As moms, we all need encouragement. During those times when we need to be supported and uplifted, we often call a mommy friend and spend time talking with her. It’s wonderful to have mommy relationships like this. But it’s even better to have a relationship with God Himself, who can provide the best encouragement that speaks most directly to our soul. We should certainly cultivate mommy relationships by both giving and receiving. But let’s not forget the encouragement that God offers us in His Word and makes meaningful to us through the ministry of His Holy Spirit.
I’d like to share with you two verses that encourage me in my role as a mom.
The first is 1 Corinthians 15:58:
Therefore, my dear [sisters], stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Did you catch that? Our labor in the Lord-our mothering-is not in vain. It may look sometimes as if it’s in vain, but it’s not. God promises us that it’s not. Cling to that, mommy friend, when you’re exhausted or discouraged; when it seems like you’ve corrected the same misbehavior a thousand times, yet it still occurs; or when your prayers for your children seem to be going unanswered.
Our labor is not in vain.
The second is Matthew 25:40:
The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Jesus didn’t say, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, I appreciate it.” He said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did it for Me.”
I was meditating on that verse one day a few years ago when God caused me to realize the implications. If everything I do as a mother is really done for Jesus Himself, then even changing a diaper takes on a vast, spiritual significance. Even the mundane, thankless tasks of motherhood become immensely significant. Why? Because we do them not primarily for our children, but for Jesus. Jesus takes our service personally.
I wrote a poem illustrating this realization. I refer to it occasionally when I need to be reminded that what I do matters. I’d like to share it with you in the hopes that it will encourage you, too.
Click here for the poem – “Loving Jesus”