Looking one last time at 1 Tim. 2:15:
But women will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith, love, and holiness.
Holiness means to be set apart for God’s use. This is the job of a mother: to be used by God. Mothers and fathers get to be the ones to point their children to God!
Deuteronomy tells parents to:
- Teach your children about God as you teach them about God’s creation
- Teach them all the time – whenever you are with them
- Teach them to obey
- Teach them about sin and salvation (God will do the saving, but you get to be the evangelist! If you try to save your child – you will not be a happy mother – because you can’t do it.)
Do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)
God made children with the need to have instruction and boundaries. God is the law-giver – we needed instructions. Mothers, if you fail to do your job of instructing your children, they will be frustrated, and it will be your fault. When giving instruction, tell your child specifically what you want them to do and how to do it. Then let them practice obeying. This takes time but is so helpful.
If you don’t obey Ephesians 6:4, then Proverbs 29:15 awaits …
A child left to himself disgraces his mother.
This is not the way to be a happy mother. This is the way to be the mother we so easily can find – the angry, self-focused mother we see in the world - the frustrated mother who doesn’t know God and of His plan for her sanctification through raising children. The real difference between the two mothers is their focus. The happy mother is God-focused, knowing God, and that his plans for her sanctification are for her good. The unhappy mother is self-focused and concerned with her circumstances only.
God is so good to have given us the body of Christ – our church body – to help us. Our church is full of ladies who have either gone before you in this task of mothering, will walk through it with you, or will begin after you are past it, and you will find yourself being the ‘older lady’ who knows the secret! Listen to the older ladies who have gone before you and have proven God’s word faithful and true. Follow their examples of continuing in faith, love, and holiness, and you too will be a happy mother of children.
Click here to download a PDF version of all 4 parts in this series.
