Faithfulness, Pt 2 - No. 54
Matthew 25:21,23,25, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Read also Luke 16:10.
God not only wants us to be faithful to our marriage, but to our mothering. What does the word ‘faithfulness’ really mean? The Hebrew Word for ‘faithfulness’ in the Bible is ‘aman ’ which means ‘to stand firm, to be enduring, of long continuance, to be reliable, trusty’. Faithfulness is not a flashy thing. It is not always exciting. It’s part of the drudgery of life. As we mother in our homes, we often to do the same thing day after day. Life may feel boring compared to the exciting life that others are leading outside the home. But dear mother, you are fulfilling the most far-reaching and influential career in the nation!
Can I encourage you to be faithful – even in the drudgery? Even doing the menial tasks? Yes, even when you have to the same old thing every day. Hang in there. Endure. This is where God has placed you. You are in His very perfect will. Rejoice in it.
And remember – your daily moments of faithfulness add up. They add up to a life of faithfulness. They add up to the reward of those wonderful words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant Enter into the joy of thy Lord.” (Matthew 25:21)
I think of the most beloved men of the Bible – Abraham, Moses, David and Daniel. God chose each one of these men because of one special character trait – faithfulness.
¨God blessed Abraham because he found His heart faithful before Him. (Nehemiah 9:8).
¨Moses was faithful serving the Lord in God’s house. (Numbers 12:7).
¨David was faithful and honorable as he served in Saul’s house. (1 Samuel 22:14)
¨Daniel’s enemies could find no fault in him because was faithful. (Daniel 6:4).
Catherine Booth (wife of William Booth who founded the Salvation Army) challenged me as a young mother when she wrote, “I intend to make myself fit to be a mother, and being that in every sense, I shall be ready for any destiny God has for me.” Be faithful to your career as a mother first and foremost. Be faithful in your home. Be faithful in the little things. Be faithful in the daily grind of life. This is your greatest training for life and eternity.
Paul wrote to his dear friend, Gaius and said, “Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for the strangers.” (3 John 5) Could these words be written of you? “Whatever you have to do in your home, you do faithfully.” What do you have to do today, dear mother? Laundry, cleaning, teaching and training the children etc.? Do each task faithfully, Do it as unto the Lord. Do it to the best of your ability. Do it with a good attitude.
I received an email recently from an Above Rubies reader. She wrote, “Since reading your magazine I have begun to establish several new life-mottos (which have been replacing my old sub-conscious thoughts like "I'm so stressed,” "I can't do this,” and “I've had enough!" - because I was trying to be a whirlwind perfectionist). Now, when it all seems out of control, I to say to myself, "Plod on. Be a plodder. Just one step at a time. Keep going, and you will get there."
That’s the way to go, dear mother. Often people say to me, “How do you do everything, Nancy?”
“I just keep plodding on!” I answer. I’m not a great efficiency person. I have many weak points. But I have a vision, I am faithful to it, and I keep plodding on.
PRAYER:
“Oh Lord, I thank you that you are a faithful God. I can depend upon you totally. I ask that you will please work your attribute of faithfulness in me. Help me to be faithful in my home and even in the mundane things that I have to do each day. May my children be able to depend on me, as I am able to depend on you. Amen.”
AFFIRMATION:
In the face of monotony, hardship and sacrifice, I will be faithful to my high calling of motherhood!