A Mother’s Greatest Calling

Today I'm happy to welcome guest blogger, Seana Scott. She's a seminary student, a mom of three, wife to Jason, and blogger at seanascott.org.

I sat on the edge of my bed and wept. My first-born son, now two months old, lay in the other room sleeping. “God, I’m tired of feeling so sad.”

“To obey is better than sacrifice” popped into my mind. I Googled the passage on my smartphone, grabbed the leather-bound Bible off the nightstand and read 1 Samuel 15:22–23.

It said, 

“…To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry…” (NASB).

The fear of the Lord draped me, so I asked God how to obey, and the whisper of the Spirit replied, “Quit your job.”

My job? The one where I encourage ministry workers all around the world and mobilize missionaries? That one?

I slowly opened my fists and laid down my sacrifice of “ministry” work to pick up a heart of obedience.

To obey is better than sacrifice, so I quit my job and my peace returned.

A mommy friend of mine, Jocelyn, planned to resign from her day job and work in the home after becoming a mom. Yet God whispered to her, “Set the captives free.” She changed careers, and now, years later, she serves in leadership in one of the large

st anti-human trafficking agencies in the world.

To obey is better than sacrifice, so she signed up to work outside the home, and her peace returned.

Others might judge our choices as Christian mothers. My hands busy themselves with spaghetti and Legos, while Jocelyn runs from the airport to make her son’s soccer game. Yet God showed Jocelyn and me that a mother’s greatest calling is not to fit some nebulous Christian-subculture standard, but to follow Jesus.

How can we know what our obedience should look like? These few questions might help us answer that question:

·      Am I reading the Bible? (2 Tim. 3:16).

·      Am I asking God for guidance? (1 John 5:14).

·      Am I seeking faithfulness where I am right now? (Luke 16:10).

·      Am I living in unity with my spouse on these questions? (Eph. 5:21).

Following Jesus is a mother’s greatest calling.

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave