The Christian home is a stronghold, and the enemy will never let up his attempts to undermine it or breach its sanctity.
Elisabeth Elliott
As Christian mothers, we have many voices vying for our attention, both audibly and inferred. If we listen to the culture around us, we hear statements such as, “Your identity needs to be found in something other than being a mother,” or “You must find fulfillment in a full-time job,” or when you tell people you stay at home to raise your children, they say something like, “Oh. Is that all you do?” It’s no wonder Christian mothers acutely feel the tension between biblical motherhood and cultural declarations. Through this blog post, and the series of images I’m sharing on my social media platforms this week, I hope to encourage Christian mothers in their charge of raising their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Whether you work outside the home or not, I hope these points encourage you to find fulfillment in the calling God has set before you in your home.
What does the Bible say about motherhood?
Here are a few verses to get us into God’s Word and understand what it says regarding motherhood:
Proverbs 14:1 – The wisest of women builds her house,
but folly with her own hands tears it down.
Proverbs 31:27 – She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
2 Timothy 1:5 – I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
Titus 2: 3-5 – Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
For starters, the book of Proverbs has numerous verses on biblical motherhood and I have just selected two. But these two verses show the importance of a woman working diligently in her home for her family. I included the passage from Timothy because I love Paul’s inclusion of Timothy’s mother and grandmother in his offering of consolation to Timothy. Paul reminds Timothy that his mother and grandmother heavily influenced his life of faith. Lastly, my favorite passage regarding the maturity of Christian women is found in Titus. Paul explicitly describes the Christian woman in practical terms, which should serve as a guide for Christian mothers in our homes.
The Little Things
Elisabeth Elliot states that her parents taught her to pay attention to the “little things” while she was growing up, because it is in the little things that our character is revealed. How does this apply to the Christian mother? As Elliot states later, “The spiritual training of souls must be inseparable from practical disciplines.” It is in the little, everyday habits of the family home that children are encouraged either toward culture or toward Christ. Is family time intentionally sought in your home? Are meal times together at the table a priority? Does family worship receive priority over the television? Or more specifically, do your children see you joyfully engaging in your household chores, or are they a drudgery because you feel them “beneath” you?
When we shift from listening to what culture tells us (you’re too busy and too important to clean your house) to what God tells us (“She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household” Proverbs 31:15), our eyes are suddenly focused on our Lord and not our circumstances. Therefore, when we view our situation through gospel lenses rather than cultural lenses, we see the privilege that God has given us in training our children in His ways. It is through the little things that our children see us serve the Lord with gladness in our homes.
Marriage and Family
Not only is it our honor to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, but it is our joy to pray for our husbands, as well. Pray for your husband in your daily set-aside prayer time, but also pray for your husband when praying with your children. Whether it is before a meal or a special time of prayer, let your children hear you cover your husband in prayer. This will not only train them how to pray for those they love, but it will assure them of the love of their parents.
I am reminded of the great 19th century pastor Charles Spurgeon and his wife, Susannah. Ray Rhodes writes, “Within their marriage – though Susie was a faithful instrument of piety in the home, reading, praying for, and singing with her children – Charles ensured that Scripture and prayer permeated family life.” It was through the working of both parents that their children were trained toward Christ. Let us not underestimate the power of daily Bible reading, prayer, and worship in the home. As Christian mothers, we have the sacred blessing of raising our children in a haven of Christian love and piety. May we keep this blessed burden before us and continue to read Scripture and pray daily ourselves, since it is “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).
Mothers, be encouraged today. The Lord will strengthen and sustain you in whatever season of life you find yourself. If your children are babies, ask the Lord to give you special time with Him and clear thoughts. If your children are school-aged, ask the Lord to give you wisdom in knowing what biblical discussions to have with your children and at what age. Be willing to have open, hard conversations as they grow in faith themselves. Lastly, if your children are adults, continue in steadfast prayer as they navigate raising children in today’s world, and give them biblical guidance and counsel as they need. We never outgrow the need of a Christian parent’s wisdom.
Books Referenced:
Elisabeth Elliot, Keep a Quiet Heart (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 1995).
Ray Rhodes, Jr, Yours till Heaven: The Untold Love Story of Charles and Susie Spurgeon (Chicago, IL: Moody, 2021).
For more reading from Acceptable Worship, read Hymns on the Lips of our Children.
For more reading outside of Acceptable Worship, read Humility in Wives and Mothers.
