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Encouragement for Mamas

For a few days now, God has been talking to me about reminding mother’s of their importance. Mamas, you are the backbone of our society. I am not just saying pretty words at you to make you feel good. Your mission or calling from God is teaching your children. When you look up the word nurture, you see care for and encourage, but what does that mean? It means that you provide for your child that safe environment that is needed for them to learn how to succeed or, most importantly, fail. You have the privilege to watch their little unique personality develop, and you get to help them become confident, faithful, respectful, and loyal. Once you train your child, then you get to begin to disciple your child. Disciplining just means that they get to follow your lead. Which obviously means you have to live out what you teach.
The story of Hannah is one of my favorite stories. It is found in 1 Samuel chapter 1. When you go down to verse 21 if you are not careful you are going to miss an important point. “When Elkanah next took his family on their annual trip to Shiloh to worship God, offering sacrifices and keeping his vow, Hannah didn’t go. She told her husband, “After the child is weaned, I’ll bring him myself and present him before God—and that’s where he’ll stay, for good. ”Elkanah said to his wife, “Do what you think is best. Stay home until you have weaned him. Yes! Let God complete what he has begun!” Here is the point. There were three festivals that only the males were obliged to go. Why? Because the gravity of being a mother was an important ongoing role. Let me state it another way, in my own words. Men are required to go and worship God. Mamas, you have the option not to stop your work at home because what you are doing is a priority and critical. Does that help you understand how God views being a mother? Please never hear a call for ministry or mission work and think I need to do something. You are doing God’s calling. It is so vitally important that God did not require women to stop their work to go worship Him for three of the festivals. I know I keep repeating myself, but I get so sad when moms exhaust themselves because they think they have to figure out how to balance life at home and ministry out of guilt. Being a mother is the front-line mission. That is why Satan tempts you so much to overcommit. Your biggest and only worry should be each day, asking God what lesson is on the agenda today. May I recommend the old saying. Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn. How you get involved is what God needs to teach you.


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