07 May Surprised by Motherhood
I don’t think there has ever been a woman more surprised by motherhood than Sarah. You know, Sarah: the beautiful wife of Abraham, the patriarch of our faith. Sarah- the one who doubted that God could or would actually do what He’d said He would do. Sarah- who got tired of waiting for God’s promise to come so she took matters into her own hands and royally botched things up. Yes, Sarah- the one who laughed at God’s crazy idea that she’d actually conceive a child “when she was past the age” (Hebrews 11:11). Past the age may be just a bit of an understatement! She was 90 when she became pregnant, and 91 when she gave birth to Isaac. Yep- ninety. one. years. old. That’s old! That’s tired, worn out, and dried up old. But that didn’t matter because God had not stamped an expiration date on Sarah’s ability to conceive and mother a child. Age wasn’t a disqualifier for Sarah’s fruitfulness in God’s eyes. In fact, God chose Sarah and appointed her, knowing precisely how old she would be when He fulfilled His promise to her and Abraham. It seemed impossible because, humanly speaking, it was. But not with God.
Impossible is where God just gets started.
Impossible is what God does best.
Impossible is what gives God glory.
So there Sarah was…living the impossible dream of holding her baby boy in her arms, bouncing Isaac on her knee, and all the while laughing with the One who’d returned laughter to her heart. Laughing with joy and amazement, awe and wonder; feeling alive again, young again, purposeful and yes, needed; enjoying every precious moment of nurturing her son, teaching him and helping him to grow up; delighting to see him become the man God created him to be.
Sarah- so sweetly surprised by motherhood, had discovered the full joy of doing what she’d been born to do: mother a child.
You were born to mother.
In the Old Testament God’s command to His people was to “be fruitful and multiply”. In the New Testament Jesus tells us, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide (remain, last)…” (John 15:16). That wasn’t an option, but a command…for every one of us. And what God commands, He means for us to actually do. Married or single; empty nest or empty womb; young, old or past the age…you and I were born to mother… to be fruitful, to bear much fruit that will last. And like Sarah, there’s no expiration date on your fruitfulness.
You were born to be a spiritual mother.
Take a look around you- a good, long, intentional look around you and see the beautiful women God has placed in your life. In your various spheres of influence, your workplace, your neighborhood, the nail salon or the hair salon…even in your own church. There are women who are in desperate need of a spiritual mama. Young and not so young, women of all ages needing help that you can give her. And Help has a name, and His name is Jesus. You give her Jesus! You give her Jesus in what He’s done for you and who He is to you.
You tell her, and show her, and teach her, and encourage her.
You exhort her and cry with her, pray with her and for her, laugh with her and celebrate with her.
You share your life with her. You give her your time, and the truth of God’s blessed and life-changing Word. And you just love on her because we all need a spiritual mama to love us up in the way of the Lord. You walk it out with her. You help her grow up and become the women of God that He created her to be. You show her how the Bible really works in the everyday life of a woman who follows Jesus- not perfectly, but progressingly. You pass on what you possess. You give her your authentic self and speak to her out of the overflow of a heart that’s been broken by life and healed by the kindness and love of a Savior who knows a woman’s heart better than anyone. You pull her close and you let her go, and you make sure she understands that the greatest use of her life will be to invest it in the life of another for Christ… helping her to know how to help another woman become a fruit-bearing, reproducing disciple of Jesus Christ.
Nothing will surprise you or thrill your heart more than the joy of spiritual motherhood. I know that from experience. I’ve been surprised by spiritual motherhood and blessed beyond my wildest dreams. Blessed indeed.
Psalm 78 and 148 exhort us that one generation is to tell the next of the greatness of God. You and I have a responsibility- a very high calling and an eternal responsibility to tell the next generation; to raise up the generations behind us to become faith-walking, Bible-living, Jesus-loving women of God whose hearts beat wildly for the King of Kings!
YOU AND I WERE BORN TO SPIRITUALLY MOTHER FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES!
Now get after it!
Happy Mother’s Day!
You are greatly and dearly loved by The King!