Imagine scrolling through a list of job vacancies and stumbling across one stating, “Wanted: Robust, committed, career orientated, industrious person. 24hr shifts, 7 days a week, no holidays or sick leave, wages paid in arrears.” How many of us would apply? Not for the faint-hearted, the relentless, often monotonous, backbreaking and sometimes heartbreaking toil of motherhood is a work we ought to esteem highly. In this article, we’ll attempt to do so under dual headings: the Work and Worth of Motherhood.
The Work of Motherhood
If at the end of a working day, many have the luxury of shutting down computers, turning off work phones and closing up shop, we do well to remember that a mother’s work never stops. The around-the-clock occupation of motherhood is a selfless work, necessitating the placing of others’ needs before your own. Mothers reading this article will undoubtedly do so with few precious minutes to spare. For some, it may be in the middle of the night, while nursing a newborn, anticipating the noisy entrance of a bright-eyed toddler in a few short hours. For others, it’s during a brief coffee break, as the washing machine continues to whirr beside an ever-growing stack of unfolded, unironed clothes, whilst the unclean dishes scream loudly from the sink. There will be times when you feel overwhelmed. In those moments, pause, draw a breath, and consider that He who knows all things is observing.
It was said of the virtuous woman that “strength and honour are her clothing.” Remember, if God never allowed you to feel your own weakness, how would you ever prove His strength? If motherhood had no cross to bear, how could there be any glory? Beloved sister, in the midst of all the arduous toil, noise, mess and sometimes heartbreak of motherhood, take fresh confidence that God is perfecting something in you that reflects the person of His Son. With this, He has guaranteed that you “shall rejoice in time to come” (Pro 31:25).1
Motherhood is a spiritual work, and twice to Timothy, Paul pays credit to the fact that his salvation and spiritual progress were due to the influence of two godly mothers (2Ti 1:5; 3:15). In his Gospel record, Luke clearly identifies that our Lord’s custom of weekly synagogue attendance in Nazareth was linked to His upbringing (4:16). As a babe, Mary took our Lord Jesus up to the temple to present Him to the Lord (2:22). Further, it was clearly the practice of Joseph and Mary to take their family to the annual feast of Passover (2:41-42). We observe that by this time it was highly likely that Mary had at least seven children (Mat 13:55-56). It would have been no mean feat to organise such a tribe, ensuring they had sufficient clothes, food, blankets and other necessities for the long trek. Mothers, be encouraged as you raise your children for God. Take time to daily commit Scripture to their memory. Take your children to meetings and don’t become disheartened even if you have to spend time in the mother’s room with a crying baby. Remember, the Lord is uniquely in that place, and consider the tremendous fact that from the youngest possible age, your children are being trained to revere the gatherings of God’s people. The Psalmist noted that such children will be as arrows in the hand of a mighty man; happy is the man (and the assembly) that has his quiver full of them (Psa 127:4-5).
The Worth of Motherhood
“Does your wife work?” the telemarketing caller asked during a recent conversation. “Yes,” I responded. “And her occupation?” he asked. “A housewife and mother,” I replied. There was a brief pause before the caller continued, “But you mentioned she worked … had a job … a career?” The individual was clearly confused. “Yes,” I confirmed, “she works exceedingly hard in the inestimable occupation as a housewife with the invaluable career as a mother.” This brief exchange highlighted the fact that we dwell in societies which have lost appreciation of this biblical and God-ordained occupation, further proof that humanity has been willing to exchange truth for lies (Rom 1:25).
Although the world undervalues this divine profession, we unashamedly state that motherhood is an exceedingly significant work, one of the most important roles a woman can ever undertake. The name given to the first woman gracing planet earth meant “the mother of all living” (Gen 3:20), and in the Garden of Eden were established principles by God that have never been revoked. The primary role given to Eve as a wife and mother was highlighted by the fact that her rebuke by God in the matter of sin was firmly in the context of the womb and the family, not the workplace and the field as for Adam (Gen 3:16-20). The New Testament upholds such truth, exhorting older sisters to teach younger mothers to comprehend their fundamental responsibility to develop loving affection toward their husband and maternal care for their children. As homemakers, they are to create an environment that is safe (“discreet” KJV), unpolluted by the world, where their appreciation of God-given headship is beautifully modelled in subjection to their own husband. It’s when these things are on full display that folk have no foothold to malign God’s Word, but rather that “they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Titus 2:3-5; Mat 5:16).
As Christians we honour “elder women as mothers,” holding in high esteem those who are “well reported of for good works,” who have brought up children, lodged strangers, washed the saints’ feet, relieved the afflicted and diligently followed every good work (1Ti 5:2,10). Never become persuaded by worldly philosophy that being a housewife and mother is somehow a demeaning occupation. The world sells its false ideology under the banner of equality, persuading mothers to place little children into care and return swiftly to a secular profession. Beloved mothers, what God has given into your hands is priceless; the world may tempt you with earthly remuneration, but God’s wages are eternal, and in that day the material things of earth will be paltry in comparison. As Christians, we are representatives in this world to model God’s truth, so hand in hand with Paul may we all encourage “the younger women [to] marry, bear children, guide the house, giving none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (1Ti 5:14).
Men, take heed; we owe a great debt to our mothers, sisters and grandmothers because without them we would be impoverished. “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also and he praiseth her” (Pro 31:28,30). Why not take a moment to send a text, write a card, make a call or embrace your own wife to express in your own words the sentiment they long to hear: “Thank you for the work and worth of motherhood.”
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV.
