The Kingdom of God Is at Your Fingertips—the Vocation of Motherhood
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One Sunday morning I remember being encouraged from the pulpit to be “kingdomly minded.” Hmm, it sounded good—but also a little grandiose. What was I doing to further the kingdom of God? How was I doing anything intentional to point others to Christ so that their souls would be saved? The question raised my eyebrows and stopped me in my tracks.
Let’s take a look at my life. I am a wife and stay-at-home mom of three young children. Between home life, school, sports schedules, church activities, and consistent exercise, I feel like time is already moving at warp speed. Some days I feel like I can barely keep my head above water. And now I have this bomb dropped in my lap: What was I doing to further the kingdom of God? My initial answer: absolutely nothing (cue the guilt).
Many women feel the same way during this busy season of life. As much as we love our children and enjoy making a home, our lives can feel somewhat “on hold.” It’s easy to feel as if we aren’t—or can’t—do anything of real significance during this very demanding time when our children are young and their needs are constant. And for those of us who also work outside of the home, juggling the two seems impossible at times.
Yet, there are many ways in which we can further God’s kingdom in the here and now in the home. The enemy loves to leave women feeling unempowered, while allowing opportunities to go unnoticed right under our noses. We can easily be tricked into thinking that all important work for the kingdom of God happens on a mission field or from a pulpit—and that simply isn’t true. Most of the time God uses very ordinary means to further his kingdom and change lives—we just need to open our eyes to them.
The Vocation of Motherhood
One of the spheres in which God places women to further his kingdom is our role as mothers. I know some days it seems like all we are doing is making snacks and changing diapers. But it is in these everyday responsibilities that we serve an amazing God who uses the ordinary to do extraordinary things. He exalts the small and weak and uses them in mighty ways.
One of the most common and powerful ways souls are added to the kingdom is through the family. As parents, we are going to be the most influential people in our children’s lives for quite some time. Here is what Scripture says about our calling as parents:
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Prov. 22:6)
You shall teach them [God’s commandments] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deut. 6:7)
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. (Prov. 22:15)
Shaping Lives and Shepherding Hearts
We are shaping lives and shepherding hearts, and God has ordained these children to be born into Christian homes—that is something to marvel at. There is a world around us living in darkness and starving for truth, but our little ones will not remember a day when they hadn’t known of their heavenly Father. They have the privilege of being told from infancy of Christ’s grace, love, and saving work done on their behalf, and as mothers, we have the opportunity to point our children to him every single day. Will we do it perfectly? No. Will we mess up frequently? Yes.
But by God’s grace, even our mistakes give us an opportunity to show our little ones the process of repentance, forgiveness, and restoration, as we make amends after we have sinned against them. As we correct their missteps each day, we can point them to our heavenly Father who always forgives and always loves his children. As we enjoy a visit to the beach or watching a breathtaking sunset together, we can shift our focus from the beauty of this world to the beauty of the One who created it.
In the vocation of motherhood, we can seek the good of God’s kingdom in so many seemingly insignificant—yet truly important and wonderful—ways every day with the gifts God has uniquely bestowed upon us:
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace” (1 Pet. 4:10).
While our children are still under our care in our homes, we can take advantage of these simple, everyday teaching moments that God gives us to serve him by serving our families. May God be exalted and his kingdom be furthered as we raise our children to love and honor their Creator in all things.
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God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life by Gene Edward Veith
