Are you a "JOYFUL Mother of children"?

I recently came across this verse again from Psalm 113:9:

He makes the barren woman abide in the house As a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!

It got me thinking about the phrase "joyful mother."  What a wonderful thing!  Doesn't it just make you think of a happy housewife running around her home with a smile and smiling children all around... a clean kitchen... no toys on the floor... and the aroma of fresh baked delicacies?  I admit, that's my first thought.  But when I think more about it...of course, that's not reality.  Maybe in "Leave it to Beaver," but not in the real world.

Putting that verse in the real world...my real world, I totally understand what it means and what God is trying to show us.

God has not created the institute of family and motherhood to be full of anxiety, frustration, burdens and shackles.  He created us to be a JOYFUL mother of children!!  (And if any dads are reading this too, just insert "Joyful father of children!")

What exactly does it mean to be "joyful?"  It's not jumping up and down with excitement and having feelings of ecstasy all day long.  Cause, let's face it, last week when TWELVE of us got stomach bug (and let me remind you that there are only 13 stomachs residing in our whole house and one of them is my pet fish named George--and even HE looked queasy last week) I wasn't feeling like jumping up and down cause I loved motherhood so much.  😳   

To me, being joyful as a mother is being content and having a peace in my heart that I am exactly where I need to be, doing the most important job in the universe: caring and loving children that God has given me as gifts.  It is KNOWING who you are as a mother... that your job matters... that you are changing lives and making a difference in the world as you raise future leaders and world-changers who will go out and bless and impact the world for Christ. 

That, ladies, is our job description as mothers.  Pretty cool huh?

Our culture will tell you that "just staying home" is not impressive at all. That you are "just a housewife."  Isn't that sad?  I have to remind you that our culture does not value what God values.  And if you are a working mom, don't let them tell you that that job is more important than being a mom to your children. Some women need to work, but don't believe for one minute that your mom job is not as important.  It is one billion times more important!!!  Nobody can love and be a joyful mother to YOUR children the way you can.  There is no substitute!!!

So, if your first thought of motherhood is just feeling overwhelmed with laundry, cooking, snotty noses, crying and tantrums (you and the kids), spit up on your clothes and dirty diapers, then I encourage you to view motherhood through God's eyes. The Bible is TRUTH, and anything else you might feel or believe different are lies... so listen to the voice of truth! (You'll be glad you did.)
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.  It can only come from God.  Sure you might feel moments of being happy without God, but you won't know true JOY unless the Holy Spirit of God lives in you.   So that is the first step.

2 Peter 1:3 tells us that God has given us EVERYTHING we need to live a godly life.   A godly life includes joy!!!  So if you are mothering in your own strength, barely surviving....trying your best to put on a fake smile and not yell... it won't work.  At least not for long.  You need to by faith, read what the Bible says about motherhood, children and joy and begin to walk in it with the joy of the Lord as your strength... not coffee... or "me" time... or escaping to social media...

You, my friend, can find amazing joy in the midst of dishes, laundry, crying, and cooking because of WHO lives in you and is helping you to do everything that He has called you to do.  With Him, you CAN be a joyful mother of children!!!!

I truly LOVE my job.   I gave up a pretty good paycheck and career 23 years ago for my current job.  I admit, at first it was a VERY hard adjustment for me.  But God has taught me what a privilege and honor it is to do the job He has given me to do--caring and raising and loving 10 beautiful souls for His glory!!   I can't imagine a job that would bring me more joy and contentment.

If you would like that in your life, whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom, pray and ask God to give you a vision for how He views children and motherhood. When you catch a glimpse that the King of Kings thinks that your job is super important and that you are the absolutely most qualified person for the job of raising your kids, you will have to smile at the prestigious position you have been given.

It won't always be fun.  It won't (for sure!) be easy. But it will make an impact for eternity and affect generations to come.  I give you permission to tell culture to take a hike.  YOU can be a JOYFUL mother of your children.  You can smile and enjoy your kids. You can LOVE being a mom even if at the moment you don't like the current task at hand.  You can have that inward contentment and peace in your heart that only God can give... so go on!

Be JOYFUL!!!!!!

How do you Deal with Complaining at your House?

I was asked this week by a friend how we deal with complaining at our house.   I thought I'd share it here because this seems to be a universal issue that we deal with.   By "we" I don't just mean the children---we all, by nature, are prone to complain.  

By blogging about this topic, I'm not saying that you will never hear a complaint coming from one of our mouths or that we've mastered it....but we have studied and hit this topic pretty hard as a family from a Biblical perspective and that has really helped. 

While there are a number of Bible passages that fit, my favorite passage for dealing with complaining is Philippians 2:14-16

14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

Now let's tear this apart.  First of all, 14 is a command.  "Do ALLLLLLLL things without complaining.   That means ALL.  EVERYTHING.   ALL THINGS.   Okay we got that right?
So to complain about ANYTHING is----not right!   Period.  A Christian should not complain.    (Let me say that the next word "disputing" comes in VERY handy in a family as well.   Along with NEVER complaining...we can add  NEVER arguing about things.  But I'll save that for another post).  

Okay.....so we've established that a Christian should never complain.   (I know this sounds hard, but trust me, with practice it DOES get so much easier and you'll find yourself when you DO complain feeling convicted and doing it less and less)     
The cool thing is the next 2 verses.  God doesn't just tell us "Don't do THAT!"  But then explains WHY!!!

Check this out...we should not complain because-------it helps us to be blameless children of God...in  a messed up culture that is  full of sin and complaining about everything.  "Among whom we shine like lights in the world...holding fast the word of life so that I may rejoice that I have not run in vain." (paraphrased)

This is one defining feature of us in our world.  People will notice that we are different by our attitude.  Are we known for our thanksgiving or our whining and complaining???   The world will take note----trust me!!!!

Some ways we can complain:

• Ugh, it's Monday
• I just need some ME time
• The kids are driving me crazy
• The kids are too noisy
• The kids are too messy
• The kids complain too much
• The kids_____________
• The husband  never  __________
• This food is cold
• This food it hot
• This food is ___________
• I hate cooking
• I can't stand _________
• The lines at Wal Mart are so long
• This is supposed to be FAST food
• I get so ticked when _________

You know, I can seriously make this list a mile long, but you get the point.   Let me just say that you can share these verses with your kids...but it will do ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD if they don't see Mom and Dad modeling this all during the day.   Complainers raise complainers...so if there is a problem...ask God to start with you!!!!!   

When they see Mom and Dad leading more thankful, less grumbling lives, it will help them to learn to have a life of gratefulness as well.  Just like we have rules not to hit siblings, yell at family members, roll their eyes etc...this is a very good rule to add as a family.  "No complaining!"   

You'll be glad you tackled this.  It is not a childhood problem as my Facebook news feed can attest to.   Instead of raising ungrateful, sour adults they will grow up and do what Philippians 2 says "Shine like lights in the world holding fast the word of life."