Motherhood is hard. There are so many things to do and so many people to love, how can we do it all and honor the Lord in our mothering journey? Let’s find out how excellence in motherhood reflects our excellent God.
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I became a mom 3 and a half years ago, and I don’t think I knew what it meant to be tired until I became a mom. I ran a lot of races in high school, I worked long days at the office, but motherhood brings a different kind of tired with it.
I think back on those newborn days, being SO tired from nursing every hour at night and then changing diapers, cleaning the house, preparing food… being a new mom was a lot of work! I would hit my pillow at night (or whenever I got the chance) and fall asleep straight away.
And, it’s still the same today. Sometimes I’m up at night with my daughter, there’s still lots of housework, there’s still food to prepare, and I still hit the pillow at night exhausted from a long day of work…
That is what I like to call mom-tired.
So tired from working so hard all day long.
Being tired like that is not usually something I would want to do. But, I’ve learned so far that it is actually a good thing.
Sometimes I look at my to-do list and know that there’s no way I can do it all, even if I had all the hours of all the days. There will always be one more load of laundry, one more floor to mop, one more dish to wash, and one more toy to put away, one more thing to do because I am the mom, one more thing that is all my responsibility because I am the homemaker.
And before I’m tempted to cue a pity party for myself, I remember that these are all good things that lead to another good thing: working hard and being tired. And being tired like that is actually good because it’s what our lives should be like as Christians.
Charles Spurgeon said, “The best preparation for sleep… is hard work, and one of the best things to prepare us for sleeping in Jesus, is to live in him an active life of going about doing good.”
As believers, we are called to do good to others, to be kind, and to serve one another.
Motherhood is about being a servant.
That’s what motherhood really is, being a servant.
You are a servant to everyone around you: your husband, your kids, your neighbors, your friends, your church. All the “one more things” that moms do bring glory to God because you are serving Him as you serve others.
You are doing exactly what God has called you to do while you wait for eternity: serve others.
And yes, there are so many things to do, so many things that maybe only mom can do. And, yes, it is so very tiring and so draining to work so hard. And sometimes we do need a break.
But, at the same time, being mom-tired is worth it because that means you are bringing glory to God by striving for the best you can be as a mom.
You’re pushing yourself farther and farther, striving for better and better. Not so that you can gain success or glory, but so that God can have glory because you are serving others.
Excellent Mothering Reflects Our Excellent God
And our service to others, working hard at our jobs as moms, actually reflects God’s character.
God is excellent in all that He does because He is excellence itself. Psalm 150:2 says that we should “Praise God for His mighty deeds, praise Him according to His excellent greatness.”
He is excellent in all that He does. He’s the best of the best. Which is part of what makes Him God and not us.
So, when we work hard to care for our littles and for our home, when we put in full days doing chores, running errands, and cooking dinner, we are bringing glory to God. And when you’ve come to the end of the day and you are just mom-tired from working hard to have excellence in your own work, that reflects God’s excellence.
Of course, we will never be perfect, that’s not the point. We can’t ever “do it all.” But God gives us grace to strive for more opportunities to serve others in Christ and that reflects our Lord’s excellence.
What does the Bible say about excellent work?
Paul was talking about this excellence in Colossians 3:23, which says, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” And that word “heartily” means from the soul. The work that we do should be done well as to the Lord.
And God has called us in 1 Corinthians 10:31 to glorify Him in all that we do. And that verse is referring to simple, everyday tasks like eating and drinking. So all of our tasks that we do in our homes glorify our Father as well.
You know, like me, that being a mom is a lot of hard work. But I am resolved to working hard.
Instead of seeing tasks as just another task or chore, I want to see them as more opportunities to serve others. Another chance to bring more glory to God. Another way that I can pursue excellence in all that I do and reflect the Lord’s excellence.
So let’s work hard for the Lord. Let’s be mom-tired. Let’s push hard each day to do more for the Kingdom.
Work hard at home. Play hard with your kids. Find time to read that book about parenting. Make the effort for a date night to happen. Do that chore that you despise. Have those friends over that you haven’t seen in a while. Ask God to help you push yourself to excellence. Get off your phone for the afternoon. Take your kids to the park. Don’t let your inhibitions, sinful tendencies, or distractions keep you from all the things that you can do for God as a mom. Do all that you can to bring glory and honor to God, who is our great and excellent heavenly Father. And then, when your head hits the pillow at night, ragged from a day of mothering well, give God the glory for the opportunity to serve Him another day as a mama.
And I’m right there next to you, striving to have excellence in all I do as a mama at home.
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