Motherhood - It Isn't Mundane!

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy of: Liana Mikah

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God." ~1 Corinthians 10:31

As we began a mini series last week on the topic of motherhood and started traveling together through the Word to see God's actual design for motherhood, we first looked at the big-picture, overarching perspective for motherhood as being first a spiritual endeavor. We saw how, as they make and mother disciples, even single and childless women can be mothers. 

Today, we are going to continue along that vein of thinking, but expound on it for those women going through this series who do have children of their own whom they are caring for day in and day out. 

We hear all the time that we should "find meaning in the mundane". I even wrote a blog post encouraging moms to do just that several years ago. When I was then working on a book on motherhood a couple years later, however, I had what felt like a total epiphany: our message to moms should not merely be that they seek to find the meaning in the mundane, but to instead understand that motherhood is not even mundane at all when viewed through the lens of eternity and God's purpose for it.

What changed my thinking in this area was looking up the actual dictionary definition of the world "mundane" This is what I found:

 

• Lacking interest or excitement; dull.

• Of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.

Now, granted, cleaning the bathtub, dusting the baseboards, breaking up fights between siblings, and making what feels like the 10th meal of the day can sometimes feel a little dull and uninteresting. But, is it? And since when are we to merely rely on our feelings, anyway?

We already saw last week that the truth of the matter is that mothering is a spiritual endeavor. It is a high and holy calling for Christian women everywhere by which they disciple others to know, love, and follow Christ both here and now and also in eternity. That, my sweet mama friend, is anything but dull! That is terribly exciting if you think about it!

As for the second definition, the work of mothering quite obviously does pertain to eternity, to heaven, and to matters of spiritual importance, rather than mere earthly matters. So, basically....it's anything but mundane! We are talking about raising and discipling eternal souls here! The faithful work of mothering which we do day in and day out will have a lasting, eternal impact. It could be what God uses to make the difference between our children not following Christ and their actually choosing to follow Him. It could make the difference, when used by God, between our children going down destructive paths and them being people who seek to honor the Lord in all that they say and do. Pretty amazing, isn't it? 

You may be wondering, though...how am I supposed to take that nice concept and actually apply it to the nitty gritty of my days when all I see before me are a towering pile of laundry, food that needs to be made, a house that is a mess, and children that need to simmer down and stop throwing tantrums?  Great question! What we have to do is grasp the fact that this day – and everything we do in it! – truly is a building block for tomorrow and can be used to teach a valuable lesson. Here are some things I have begun to preach to myself at various times over the past several years when my days begin to feel a little mundane:

 

• When you have a newborn and are up at all hours feeding the baby, changing the baby, rocking the baby, calming and comforting the baby, etc., you are building love, trust, intimacy, and relationship between you and that little one which will serve as the very foundation for the rest of that child’s life. His or her understanding of what love, family, and home are all about are beginning to be formed now.

 

• When you have a toddler who stretches you in more ways than you could ever have imagined and it feels like your days are filled with little more than constant calls of “Mommy!!!”, whining (on both the part of your toddler as well as yourself!), temper tantrums, and craziness, and yet, in the midst of it all, you still shower that toddler with love, cuddles, read-alouds, and fun memories, you are laying yet another foundation in their lives – the foundation for their reciprocal love for you, their desire to obey and trust you and your parenting as they grow, because they will have felt and seen in a tangible way your unconditional love for them.

 

• When you kiss yet another booboo, you are instilling into the hearts of your little ones the knowledge that their Mama loves them deeply, is always concerned about them and their wellbeing, hurts when they hurt, and is interested in what interests them.

 

• When you do yet another load of laundry, you are working towards the health, hygiene, and cleanliness of your family – all of which are important, for with good health comes more ability to learn, to work hard, to live and love well, to serve others, and to advance God’s Kingdom. Furthermore, as my husband pointed out to me, when our children see us performing our necessary daily tasks, such as laundry, with joy rather than a grumbling, complaining spirit, this greatly influences them, as well, for it helps to instill into them an enjoyment of work (not to mention a good work ethic!). My own littles have grown so fond of doing the laundry with us that whenever we give them clothes to put into the washer or dryer, they excitedly snatch them away, so very thrilled to be able to help.

 

• When you are cooking a meal, you are saying that you care about the nourishment of your family and making it clear that you want them to experience the comfort of full tummies. You are also extending love and life-changing, soul-enriching hospitality to whomever may consume that meal – family members and guests alike. Not to mention instilling a love for the culinary arts in your children!

 

• When you read aloud to your children the same favorite book of theirs yet again (even if it bores you to tears), you are helping to instill into them a love of books, of learning, of curiosity and discovery, of purpose and imagination, of vision and excitement. Hey, for all you know, you could be raising up the next C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, or Laura Ingalls Wilder. Just something to think about! ;) 

 

• When you are grocery shopping, you are investing in the health and wellbeing of your family for generations, for the health of your children could affect that of your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren, and so on. You are representing to them a picture of the Proverbs 31 woman who brought in her food from afar (vs. 14), you are illustrating for your children an understanding of what the best and most nourishing foods are, and you are providing for them a lesson in finances, good stewardship, and economics as you seek to both find the best deals as well as put your money towards the things that you need as opposed to the things that you want.

 

• When you perform the grungy tasks of cleaning bathtubs and toilets, you are again investing in the health and wellbeing of your family (and instilling in your children the importance of these things!) and are providing both them and any guests who come into your home with a warm, inviting, clean atmosphere in which to live, love, and learn about (and grow in!) the Lord together.

 

We could go on, but I think you get the idea.  The point is that everything you do within the four walls of your home can and does have a great impact on your family and its future, not to mention the hearts and souls of those folks to whom you extend hospitality within your home. If that doesn't get you fired up, I don't know what will!

Questions for reflection:

1. Do you typically view the work you do as a mom as being mundane? How might your thinking need to be reoriented around the truth of God's Word and the impact motherhood has on eternity?

2. How do 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Colossians 3:23-24 impact your view of mothering?

3. How can motherhood be considered Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) work?

4. What homemaking or mothering task is the main one you tend to feel is mundane? How can you change your thinking about that task? How can you find it to have eternal importance?