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.]