Motherhood: Act of Worship

   

“You are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are the everlasting arms.  {Jeremiah 31:3} That’s what the Bible says…”  These words were the introduction to a radio program called Gateway to Joy, hosted by Elisabeth Elliot, wife of the martyred Jim Elliot.  My mom listened almost daily to this broadcast and I loved listening to the calm, confident voice of Elisabeth as she breathed life-giving words of encouragement from the Bible into the hearts of mothers in all stages of life.  From the women aching to hold a child to the young mother living for bedtime when she might be able to wash her face and grab a bite to eat, to the wonderful, adored grandmother or the great-grandmother whose hair has turned to beautiful gray, Mrs. Elliot shared how the work of a mother’s hands and heart is a gift of worship to our Creator and is something all women can participate in.  

    The Westminster Shorter Catechism begins with the question: “What is the chief end of man?”  The answer is:  "The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. "

Our chief purpose is to bring glory to our Creator!  How is that accomplished? 

    As a young girl, I surrendered my life to the Lord.  I always envisioned working in a third world country, serving starving orphans in the scorching heat.  This led me to become a nurse and I had even applied to serve with a mission in tribal Papua New Guinea.  God gently closed those doors through my mother’s early diagnosis of Breast Cancer, treatments and passing at the young age of 47 and a few other circumstances.  After bringing Sam into my life and blessing me with children, I have come to realize that God’s ministry for me is here, to the children God has given me -to the husband that I have been blessed with and to my church family.  Another quote from Elisabeth Elliot says this well: 

“This job  (of motherhood) has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift.  Therefore, it is a privilege.  Therefore, it is an offering I make to God.  Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is to be done for Him.  Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way.  In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.”   A privilege.  A gift in which God is looking to us for faithfulness with what He has placed in front of us, at every stage in life.  

    In Hebrews 12:1 Paul teaches us:  “Therefore, brothers (and I am certain he includes sisters in this!!), by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.” (Holman Christian Standard Bible)  

Living Sacrifice--- I can’t think of a more perfect picture of Christian motherhood than Living Sacrifice.  From the moment of conception, a mother literally pours her life into her child.  This does not stop with birth, or even when a child is grown.  Paul says that THIS is our worship.  Wow.  This changes our focus from drudgery and misery to beautiful gifts of service to our Creator.  Sisters in Christ, this is a Holy Calling we are being asked to do!  Yes, our children will thrive from having a Godly Mother.  But, your relationship with your Savior can grow at the same time as we offer our sacrifice to Him of ourselves.

    This is what sets us apart from the world.  Women all over the world love and sacrifice for their children.  But, “Being a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but being a Christian does make me a different kind of woman.” (another E.E. quote) Offering every moment of our lives up as acts of worship to our Savior, opens up a gateway to joy! Our lives of joyful service to a loving Savior sets us apart from those who perform mundane tasks with no real purpose.  

Colossian 3:17 says “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, DO IT ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”  

    We are told to perform every deed in the name of Jesus…. Giving thanks while we do it.   That part can be hard, for sure.  But, living our lives in the light of Jesus’ sacrificial love, how can we not give thanks at every moment?  

    The partner of thankfulness is praise.  Hebrews 13:15 gives us further direction, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise -- the fruit of lips that OPENLY PROFESS HIS NAME. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. “  We see that our daily activities are to be conducted gladly, with thanksgiving, with praise  (OPENLY professing the name of Jesus).  THIS is our Living Sacrifice.  

     I am blessed to have witnessed this type of worshipful mothering in my mother as well as my father’s mother through my young, formative years.  I saw my mom lovingly care for her sick parents in our home while in the late stages of pregnancy with her 6th baby and homeschooling my sister and myself.  I watched my grandmother care for my grandfather for over 20 years in which he was almost bedridden the majority of the time.  She did this and faithfully prayed for each of her 8 children, their spouses, and each of her 50 grandchildren (and later, their spouses and her great-grandchildren) by name, individually,  daily until her passing to glory.  Both women without a word of complaint and always swift to give glory to God for the smallest blessings He sent.  I am sure each of you have such examples that come to your mind as you think of Godly women who faithfully share Christ’s sacrificial love with their family.  

    These earthly examples are given to us as mentors for our daily walk.  Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

    Those “witnesses” are those “greats” in the faith who have gone on before us.  We are instructed to run with faith the race set before us - doing each task set before us, giving our lives as a living sacrifice, each work and deed is an act of worship to our Saviour.  This is how we bring Glory to our Creator and fulfill the purpose for which we are created. This gives purpose to the pain and changes drudgery to beauty.  It applies to all women in all stages of life.  

     I want to encourage each of you, my sisters in Christ, to know that you are loved with an everlasting love and that underneath are the everlasting arms! They are there to lift you up, strengthen you and provide security in this uncertain world.  As you rest in those arms, know that you are accomplishing a holy work.  By doing the task that is set before you as a work of worship to your Savior who gave His life for you, you are presenting to Him the greatest gift you can give, a life of living sacrifice.  This is the essence of Christian womanhood.   Jesus sees, knows, cares and loves your work.  He will complete the rest in you, in your children and in the hearts of those you are serving.  You can trust Him and His heart.  

In closing, I leave you with one more quote from Elisabeth Elliott:

“All mothers are a quiet servant of necessity, doing the work no one would notice or thank her for -- no one, that is, except Him to whom it could be offered as a daily sacrifice of Love.”  

Sisters, whether you are yearning for God to give you a child, in the trenches of raising precious little ones (potty training, teething, snotty noses),  in the throes of the teenage craziness, or helping your children raise their children, God challenges you to do the next thing, whatever it is that He places in front of you as a gift to Him.   He promises to bless you far above all you could ask or dream.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Heather Sparks