Blessed to be a Mother

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 127:3

Being a mother is like a job you take on with God as your "boss". When He gives you a child, he is trusting you with a huge project. In my devotion, I read about several things God commands of a christian mother.

Availability: morning, noon and night. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Involvement: Interacting, discussing, thinking and processing life together. Ephesians 6:4

Teaching: Scripture and biblical worldview. Psalm 78:5-6

Training: help your child develop skills and discover her strengths (Romans 12:3-8)

and spiritual gifts. 1Corinthians 12

Discipline: teaching the fear of the Lord, drawing the line consitantly,lovingly, firmly. Eph 6:4, Hebrews 12:5-11, Proverbs 13:24,19:18,22:15,23:13-14,29:15-17

Nurture: Providing an environment of constant verbal support, freedom to fail, acceptance, affection and unconditional love. 2 Timothy 1:7, Ephesians 4:29-32, 5:1-2, Galations 5:22, 1Peter 3:8-9

Modeling Integrity: Living what you say, Being a model from which a child can learn by "catching" the essense of Godly Living. Deuteronomy 4:9,15,23, Proverbs 10:9, 11:13, Psalm 37:18,37

The Bible does not say that every woman should become a mother, but those women who are blessed with children should take the responsibility serious. Mothers play a crucial role in the lives of thier children, it's not a chore or a task. Just as mother bears a child during pregnancy and feeds and cares for the infant, so should she play the role in lives of her children as children, teenage, young adult and even adult children who rear their own. The role of a mother will change and develop, but the love, nurture, care and encouragment will never cease. I am so thankful to have the blessing of a child. I have always known motherhood is a blessing and a responsibility, but I need to make a better effort to follow ALL that

 God commands of me for MY daughter.

Happy Mother's Day!

(yes a day late- but I was enjoying my day)