Mothering on Purpose
Written by Abi Turnbull | 9th March 2024
There is a beautiful verse in Isaiah which talks about God being like a shepherd. It says, ”He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.“
(Isaiah 40:11)
Often when I am feeling overwhelmed with the demands of caring for 5 children, this particular verse reminds me of the nearness of God, who leads me gently. I try to remember and rest in the knowledge that He gathers my children in his arms and the ultimate work of parenting rests with Him. This verse brings me comfort that God knows that I have little ones in my care and He knows how to keep us moving steadily together in Him.
Motherhood is both an incredible blessing and seriously hard work! We get the opportunity to show the love of God daily to those in our care as we sacrifice our own wants and needs, laying down our own lives in order to nurture and disciple the ones we love. We emulate Jesus’ sacrificial love for us each day as we give of everything we have and are. It is so easy to become depleted and exhausted if we are not connected to the one who calls us.
I had a season of burnout recently where I became dependent on my own skill, strength and effort and almost forgot how much I needed Jesus. It took me on a journey of realising that the minute we take our eyes off off Jesus, the minute we stop abiding in Him, we can do nothing. The fruit comes from abiding. He is the vine. We can’t live off yesterday’s bread, yesterday’s encounter, we must have fresh encounter with Jesus each day. I have to daily choose to acknowledge my weakness and lean into Him and as I do He fills my soul with refreshing, joyful abundant life. It feels reminiscent of Paul when he says, “When I am weak then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12)
Whether you have your own children or you mother others in your community or in your job, you are fulfilling a beautiful role that God has gifted to women. Mothers are leaders, servants, teachers; we are gatekeepers, nurturers, caregivers. We set the stage and help lay the foundations. In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul writes “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also”
We get to cherish, train up and then pass on the baton to those in our care. I am so grateful for the foundation of faith my parents gave me, and to the many mother figures in my life who have helped me continue to grow in sincere faith. I am also deeply grateful to the mothers who have cared for me in the hard seasons, who nurtured me with hot meals, gave me respite by watching my children and to the mothers who courageously and gently corrected me when I was not living life the way God wanted.
The enemy is against mothers because he knows they have a vital role in God’s Kingdom. Satan is throwing out so many lies to mothers, trying to distort what motherhood is and making it seem like a thankless task. Many are worn down and exhausted, tired from spinning plates and rushing here and there. Overcome with anger, resentment, despair. Fighting feelings of failure, full of fear for what tomorrow might bring. Or by placing motherhood on a pedestal of perfection, shiny happy people on social media with filtered lives which can never be lived up to. I know. I’ve been there. The truth is motherhood looks like Jesus. We need to ask Jesus what He wants us to filter out, what tasks we need to lay down and what He is calling us to step into. It is time for the Martha mothers to become Mary mothers!
I believe God wants to pour out an abundance of Hope to mothers in these days. Hope that despite our failures, despite our worst days, God is a great redeemer and He will work all things for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) No mother has gone too far from His love, no child has gone so far that He cannot see them, He is the good shepherd that will search relentlessly for the lost. He loves our children far more than we do and He is working in our lives and theirs. He has given us each other to build one another up, cheer each other on and be His hands and feet on earth. Keep mothering, you’re doing great!
LET’S DO THIS
'Keep mothering, you're doing great!' Don't you just love that? I hope that you are so encouraged by this today.
Sometimes we need to start to change the narrative we are living in, and probably the lies we are believing that little me doesn't have a purpose!. We ALL have a purpose for our lives in the season we are in right now. I truly believe that knowing your purpose begins on our knees at the feet of our Heavenly Father.
Let’s spend some time with Jesus right now. Just rest in the knowledge that He has you. All you need is Him, nothing is more important than Him right now. Don't wrestle or start a list of prayer requests, just be in His presence. See what the Holy Spirit has to say to you.