There’s a song we sing on Sunday mornings that always grabs my attention:
Holy, there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder
And show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me
(listen here)
My heart is pricked because I sense God saying to me: “those around you are the little people you interact with day in and day out.” Yes, those around you may mean a co-worker or next door neighbor or the refugee in your city. But in this season of my life, those nearest to me are definitely my children. This is the kingdom work of being a mother.
“Fill me with your heart and lead me in Your love.” Is this truly my prayer when I’m interacting with my children on a daily basis? In a sense, do I consider the home my mission field? My brother-in-law preached on John 1 recently (definitely worth a listen!) and all I could think about was how his reflection questions applied to motherhood.
- Whose kingdom have you been spending your days building?
- Who has God uniquely placed in your life that you can invite into Jesus’ Kingdom to join the mission of building His Kingdom?
- What qualifications do you need to stop waiting for to join Jesus’ work?
Question #2: Who has God uniquely placed in my life? My children, of course. Who is closer to them or spends more time with them than me? I am the most closely placed person in their little lives (and how scary is that!). My heart’s desire must remain foremost to bring my children into Jesus’ Kingdom.
Question #3: Lately I’ve been feeling very unqualified and out-of-my-league for the path of parenting and home life we are on right now. But the sermon was such a beautiful reminder that God qualified me for the job long ago–all because of grace. This journey of mine is not surprising news to Jesus. And He will be faithful to equip me.