why are you sacrificing to stay home when you could easily choose another path? Why do kids need a mom and what is a mom’s purpose in the life of her child? I suggest the one answer that will give you perseverance when you grow weary……….to please Christ and obey His command to make disciples.
It’s not easy to make disciples–the very word has discipline interwoven into the meaning. I need to evaluate regularly how I am doing at making disciples. As moms we spend our days walking alongside our children. “Walking alongside” is a phrase to live by.
Jesus made disciples by spending most of his three years in earthly ministry with his twelve disciples. They ate together, ministered and worshipped together, sharing life experiences which Jesus turned into teachable moments. How could they experience Christ’s faith if they would have never seen it in action? Our children must spend large amounts of time with us if we are going to be effective at making disciples. There is no shortcut, no easy path. God has called me as a parent to be faithful, day in, day out, in living the life of a disciple and reproducing disciples of my children.
How will we know our job has been accomplished? When your child is fully discipled? I would suggest the scriptures give us our indicator--when you can send them out to reproduce in the lives of others what they have been taught. Jesus left his disciples when He could tell them to go and make disciples. He knew they were capable and fully equipped. But before they were ready, Jesus walked alongside them for three years and they were grown men…………….can we do less if we expect our little children to follow the Savior?
Oh, moms, don’t lose heart today. God placed children in our care because they need us. Children need guidance, a mom who walks alongside them when they need comfort and correction. We’ve got to be there, moms. Homemaking involves building up people who live in our homes. Homemaking takes on a whole new meaning when you see you are building into the lives of future disciples. Jesus has called us~He will sustain us~He will give help when you are weak~and you will see the fruit of your hands one day. Your children will rise up and bless your Savior and you will know there is no greater joy than to know your children walk in truth.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Rhonda, you make a wonderful point with this piece. You mention the time Jesus spent with His disciples–I always love to think about the years before that, though–the ones the Bible barely mentions. If we stop to think about it, Our Lord spent 10x as long with his parents as He did even with the Apostles!! What an example for us to follow!!
Very good reminder (even for moms whose kids spend part of their day being educated by others). It encourages and challenges me to think that “going and making disciples” starts before I even walk out my front door!
Thank you so much for this reminder. I always try to remember this when I get that “What is it all about?” feeling.
God is what it is all about and how we can serve Him.
Have a blessed Monday!
So very true! I am so thankful that I can “walk along side” my children every day. It is such a short amount of time compared to all of life.
Thank you for posting this! I really needed it. Honestly, my eyes welled up with tears reading this. Thank you!
You are so right when you say there is no greater joy for a mother than to know her children walk in the truth.
I’m an older mom, my kids are nearly grown. I remember the struggles and frustrations of days gone by and I wonder why I stressed out so much when I was a young mom. I am so blessed by my children. By God’s grace they have turned out well.
I look at young moms around me who are going through the same things I did and I just want to tell them to relax, enjoy your children, and keep faithfully teaching them God’s Word.
I also look at young moms who are trying to ‘do it all’ or ‘have it all’, that is, raise young children and work away from their children full time. I see in them a frustration that is many times greater than the frustration I ever felt as a stay-at-home mom.
So, what did I miss out by not working outside the home when my kids were little? Nothing but a lot of heartache. Am I missing out on something now that my kids are in their teens? Nope! My kids have thanked me on more than one occasion for not working outside the home.
Amen! So very true.
I am a grandma,but I enjoy this site.I introduced it to a niece of mine today who is a stay at home wife and mom.I so wish I had encouragement like this in the 70′s and 80′s when I was raising my children.It was very unpopular then to be a homemaker,and I was put down often,but I knew I was doing what was pleasing to God.I understand there are situations where it is impossible to be a homemaker,but with that said,we managed on one income.We lived in a smaller home,drove older vehicles,ate meals at home,and cut corners and managed everywhere we could.It was important to my husband and me that I be home with the children.Thank you for inspiring young parents to do the same.
Thanks for the gentle reminder… sometimes I get too overwhelmed by my journey- this keeps it in perspective for me on those tough days.
Rhonda my sweet friend! What a great message of encouragement and wisdom. I love that saying we are “walking alongside”. How true, and each year I am more awakened to this as I see my children grow. I am so excited that a new homeschool year is dawning. All the wonderful things we will learn together!! My greatest joy is to see my children living for Christ(how true! how true!). I pray that my life is glorifying to the Lord and my children see me walk with Him. That I would plant seeds of wisdom and encouragement into their lives. Hugs! Tammi
Another extension of Family-Integrated Living. Our family life is so much better, now that my husband and I have chosen to really BE with our children. Sharing Christ with them, training them, educating them, and loving them. All together, all the time.
Our oldest is 13, and it has gone by so quickly…this “season” is too precious not to “walk alongside them” as much as we possibly can.
Very thoughtful post Rhonda!
This is a wonderful reminder, that we are to be focused on making disciples of our children and not simply the diaper changes and dishwashing. I do think it’s important to mention that we are not guaranteed that our children will be saved, no matter how hard we work. The Holy Spirit alone can regenerate them and make them alive in Christ. But we pray and work in hope that He will use us to do that.
I wish another word/phrase would’ve been used other than “sacrificing” in this sentence:
“Why are you sacrificing to stay home when you could easily choose another path?”
Sacrifing? Really? Maybe I’m reading too much into it, because overall the article is a good reminder and encouraging. I just think as Christians we throw around the whole “sacrificing” thing way too much, when we don’t really understand what a sacrifice is at all. Christ sacrificed his only Son; Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son on the alter; look at the martyrs and fathers of our faith and the true sacrifices they made. Sacrificing to stay home with our children? It just doesn’t seem much like a sacrifice to me!
Thanks for the uplifting reminder. I, too, thought about the word “sacrificing” as a wrong word choice, however, the more I thought, the more I concluded, “We are sacrificing our fleshly desires, our fleshly urges, our worldly affections.” It IS a sacrifice to stay home because you have to live in this world and be reminded of how many people think you are ridiculous and lazy by staying home and not working outside the home. It is the right sacrifice, by ALL means! And the God-centered choice.
We make a sacrifice when we choose to spend time with our children versus choosing some other desire. We sacrifice when we stop what we are doing to greet our husbands as they come home from a hard day. Just like the Scripture says we make a sacrifice of praise to the Lord, we make those same choices in our home.
It is so refreshing to hear stories of women living the same life I do, staying home, loving and caring for our families the way God intends. What a blessing!