Intentional Motherhood: Faith and Faithfulness

I know this is not a great way to start out, but let me just say I do not feel qualified to write this post.

Oh, yes, I am blessed to have three children that call me "Mom" and "Mama" and even "Mooooooooooom"--you know that tone, right?

But I am not so sure I am living up to the calling so very well. It can get me down, this high calling that I am not qualified for. No one gave me any manual, not even a crash course, unless you count the pre-natal classes I went to. But, everything I learned in those classes, pretty much went flying out the window when the first labour pain hit.

Then I went to Google. I had no idea if it was the real thing, I was 10 days early after all. Yep, Google said it was the real thing, so did my Mom even though my husband wouldn't believe me!

My first labour and delivery was actually pretty much textbook, but absolutely no one prepared me for what the next five days would be like with only a total of eight hours sleep in those five days scattered  in between diaper changes, feedings, burpings, baths, eating, feedings, and, more feedings!

I was in baby bliss and I loved her like I could never have known, I just didn't know what to do with my baby girl and it was a shock because I just assumed that it would just all come very naturally to me. I was used to babies. I just had no idea how to be a Mama!

And add to that mix my natural selfishness and a hungry, crying, sweet little baby and not enough milk, well you can do the math and, if you are a mother, you quite possibly know exactly what I mean.

Or, maybe not?

Maybe I am the only one that still had a lot of growing up to do when I gave birth to my first baby. But, I am sure, if we are all being honest, I'd be able to have a good chat with at least a few other kindred spirits out there!

She rocked my world like nothing had before. As I rocked her and rocked her and cried out we eventually figured things out and now she is just over a month shy of turning 12.

I still have a lot of growing to do!

This is one thing I have learned and yet, still ever learning: 'a [mother] needs to have faith.'

We have this solemn responsibility and privilege to train our children for God.

"Believing and devoted parents are one of the mightiest means of grace . . . fellow-workers in securing our children for God . . . Parents are more than friends and advisers. They have been clothed by God with a holy authority to be exercised in leading their children in the way of the Lord."

As our faith increases we will sympathize more with God's plan:

" . . . the higher the faith of the parent rises, the more the family will come under its power and be permeated by the spirit of godliness . . . Parental faith in God's promises will always be known by parental faithfulness to God's will."

We not only require faith, but we are required to be faithful. It is a journey. It isn't just a trite saying; that we have one of the highest calling as mothers. I am not sure we can even say that, but, we are talking of things unseen here, things eternal--beyond diapers and division and drivers ed or even a doctorate. We are talking about the souls of our children.

"There are two sides of a parent's calling. Be very full of faith and be very faithful. Be full of faith in the living God, in His covenant, in His promises for your children, and in His faithfulness. Take God's Word as the only measure of your faith. Then, be very faithful and take God's Word as the only measure of your life, especially in the family. Be a parent such as God would have you to be. Let it be your one desire to live a holy life yourself, to rule your home, to command your household, and your children that they may walk in the ways of the Lord. Then the Lord can bring upon you that which He has spoken concerning you. You can be sure that the blessing will be large and full. You will be blessed in your own Christian life as well as in your home life with your children. You will also be given power, like Abraham, to enter into God's secrets, and to plead with Him as an intercessor for the unsaved. God will prove to you that believing, faithful parenting is one of the highest privileges to which man can be admitted."

This is done by the power of God and it is not a harsh ruling over, but a loving, tender affection coupled with God given authority. My faith grows as I am faithful and my children will be blessed. His Word has promised: 

"But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. 

His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, 

of those who obey his commandments!"

(Psalm 103:17-18)

A Mother's Prayer

"Lord God, you have indeed taken me, too, into this wonderful covenant. Teach me to fully realize what parental faithfulness is. I make this the one object of my home life, to train my children to serve you. By my life, by my words, by my prayers, by gentleness and love, by authority and command, I will lead them in the ways of the Lord. Please help me to do this! Teach me to understand that you have made provisions for the grace to enable me to perform my parental duties. Let my faith see you undertake for me all I have to do. Let my ever-growing faith be the root of an ever-growing faithfulness. I ask it in the name of your Son. Amen."

*****

{all quotations taken directly from 'Raising Your Child for Christ' by Andrew Murray, unless otherwise noted}



There's a little book, 'Raising Your Children for Christ' by Andrew Murray, on my shelf that I keep bringing down and leafing through and, Lord willing, on Wednesdays I hope to share snippets of my gleanings from it.

I don't claim to know all the answers. I need to dig deeper so that I can be even more equipped to be the mother that God intended. I am so thankful that this task of raising our children has not been given to me alone.


Join me on this journey? It is not a list of rules and how-to's but rather a chance to look into your own life and heart and be challenged to live a life wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord. 

For the first post in this series on Intentional Motherhood you can find it here.

For all posts in this series you can read them here.