Ministry and Motherhood?

Three years ago I never would have considered myself a missionary. Not in the sense of what I grew up believing a missionary to be… someone who was living their life focused on telling others about Jesus, sharing the good news of His gospel, and living their days building up and training disciples, often in some hostile foreign place. I was in the first year of our marriage and pregnant with our first child. Even though people tried to prepare me, I still didn’t understand how drastically my life would change in just a short amount of time.  Nor did I realize that I really was about to become a full-time missionary… someone who was placed in an area to evangelize and serve. As parents, we have been prepared by God for this time and many of us don’t see that we have a mission field right in our home!

            Sometimes I tend to forget my “job” God has blessed me with as a discipler and trainer of my children. I end up trying to get through the day, telling myself that in a few years my 2 ½ year old will understand more of what we tell him and then I can tell him all about Jesus and how much He loves us. Or, maybe once we get through our hectic day we can take our children out to do something special for someone else. Then they will find the joy in giving and serving. But, the problem is… those hectic days will turn into crazy weeks which turn into non-stop months and into a lifetime of days passing way too fast. When will we stop and see how God has blessed us with young ones that need him now? When will we see how much our children need us now to be examples of a person following God, serving and loving Him and others each day?

I read Proverbs 31 earlier today… Verses 26-28 really stood out to me. They say,

She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and praises her…

I want to be a woman who invests in my husband and children in wisdom and kindness. Can I do it on my own? James 3:13-16 says…

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

That is basically saying that a person will show he is wise by his behavior and deeds. If a person has jealousy and selfish ambitions turning into disorder, it is coming from an earthly “wisdom”, not true wisdom. The next verse says…

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

To be the missionary and mother my children respect, I need this wisdom from God in order to be gentle, full of peace and mercy, and living without hypocrisy towards them.

Instead of complaining that our life has no meaning or purpose to it like so many mothers believe in our world today, would you join me as missionaries sharing Christ to and with our children, using each day to train and encourage them as we continually pray for them? I challenge you to see this “job” of motherhood as a wonderful gift and responsibility God has blessed us with. Take the time to invest in your children today! 

About Natalie

Natalie graduated with her Elementary Education degree in 2008 and now serves as a missionary to college students with Master Plan Ministries. Outside of ministry, she loves taking pictures of her husband and two children, scrap booking photo memories of vacations and day-by-day moments. She is so thankful for the opportunity to be a mentor to women who are faced with the peer pressure and endless life choices of daily college life, and is excited to see God’s transforming work as He shows His grace and love to these students and prepares them for the years ahead.  

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