Family: God’s Wonderful Design

Have you ever thought about the contribution you are making to the world as a mom?

When the enemy or the world tries to tell you your work as a mom isn’t important, you need to remind yourself that the love you pour out to your family every day is a higher calling than anything else you will ever do during your lifetime.

Family was God’s idea. It was the first institution He ordained.

He created the first father and mother and placed them together in a beautiful garden where they were to multiply and fill the earth.

Strong families are the building blocks of strong communities, nations, governments, and churches. All these other institutions flourish and prosper when the family unit is strong and healthy.

As mothers, we play a vital role in the well-being of our families. By recognizing God’s original design and purpose for the family and taking an active part in fulfilling our role in that design, we have the wonderful privilege of partnering with God to create homes where our children can know Him, grow in faith, and become the people He created them to be.

What an awesome responsibility we have as moms! We truly are salt and light in this world.

Today we live in a world where the truth of God as Designer has been rejected.

And as a result, there is chaos and confusion all around us. Because our world doesn’t know or recognize its original design, it can’t function properly.

The Bible tells us God is not the author of confusion. This mess around us isn’t His doing. It’s the result of a world that has rejected Him and His design for mankind.

But as Christians, we know there is a master design and a path that leads to purpose and fulfillment. Jesus is that path. He is the way. When we pattern our lives according to His design, we can live lives of purpose that prosper and flourish, the way He first intended, even in a fallen world.

Please understand, I’m not saying we will have perfect lives by following Christ or that bad things won’t happen to God’s children. We all live in a fallen world. Jesus said we would have trouble in this world, but to be of good cheer because He has overcome this world. What I am saying is our lives will be so much better when we live them His way. When we honor and obey Him with our life choices, we can trust Him with the outcome.

The One who made you knows how you work, inside and out. He knows what you need and has promised to provide everything you need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. He will show us how we are designed to function and give us what we need to live the life He has created us for.

As a mother, you have been given the awesome privilege of bringing life into this world and nurturing hearts for God’s Kingdom. You are a light-bearer.

But our enemy, Satan, is always trying to bring confusion to our minds. He doesn’t want us to see or believe in God’s design for family or recognize the indescribable honor we have in being mothers for Christ. Satan often tries to pit us against each other by tempting us to judge one another. Don’t.

All of us have different stories and different circumstances. Our lives don’t look the same. We don’t think the same way or have the same callings. But if we love Christ, we can follow Him while walking in love and unity with each other.

We all have opinions on how we as Christian moms should live. A lot of that comes from our upbringing, life experiences, and the churches we belong to.

Your children are entirely different from mine. Your background may be completely different from mine. But God can work equally well through both of us.

Please understand that a lot of what I’m sharing with you today is my opinion, which means you can hold it loosely.

I’m so glad women today have so many opportunities outside of the home. I believe it’s good for a woman to use all of her giftings and intelligence to make this world a better place, in all arenas.

I don’t think every woman is called to be a mother, just like every man isn’t called to be a father. And that doesn’t make a woman without children any less of a godly woman. And I believe many Christians moms have callings outside of their homes. But I also believe that if a woman has children raising them for the Lord should be a top priority.

But how that looks for each one of us is something we have to take to God in prayer.

The world, even the Christian world, tries to paint a false dichotomy for women.

People try to divide us into neat groups that can be easily identified so they know how to label us correctly, even if we don’t fit perfectly into any of their groups. It’s normal for people to do this, but we can refuse to do this to ourselves and our sisters in Christ.

Some describe a “good” mom as one who has dedicated herself completely to raising her children without pursuing a career or ministry outside of that role.

On the other hand, some say a mom with a career who works to support her children is giving them a positive role model, that she is giving them the best example of what a strong and successful woman looks like.

But I believe these are decisions each mom has to prayerfully consider for herself. And I never want to make a mom who is doing the best she knows how for her family feel like she is less than in God’s Kingdom.

When I was a young mom working full-time I had a great desire to leave my position and be at home full-time with my children. No one ever told me I should do this. I truly believe it was God’s calling in my heart. I worked right beside other Christian moms who didn’t feel this calling in their heart but never criticized those who did.

At that time I had a friend who wanted very much to be a SAHM but she was going through a difficult time in her marriage. While I was out on maternity leave with my last child my friend’s marriage dissolved. She discovered her husband had been unfaithful. He had decided he wanted out of their marriage, leaving her with two small children. She was devastated. Crushed. About a year later I was able to resign from my position and become a SAHM. She was happy for me but I know it was hard for her to see me leave, given her current situation as a single working mom. This taught me to treat other moms with grace and compassion. We don’t always know what people are going through or why they’ve made the choices they have.

We must have grace with each other and not judge. A little grace will go a long way. As moms who love Jesus, we must refuse to make blanket judgments that hurt other moms who are doing the best they can in very difficult situations or who don’t see things the way we do. God’s grace is always sufficient.

Jesus loves to do miracles. He can make a strong, godly family with a single working mom, or a single working dad. He honors faith and obedience. When we lean on Him and invite Him into our homes, He always comes and makes up the difference we lack.

Don’t let anyone tell you that because of your past decisions or your present circumstances Jesus can’t bless your family or work in the lives of your kids. Invite Him into your home. He specializes in difficult cases.

When the desire to be a SAHM first showed up in my heart, it seemed impossible. We were in debt. Quitting my job would cut our income in half. So we prayed. And I believed God would make a way, if this was His will for our family. During that time I read a book by a very well-intentioned mom who said that if you really wanted to be a SAHM you would make a way, no matter what. And that if you didn’t make a way it was because you weren’t serious about it or it wasn’t a priority for you. Her words caused me to doubt my own heart and intentions. Was I disobeying God by not quitting my job now? What if my husband and I weren’t in agreement? For several weeks I felt so guilty that I didn’t even feel like I could pray.

One night as I was getting ready for bed, I felt the Lord ask me, “Audrey, have you obeyed me?”

I searched my heart. I honestly answered, “Lord, as far as I know, I’ve obeyed you. I know there can be hidden things in my heart and I may have blind spots, but, as far as I know, I’ve tried to always obey you.”

I felt God’s comfort as I realized that was all He had asked of me, that I obey Him, not other people. I felt a burden lift off my heart as I realized the condemnation I had been under was not from Him. I had held myself to other people’s standards instead of being led by God’s Spirit and trusting my own relationship with Him.

Often others will try to put their convictions and opinions on us because it makes them feel better about their life choices. But at the end of the day, we have to know that we have prayed, listened to God, and obeyed Him, not our neighbor, not the voices of this world, not the opinions of others.

The most important question is “What is God asking of me?” And the most important response is to prayerfully obey.

Family is good because it is from God. All families look different, but there is enough grace for your family, no matter how large or small it may be.

Whatever your situation, you can rest in the knowledge that Jesus is right there with you in your circumstances. He has a plan, even if you aren’t sure what that plan is right now. Go to Him in prayer asking Him to show you His plan for your family.

He loves to bless families. Family was, and still is, His idea.

Growing up in a strong family gives children the structure and protection they need to become strong and healthy adults.

We as moms are the orchestrators of our homes. We are the heart of our homes.

The enemy wants us to feel helpless and powerless, but we’re not. God is with us and we are doing His work. Being a mom is a very powerful position because when we partner with God in prayer, we give Him permission to come into our situation.

You may find it strange that I say “give Him permission.” Does God need our permission?

No, but He honors your will. As parents, He has given us authority over our homes. So, when we invite God in, He comes to dwell with us.

Think of salvation. Jesus saved you because you called on His name. You bowed your knee to Him and He came into your heart to dwell. He doesn’t force Himself on us. Accepting Jesus will always be an act of our free will because free will is God’s gift to us. He honors our free will and will never violate it.

It’s the same in other areas of our lives as well. He will never make us obey Him or love Him. God wants to come into our hearts and homes but He won’t violate our free will. Prayer is an invitation to God to come work in our hearts, homes, and the lives of our children.

As His minister in your home, your prayers are powerful. In prayer, He will encourage you and give you ideas that will help you in your calling to raise your children for Him. Pray, listen, look for opportunities, and obey.

I am excited about the things God has planned for you and your family. Never underestimate the power of a praying mom who has invited the Lord into her heart and home.