Principles for Successful Motherhood, Part 4

From the beginning of time God has expected families to focus on Him. We are familiar with such characters as Noah, Abraham and Job …all righteous men who were concerned about the spiritual well-being of their families. Deut. 6:7 the Jews were told to teach their children when they arose in the morning, when they were sitting at home, when they were out and about, and at night before time to sleep. Remember Joshua’s declaration, in Joshua 24:15: “…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

After spending a lifetime searching for happiness, the wise man Solomon finally admitted that all of life should revolve around obedience to God. In Ecclesiastes 12:13 he declared “This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” Here we are, about three thousand years later, and that truth has not changed.

 The Bible is an instruction manual for life, and that includes family life. It provides principles applicable to marriage, employment, worship, entertainment, the way we dress, education, parenting, and any other issue of life. We need to study the Scriptures, and then make the appropriate application to all of our decisions.  If you are not yet married, think long and hard about that future mate – will they be the spiritual leader you need in order to have a Christ-centered home?
Worship must be top priority for our families. When the Lord’s day rolls around, your family shouldn’t have to wonder if they are going to worship or not. Your commitment to worship God is not an option to be reconsidered week by week.  Bible study should be a regular habit for your family. Although the Bible class program is a wonderful tool for boosting children’s Bible knowledge, it is the parents who have been given the charge to teach their children. While fathers need to lead the family in times of spiritual devotion, the reality is that mothers will spend more hours per day with their children, and therefore much of their everyday character building will come from you. Timothy had the blessing of a mother and grandmother who taught him the Scriptures from the time he was a babe, 2 Tim. 3:15. How is your Bible knowledge? Are you working on increasing your own biblical knowledge, so that you can be that spiritual guide for your children? We need to feed ourselves, as well as our children, spiritually.

A family whose center is Christ will be a family of prayer. Being a wife and mother has certainly made me more aware of my need to pray. Even before you and your husband have children, you need to ask God to help you to be godly parents to any children that become part of your family. We can pray for future children before they exist. In 1 Sam. 1 we learn that Hannah prayed for a child, and she dedicated him to the Lord before she even conceived. Manoah prayed for Samson before he was born, Judges 13:8. We need to pray for each child’s particular needs, and for their future, both in private and in the presence of your children. One individual made the observation that although his father prayed for their family in general terms, he could not remember a time when he heard his father ever pray for him by name. Our children need to hear us pray for them.

What position does Christ hold in your family?  Is He on the outside, looking in?  Is he just one piece of the pie, or is he in the center, with all other aspects of your life revolving around Him?