Wednesday, February 26, 2014

God Cares About Your Daily Life as a Mama!

I have to begin by thanking Good Morning Girls for this wonderful Bible study I've been going through for the last few weeks.  I must admit that I am about a week behind in the study, but the Lord knew what He was doing and positioned this passage at the perfect place in my life. 

Titus 2:3-5 (ESV)
Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine.  They are to teach what is good and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 

Wow!  How did God know exactly what mamas struggle with?!  So much from these verses struck me, but what hit me hardest was the fact that God cares about my day to day struggles at home.  Many times, a mom who stays home is treated differently by society and peers, and is often asked when she is going back to work at a "real job".  I'm thankful for this blog on the subject.  Mamas, whether we stay home or work outside the home, God truly understands our daily struggles and cares about our situation enough to give SPECIFIC directives to us.  So, moms, when you feel like no one understands the depth of your day to day life and the seemingly menial tasks you do throughout the day, remember that God sees and He created your position as one that is to be honored and not trivialized.  You and I both know that the our day to day existence is far from luxurious and most of us who stay home are sacrificing deeply to follow the conviction in our hearts.  Whether we stay home or work outside the home, God views the job of mothering and homemaking as a necessity for training the next generation to love and serve Him. 

Here are some of my observations from this passage:

1) Our behavior is to be reverent.  Respectful, honorable, deliberate are words that come to mind for me. 

2) Not slanderers.  So often, women tear each other down with words, but as believers, we are called to never take part in this.  How Christ-like is it for me to rip apart a fellow believer and sister with hateful speech about her?  Ladies, we're in this walk together and we must encourage and uphold each other to further the cause of Christ.  Especially SAHMs vs. WOTHMs (not sure if that's an actual acronym yet or not, but it should be!)

3) Not slaves to much wine.  This communicated to me that we should not be given over to any vices whether that is alcohol or wasting hours on facebook.  Whatever addiction we struggle with, we must daily lay these at the foot of the cross. 

4) Teach what is good.  Finding fellow sisters in Christ to invest my life in is something God constantly has on my heart.  With a toddler running around like a crazy banshee, it's hard to figure out the logistics of making this work consistently, but God gives opportunities when we ask Him.  And we never know how those short conversations and God-appointed meetings can be used by God for His glory. 

5) Love our husbands and children.  Selfishness is the opposite of love, so when I am tempted to act selfishly or put my trivial wants (for time mindlessly browsing pinterest...) ahead of the legitimate needs of my family (for clean dishes, folded laundry, or simply for my attention), I am not acting in love.  Loving my husband and my son means putting their needs ahead of my own.  I must also know when I need to be still and rest since my family needs me to be a kind and patient mommy and wife.  At the Christian camp where I worked in the Summers during college, we were encouraged that "sometimes the most godly thing you can do is take a nap".  Being intentional about resting (as much as possible with little ones) and not burnt out is something that I must make a priority to be able to effectively show love to my family.

6) Be self-controlled.  Not lashing out in anger when my son throws a toy at my head or dumps cheerios and milk all over my freshly mopped floor.  Not biting my husband's head off when his clothes don't quite make it to the hamper (especially since mine have been known to do the same thing from time to time).  Keeping my cool and disciplining my stubborn 2-year-old with a response that mirrors the response I'd like him to have should be my objectives.  (I'd hate for him to learn more bad behavior from me!)

7) Pure.  In mind, heart, desires, and speech.  Thinking and speaking so that I would not be ashamed for anyone in the entire world to hear (because, oh yeah, remember, God hears it all...eek!). 

8) Working at home.  Striving to be a hard worker at the job God has given me in my home is something I struggle with.  It is easy to let things slide until they get to the point that the task is overwhelming and I then have no motivation to get them done.  Moms, we know there are days when cleaning your house is like eating oreos while brushing your teeth.  And on those days, I have realized that the best way to clean my house is to keep a closer eye on my child to prevent more messes from happening and to worry about my to do list later.  The key for me is to use my time wisely and not waste time with things that don't matter like all of the fabulous contributions to the world that sites like buzzfeed have given us ("22 Things Every 90's Girl Understands", "What Downton Abbey Character Are You?" to name some of my recent time-wasters).  There is obviously nothing wrong with these little things, but when it becomes a way for me to put off tasks that are necessary for my family to function optimally, I am not being a hard worker in my home.  I'm am being lazy. 

9)  Kind.  Treating others the way I'd like to be treated.  (Luke 6:31)  Being kind to my son even when he is not so kind to me.  Being friendly to my neighbors when I would rather just take out my trash, pull my hood over my head, and get back inside my warm apartment. 

10) Submissive to their own husbands.  Supporting my husband as he leads our home without trying to usurp his role or treat him like a child.  Encouraging him and letting him know how proud I am of him (I truly am incredibly proud of the godly man he is!).  Not allowing my own thoughts or people who do not respect their husbands (or just men in general) to create discontent in my heart. 

11) That the word of God may not be reviled.  Woah!  My actions in these areas truly matter for the kingdom!  If I'm not striving to do right in these areas and teach other women to do so as well, I am tearing down the kingdom by giving those around me a poor opinion of my God. 

A summary of what I have learned in this passage is this:  My life matters to the kingdom.  My day to day, menial grind of wiping up spills and boogers matters.  Realizing that God sees my days at home deeply impacts how I go about those little tasks and it gives me encouragement that my job is not just important, it is absolutely necessary.  It, like any other job for a believer, is the mission field God has called me to, and I must treat it as such. 

What are some things you glean from these verses?  How has God spoken to your heart lately about your role as a mama?