When one becomes a Christian, one has not yet "arrived". We are redeemed, bought by the blood of Jesus, and called to serve a purpose in His kingdom. What is yours?
Like many others who read here, I am called to be the help meet for a husband, and mother to our children. And while the world downplays the importance of those roles, they are still the most important roles a married woman can fulfill.
Reading from Matthew 10 this morning, I found so much encouragement that I wanted to share it! Jesus was commissioning his disciples to do a task that was humanly impossible, but He made it clear that they would never be alone. While I am not called to go out and preach and heal all manner of diseases, my calling at home is just as important in the eyes of God. (Come to think of it, I do preach a little, as well as do a little healing. ;o)
** "He gave them power" to do what He commanded them to do. Are there not times when the task seems overwhelming? Sometimes I tell myself, "I just can't do it all!!" and then I hear Someone whisper in my ear, "Then just let Me do it through you." He doesn't tell His disciples to go out and do a great work in their own power, but the power to do His will comes from the Lord. We are to seek the Source, and upon receiving, we are to spread it all over our families. If we don't seek the Source, however, in whose power do we perform the task we are called to do? Forced to draw upon our own meager resources, we soon exhaust ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually. We must not try to do God's work without God's power.
** I am to "freely give", and not hold back. Jesus said, "Freely ye have received, freely give." Wives and mothers, too, are to be a conduit of God's power and the Holy Spirit. A good word to sum up a wife & mother's calling is "Giving". This does not come naturally for most (it doesn't for me), but a woman who gives and does by faith will joyfully realize that every effort put forth to do the task is equally replenished by the Source of her strength!
** "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves." (No, the wolves aren't the children. ;o) But Satan is the wiley one that we have to watch for. Ungodly influences tend to sneak into the home and snag the hearts of our children. We are to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Be careful what music you allow into the home, what you set before their eyes, and what attitudes you allow them to harbor in their hearts. Get your wisdom from the Lord and his Word! Share it with your children.
** "It shall be given you...what ye shall speak." What power the tongue wields! With it, we can build up our families, or tear them down. Death and life are in the power of it. The virtuous wife and mother "openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."
** "Fear ye not therefore." If God sees and takes care of the sparrow, then He certainly knows you, and cares for you! It is our loving Heavenly Father who sets the task before us, and He "knoweth our frame, that we are dust". Fear not.
** "He that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Loving the Lord supremely is not neglecting husband and children. Rather, it makes us better wives and mothers. Putting God first will always be the best thing for our families!
** "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." Many a woman today struggles with "losing" her identity, saying she wants to "have a life". Many for this reason pursue careers outside the home, preferring meeting her own wants instead of her family's needs. A Christian woman can trust that when she loses her life in Christ, therein will she find real Life!
** "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water...shall in no wise lose his reward." Being a wife and mother often does not involve many huge, monumental tasks, but rather many small, menial tasks. Be Jesus to your family when preparing a meal, or straightening up the living room, or wiping a nose. It is not so much the enormity or "importance" of the task that concerns Him, but it is our faithfulness in the little things. Just do it in His name... there will surely be a reward!
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