There is a favorite book I turn to often to look for encouragement in my role as a wife and mother. God’s Word is always my first destination but a book that I came across several years ago is Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney. Carolyn is looking at our role as Titus 2 women and what the scripture teaches by taking apart that verse a section at a time. Chapter three is an excellent guide to show us what God’s Word says about loving our children.
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The chapter starts off by reminding us as moms how good we are at self-sacrificing love. It is a rare experience to meet a woman who doesn’t sacrifice for her children and daily lays down her life to serve them. We are good at that kind of love.
I have two adult children and three grandbabies. I can tell you I fiercely love all my babies – my now-grown children and those little grandbabies. This mama would do anything for them and be there in a heartbeat.
Whether we have our own children or spiritual children we have a high calling to love these children and point them to Christ. This high calling of motherhood is truly an honor, and I hope that today I can with the Lord’s help, help us to grasp this. I’ve talked much about cleaning and homekeeping and scheduling over the years but the moments we get with our children are hopefully pointing them to the reality that life is bigger than cleaning and cooking and that our example would be one of the sacrificial love of Jesus and of laying down your life for another. You are a disciple mama, and you are to be making disciples in your home.
It is a tiring job at times and can seem overwhelming many days, but I hope that you will be reminded today in our time that you can’t do anything without the strength of Christ. In Christ Mama, we can do all things with great joy. So let’s look together at the blessings of loving our children:
Show Notes:
“There is no human love like a mother’s love. There is no human tenderness like a mother’s tenderness……..In all ages everywhere, the true children of a true mother ‘rise up and call her blessed’; for they realize, sooner or later, that God gives no richer blessing to man than is found in a mother’s love.”
~ Henry Clay Trumbull
“What is rare is a woman who delights in her children, takes pleasure in them, she loves being a mother. She relates to them with a tender, warm affection.”
~Carolyn Mahaney
What is rare is a woman who delights in her children, takes pleasure in them, she loves being a mother. She relates to them with a tender, warm affection.“Aren’t there days where if someone was observing what was going on at our house they would see an unhappy, irritated exasperated mom yet all the while sacrificing for her family doing the homeschooling, doing the laundry, cooking the meals. It’s loving our children and husband with a tender, affectionate love amidst all the sacrifice that is harder for us to achieve.”
~Carolyn Mahaney
“No job on earth takes more physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual strength then being a good wife and mother. If a gal’s looking for the easy life, she might try teaching tennis, cutting diamonds, or joining a roller derby team. There is nothing easy about good mothering. It can be backbreaking, heart-wrenching, and anxiety producing. And that’s just the morning.”
~Stephen Bly
“We need to repent of our sin for not loving our children. Spend some time in repentance and read God’s Word and reading books about motherhood. You may be depleted and need fresh vision and perspective in regards to your role as a mom. Find a way to be alone for a few hours and study God’s Word as your role as a mother. If you are not enjoying your children if you’re lacking joy as a mother may I appeal to you to take whatever measures necessary to change? Repent and find a mature woman who enjoys her role as a mother to encourage you and hold you accountable to this period of your life.”
~ Carolyn Mahaney
“How often have I been guilty of being the Holy Spirit in their lives? It is my job along with my husbands to impart truth, but I can’t reveal truth only the Holy Spirit can. It is my job to point out sin and require obedience, but I can’t bring conviction of sin – only the Holy Spirit can convict of sin. It is my job to share the gospel – but I can’t reveal the gospel to my children only the Holy Spirit can reveal the truth of the gospel.”
~ Carolyn Mahaney
“Truth is we must plant, and we must water if we are to make progress with our children in holiness, but only the only spirit can change our children more and more into the likeness of Jesus. Our problem is we tend to depend upon our planting and watering rather than the Lord.”
~Jerry Bridges
“What is the ultimate purpose of a “phileo” kind of love? It is nothing less than the salvation of our children’s souls. This is the chief end of mothering. Our goal is not that our children be happy, fulfilled, and successful. Granted we may desire these things for them. But our highest objective should be that our children would repent from their sins, put their trust in Jesus Christ, and reflect the gospel to the world around them.”
~Carolyn Mahaney
“This is the thought that should be uppermost on your mind in all you do for your children. In every step you take about them, in every plan, and scheme, and arrangement that concerns them, do not leave out that mighty question, “How will this affect their souls?”
~J. C. Ryle
Scripture & Resources:
Titus 2:3-5
Psalm 127:3-5
Proverbs 10:1
1 Corinthians 3:7
Psalm 127:1
Proverbs 14:1
Psalm 90:12
2 Corinthians 12:9
Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother by Carolyn Mahaney
Hints on Child Training by Henry Clay Trumbull ($0.99 on Kindle as I was typing this post)
A Reminder to Imperfect Parents
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