SOUNDING OUT:
The Fulfillment of Motherhood
On this mother’s day, let us rededicate ourselves
to appreciate our families. Let us honor our parents and teach
our children to honor and respect theirs. The family is the building
block of society. When God got things started on earth there was
Adam and Eve and then came Abel and the rest. The individual is
the basic unit of mankind, but families are the basic unit of
civilizations. Although much “socialization” and “indoctrination”
has been usurped by public education and the entertainment media,
nothing will ever replace the value of one-on-one instruction
of children by their parents.
I was talking to my wife, Ferne, the other day. I was so
encouraged and blessed as she related how wonderful and exciting
her life has been. Since she was a little girl her aspirations
were to have children and raise a family. Now as she looks back
over her life she is so thankful that she accomplished everything
that she set out to do. She feels fulfilled and thankful to God
for all that He has blessed her with. Although she has had much
work responsibility and recognition, what has thrilled her and
lit up her life is her family.
Today many mothers are tempted:
To think that they have wasted their life.
To view motherhood as a prison.
To see mothering as slave labor that goes
unappreciated and is fruitless.
Some women feel that their role as mothers or homemakers
isn’t as important or as fulfilling as is a place in the
business world. The media fronts women who are lawyers, doctors,
or some other kind of professional. If you are a professional,
you can be proud of yourself. But, being a mother just doesn’t
stroke the ego like those high paying jobs.
If you are a mother who is tempted to disparage motherhood
here are four suggestions:
First, cultivate the proper attitude
concerning motherhood. How do you feel about the role
and responsibilities as a mother? Get a Biblical perspective,
see what God thinks about how important and significant it is.
No matter what your work is, if you feel it is insignificant and
distasteful you will be bored and depressed by it. Motherhood
is honorable. God demands that we recognize that.
Second, accept and embrace the
responsibilities of motherhood. Finding fulfillment in mothering
depends on whether or not one accepts it. To reject our role or
even have mixed feelings about it invites frustration upon frustration.
Even normally enjoyable tasks become burdensome when not embraced.
However, the opposite is also true. When we accept and embrace
our role, even dull tasks can become meaningful.
To do this we need to stop listening to the opinions of
others and see the importance of what we are called to do. You
can’t count on the media to support the role of a godly
mother, but God certainly does. Mothers, as much if not more than
anyone else, shape the character of children and affect generations
to come. God entrusted his only begotten son to an imperfect mother.
God believes in motherhood and built within women the capacity
for great compassion and care for their children.
Third, develop a clear picture
of what you want to accomplish. What keeps one enthusiastic about
the challenges we face is not the work involved in surmounting
them–but the desire to attain the specific objective or
goal. To imagine any job without drudgery is fantasy. What keeps
us going is our vision of what we can do. How we can make a difference.
True, I’m not a mother but I do believe the same principles
apply.
If you are cultivating the right attitude and embracing
the responsibilities of motherhood, the next step is to visualize
what you want to achieve. Without specific goals to work toward,
boredom and discouragement are likely to set in. Once goals are
met new ones need to be envisioned and pursued. New goals will
keep one challenged and interested. Mothers also need to have
goals. What qualities do you want to see in your children? What
could be more rewarding than emotionally and spiritually well-adjusted
kids?
Fourth, invest yourself in building
loving relationships. To live meaningful lives, we must have loving
relationships. Make your relationships your priority, not your
housework. Interaction with your children will be much more rewarding
in the long run than doing the laundry or cleaning the floor.
Of course one doesn’t need to be at the exclusion of the
other.
The greatest sense of fulfillment for any task comes from
doing it for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whatsoever
ye do, do all to the glory of God. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says “Whatsoever
thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no
work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither
thou goest.” Colossians 3:23 and 24 says, “Whatsoever
ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing
that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance:
for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
So, husbands and children, let us never take our wives
and mothers for granted, but express our gratitude for everything
they do for us–from mending socks, to washing dirty clothes,
to cleaning the floors, and preparing our meals day-in, day-out,
year-in year-out, to lending a listening ear….
The most precious thing you share with your mother is a relationship.
Let’s invest in that relationship and spend time with one
another. You’ve probably heard it said that a woman’s
work is never done. Someone told me cleaning the house is like
shoveling snow before it stops falling. So, if we want time with
our mothers, let’s join them in what they need to do. We
can always show our appreciation by helping–there’s
always something to do.
[The four points were adapted from an article I found in my
files: Motherhood and Homemaking.]
