Revolutionary Mothering

 

"All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children." Isaiah 54:13

As Jesus was with His disciples traveling, eating, teaching---He showed them His grace by example. Jesus walked beside them with their flaws and doubts and faithfully showed them the way to God.

If Jesus had not been faithful--- His character an example reflecting God's face, His disciples would have not walked with Him so steadfastly. They saw in Him virtue, character, healing and joy to be emulated and modeled. They trusted Him, cried for Him and loved Him. In order to develop this relationship of faith and trust, they had to be with Jesus. Jesus showed them He loved them by giving them His presence. He did not give His disciples short "time boxes" in which they got His time and then He moved on to the next thing He had to do. He simply gave them himself as they walked with Him and trusted Him.

The disciples saw Jesus retreating to pray, and then faithfully continuing His mission. If Jesus had booked Himself up with parties, shopping, the gym, events and hobbies, how would His faith have been modeled to those following Him? Instead Jesus walked the slow pace, mostly teaching by the example of His love.

"He showed them the full extent of His love during His ministry on earth, and now He loved them to the very end." John 13:1

As mothers, we can be revolutionary in our children's lives. Loving them, walking beside them, teaching, training and by God's grace, modeling Jesus' love. Our example is more to them than our words. They need to see a life invested in loving them, one that shows our devotion to them and the faith that will grow in their hearts. Playing with them, singing, reading the Bible together, talking and walking together---the daily life---sows seeds of tenderness and love of the Savior. A child's heart has a longing to be filled by a mother's slow paced, all encompassing love. Children walk by their mother and want to be pulled into her embrace and they need to know her arms are welcoming, just as Jesus' arms are welcoming to all the sheep of His flock.

We must slow down, and give up that which is not bearing fruit in our lives. Unnecessary busyness to make ourselves feel important, that we are "busy" is not God's way. A mother abiding with Jesus on a daily basis is able to find the path of God and take her children by the hand and walk beside them on it. Our children don't care about our being involved in every church activity or multiple obligations, they care that we are involved with them, that we love them and are always there for them. Children do not see love by all the activities they are involved in, while they may seem to be thriving, there is a place in the heart that needs to be filled that they are unaware of.

As Jesus showed His disciples how important they were to Him by His focus and love for them, our children need to see our love by our focused and slower paced lives. They can rest knowing their mothers loving and devoted arms are always there and they learn that Jesus' loving and devoted arms will never fail. Jesus gave us all of Himself, no dark corners of His heart hidden, no part "kept for Himself." May we do the same with our children, modeling revolutionary mothering, as Jesus modeled revolutionary love.

"And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.  I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you." John 13:14-15

"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother." -Lin Yutang

Prayer: "Lord, show me how to mother by your example. Show me your ways and teach me your truths that I may reflect you to my children. Give me wisdom to know what is unimportant and to give my children all of myself, just as you gave yourself. Amen."