“What do you do?”
“Oh, I’m just a mom.”
Just a mom.
I must have said it a thousand times as a young mother. Living out my dream of being a stay-at-home-mom didn’t feel so dreamy as I was sporting yesterday’s stained t-shirt and a fussy baby on my hip.
In fact, many of those days felt lonely.
Redundant.
Insignificant.
I’d spent all day taking care of the house and the kids and by 5:00 PM I had nothing to show for it. Everything I did would need to be redone the next day.
My husband had the real job. His work was moving forward. It was making a difference. And best of all, he got a paycheck for his work. Meanwhile, I was stuck in my 3-bedroom, suburban prison, waiting for my toddler to go down for her nap so I could catch up on dishes. Exhausted from work that would rarely be noticed, never be finished, and never earn a dime.
Though I didn’t want to admit it, I often felt like I wasn’t accomplishing a whole lot. And if I wasn’t getting anything done, maybe being “just a mom” wasn’t all that important of a job.
It turns out the Bible says something different about the work of moms. Scripture holds mothers in high regard. When we open the book, we see that being a mom is a holy calling with a heavy workload…. and a high reward.
We see the value of motherhood in many of the hero mom stories. Moms like Hannah, who, after a lifetime of infertility, was granted her prayer and given Samuel. Or Timothy’s mother, Eunice, who led young Timothy to a sincere faith by her example. And of course, Mary, who was chosen by God to give birth to and raise our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We can also look to chapters like Proverbs 31, where we see the example of a hard-working woman who uses her wisdom and talent to care for her family.
Or Psalm 127, which tells us that our children are gifts from the Lord and also weapons- arrows to defend God’s kingdom against the enemy. We see that our children are valuable and useful and meant to be cherished. We see that motherhood is an esteemed blessing and noble responsibility.
But I want to draw our eyes to another image that we see in scripture. You see, our Creator God, who established families, reveals His deep consideration for moms by inspiring biblical authors to compare His love to a mother’s. This can help us to understand how God relates to us. Sometimes it’s easier to comprehend different aspects of God’s character when we have a picture of something we are familiar with. That’s why all the best sermons are complete with analogies and illustrations. Our pastors are using one of the oldest tricks in the book.
It’s true- the written mothering metaphor teaches us about God. But the even more significant mothering metaphor…. Is you.
Our God is life-giving and life-sustaining. So are you.
Our God is attentive, nurturing, and protective. So are you.
You, Mama, are a living, breathing demonstration of God’s nurturing and protective character traits.
One of the most unmistakable places we discover this imagery is in the book of Isaiah. On behalf of God, the prophet writes, “He will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” Isaiah 40:11. And later, “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” Isaiah 66:13.
At times, biblical authors use motherly language to accurately describe this part of God’s character. And since God is unchanging (Malachi 3:6) we know that God has always been this way.
If this maternal language is new to you, please understand- the Bible does not in any way make the claim that God is a woman or diminish His role as our Good Father.
God’s love and tender care is revealed in His bond with us. “You are mine and I am yours.” We see this every time He says, “I will be your God, and you shall be my people.” This bonded love has endured a millennia of needy and rebellious children. It patiently provides and protects, often going unnoticed and unthanked.
And so, when you throw chicken nuggets in the microwave and settle in for another half-hour nursing session, remember this. Instead of thinking about all the work that lies unfinished, know that you are doing the better work. You are reflecting the nature of God by sustaining the life of those sweet little blessings. When you are helping your three-year-old to calm down from his third tantrum today, you are imaging the creator of the universe who patiently does the same for us. Every dirty dish, dirty diaper and load of laundry that you manage is an act of quiet obedience. It is hard work and most of it will never be seen. But it is holy work, given to you on purpose so that you can reveal beautiful aspects of who God is to your household and beyond.
What an honor.
You are not “Just a Mom.”
You are the image of God.
