The Ministry of Motherhood

"Ministry takes place when divine resources meet human needs through loving channels to the glory of God." -Warren Wiersbe

Lately the Enemy has been nudging me with questions. "Where is your ministry?" he asks. "Who are you reaching with the gospel? Didn't God say, 'to the ends of the earth'? Where is your impact?" The words turn over and over in my mind and heart and fill me with doubt and guilt. Indeed, I have neglected friends and family; spent more Sundays in the nursery than the sanctuary; passed by service opportunities here and there. The needs of my own children have come before those of others. Meanwhile, I read through Proverbs and it says to help the poor, the widow, the orphan; and I have done none of these. My sharing of the gospel has been almost exclusively with my children. Am I neglecting the Great Commission?

Last night I attended a powerful, heart-wrenching sendoff for friends of mine, who are moving to Cambodia to serve rescuees of sex trafficking. The suffering of the young girls who will be in their care is unspeakable. Their need for the love of Christ is unquestionable. And the hand of God in calling this couple to this field is obvious. As I reflected upon the gravity of their task, I asked God, "What can I do? How can I help?" This past year I have seen more and more that life is difficult. It is full of pain. There is injustice, cruelty, and incomprehensible evil inflicted upon innocent victims. Loneliness, discouragement, poverty, and hopelessness abound. The devil is real and the battle for human souls incessant. Where does a believer in Christ start? God has given us so many commands in the Scriptures; how can we fulfill them all? As I pondered these questions, I felt overwhelmed and saddened. I felt powerless to make an impact.

Then, I looked down at my sleeping daughter. And the Lord said to me, "THIS is what you can do." That is it. How can I make an impact? By obeying Him in what He has asked of me. I must pour out His love into my children. He made each of them unique and challenging, and gave them to my husband and I as His stewardship to train in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. For some reason, I have been believing that only ventures that are risky, or wide-reaching, or remote, or public, are worthy to be called "ministry." I forget how much I need to rely daily on the Lord's strength with these three souls He has trusted to my care: one bright, stubborn, and determined; one medically fragile and emotionally wounded; and one whose personality is still budding. Is not serving these three, by God's power, enough? At the very least, I know it is more than I can do on my own; it is impossible without Him. It takes more than what I have; it takes the resources of the divine. Thank you, Jesus, for promising that You would give me the strength to do it. Thank you that you have divided our lives into seasons, and that I can wholeheartedly devote myself to planting seeds in this "Spring" of my childrens' lives. May I be faithful, as you are faithful, to cultivate and nurture them in time for the Harvest. And give me wisdom to see what you would have me to do, every moment of every day.