To listen to the podcast episode click below:
Jesus didn’t look at all like the religious leaders expected the Messiah to look. The scriptures prophesied a great king would set them free from all their oppressors and establish a kingdom that would never end. How could this man from humble beginnings, the son of a carpenter, who befriended fishermen, ever rise to their level of expectation? And he said things to them that were less than flattering. Instead of praising their strict adherence to the law of Moses, he pointed out their hypocrisy, sometimes in front of the crowds. He didn’t fit their mold of what the Messiah should be so they didn’t recognize him for who he actually was. He wasn’t what they wanted, though he was what they needed. So they rejected him.
But Jesus didn’t need their approval or acceptance. He was the Messiah with or without their permission. One of the things Jesus did as Messiah was to display to mankind the nature of God. He showed us what the Father is really like.
In John 14, Jesus says, “If you have seen me you have seen the Father.”
Jesus told his disciples he had not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. He was a servant-leader. He humbled himself and wants us to follow his example.
In Philippians 2:5-8, Paul encourages us:
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
On the same night Jesus was betrayed by one of his closest friends he washed the feet of each of his disciples. Knowing that he would soon be arrested and crucified, he tried to prepare them for the test of faith they were about to endure. He prayed that their faith would not fail. In the face of his greatest trial, he ministered to the needs of others. He’s our example of the kind of leader God wants us to be, a servant-leader.
Jesus gave honor to those the world scorned: women, children, the poor, the sick, the wounded, and the brokenhearted. He gave to those who couldn’t pay him back. He asked for nothing in return.
Jesus rebuked the ones full of pride and spoke his harshest words to the religious people who judged themselves righteous as they closed up their hearts to the suffering of those around them.
Once when a group of women tried to bring their children to Jesus, his disciples rebuked them and sent them on their way. But Jesus called them back, laid his hands on their children and blessed them. He said the kingdom of God belongs to these little ones and anyone who doesn’t receive the kingdom like one of them will have no place in it.
Jesus sees and honors our humble position as moms. Being a mom is a big deal. It’s holy work. God highly regards it. As moms, we are raising the next generation of believers. Because we stand today in hard places, the kingdom will stand tomorrow with strong believers. Don’t ever let the world convince you that your work as a mom doesn’t matter. It’s holy work. It’s eternal work. It’s more important than any other work you will accomplish on this earth.
As moms, we are called to model Christ to our families. We are called to be servant leaders in our homes. Like Jesus, we are called to serve others.
God’s word tells us to let the mind of Christ be in us, the one who didn’t hold on to his high position, though He had every right to, but took the low position of a servant and served those who didn’t appreciate his sacrifice.
We’re called to be like Him, to serve others and to love them the way he did, generously and extravagantly.
By your faithful and loving service, you’re leaving an imprint on your children’s minds of what a servant-leader looks like. They won’t see many true examples of this kind of leadership in the world. We have the honor and responsibility to walk it out before them, to be the object lesson God uses to show them what he’s like. We may teach them with our words but we demonstrate our lessons with our lives.
Like Jesus, we as moms embody the message we share through the lives we live in front of our families. That’s a beautiful honor, but it doesn’t feel so wonderful when those around us fail to recognize or appreciate our service.
Jesus wasn’t appreciated either. The world jeered and mocked Him as He hung on the cross condemned as a criminal. They didn’t know he was suffering to pay the price for their sins. They didn’t know it was love that held him on the cross, not nails. He loved those who nailed him on the cross.
That’s perfect love. I’m not there yet, but I refuse to turn my eyes from the standard just because it seems impossible to reach. Jesus is the standard. By his grace, I will keep my eyes on the standard until I become more like him.
Mama, your work is so important. When you are reading a bedtime story, kissing a skinned knee, changing another diaper, or staying up too late listening to a teenager pour out her heart, your doing kingdom work. And it matters even if no one sees it. You are preserving the gospel for the next generation. You are passing down a godly heritage to your children and grandchildren. You are a living example of Christ, even if it’s imperfect and flawed. It’s the best example many of our children will ever see.
Please hold your head up. Please remember how important your assignment is to the kingdom. Please take it seriously and don’t let others tear down its importance with their ignorant words. You are on assignment. Be faithful. Your faithfulness matters. And God will honor your servant-heart.
© Audrey McCracken, 2023
If you found this article helpful and you’d like to say thanks, click here to buy Audrey a coffee.
