It has been said that a mothers mission field is within her own home.  So often we feel discouraged, as if the mundane day-to-day tasks we do, don’t matter   We want to make a difference for Christ, serving for Him and blessing others as He calls us to do.   We want to do some great work for God, and maybe we even feel like we’re wasting our lives away just sitting at home.  If you work outside the home, perhaps you wonder if you should be doing something extravagant, something more  in addition to working and tending to your home.

It is easy to become discouraged, thinking the work you do at home isn’t adding up to much, or there is something different you could be doing.  Simply staying at home, wiping noses, cooking meals, cleaning and caring for your children carries a lot of weight, and you may not see it right now – but God does.   By serving your family you are serving God.  You are making a difference and blessing others by being at home and focused on your family.

Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it. ~ Proverbs 22:6

            The children God has entrusted to you are warriors in training.  He trusts you to train them up in the way they should go.   This takes a lot of work, and involves a lot of things you may think no one notices or are useless. On days that I feel I’m not doing enough, or feel as though the things I do aren’t adding up I simply think that  I am training my children for the Lord.  This is my calling, my job, my service.  God has employed me to raise His warriors!  Therefore, everything I do makes a difference, sets an example, trains and prepares my children.  It isn’t done overnight!  This takes a minimum of 18 years of our lives.  That means I need to show up for my job and do my job to the best of my ability every day!  From the way I handle a telemarketer, to the way I tidy the house with a cheerful spirit and handle arguments between siblings, to the ways I interact with my husband and of course my interactions with my children….  All of this matters.  My little warriors are watching and learning more by what they see rather than what they are told.  So not only are my actions towards my children making a difference – but my everyday actions (and the actions of those they are around) are too.

Do you feel like you want to do something more?  Perhaps develop a heart for service in your kids, but don’t want to leave them for long and frequent hours to volunteer outside the home?  Serve as a family.  You can do great things as a family.  We’ve volunteered at food pantries, signed cards for a nursing home ministry, baked together for church fundraisers, figured out how to use coupons to buy food for our church’s food program, provided meals for new and grieving families, provided a safe place for troubled friends and families, etc.  when you serve as a family, you can not only fulfill your inner desire to do something “more” without leaving your family behind, but bring your children up with a desire to serve others in a selfish world that only thinks for its self.  That means they will make a difference – people will notice selfless giving and when it’s noticed, others hearts are changed at the same time.  That’s God at work!

Our families are our ministry.  As moms, we’re leaders of the ministry with our husbands.  This ministry can fulfill any desire you’ve ever felt led to take on.  For me, I’ve wanted to start a ministry that teaches others to grow and preserve their own food, cook from scratch and become more self sufficient.  God has repeatedly told me to wait each time I feel ready to start one.  So I went ahead and started teaching my kids these skills in depth, just as I would other families.  Every once in a while God sends someone my way who is interested in learning these things and I gladly take the time to teach and inspire them.  My ministry is my family.  My ministry is everywhere we are.  In the store, in the parking lot, in the library, you name it.

Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children,  to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.  Titus 2:4-5

Each mother has a mission field.  That’s our home!  The little ones needing their noses wiped, or the little ones letting you know it’s time for lunch, or the big ones who need guidance…  Just like the pastors who take on the challenges of preaching every Sunday, us moms take on the challenge of sibling rivalry, teaching and training our own little lambs.  We have multiple outreach activities that stem from our home – birthday parties, field trips, church activities, play dates, group volunteer activities.  Your whole family can serve the Lord in multiple ways right from your home.  Genuinely caring for friends, scripture sprinkled around your home, kind and pure speech to those in the home, a home that is taken care of and welcoming for guests, Christian music played in the background…  As Christians we are called to be different, and our mission field is no different!  We need not leave the house to spread the love of Christ.

Missionaries leave their mark by living among and working with the people they are serving.  They make a difference by their love and attitude.  We should remember that as we work on our own mission field in our homes.  Make a difference by your love, values and attitude.  We don’t have to do big things all the time to make a difference for God.

Our children are blessings.  It is an amazing gift to be given, a life (or lives) that God has trusted you with.    God chose YOU to be a mother and He has given you a calling in life – to raise that child or children to become warriors in a fallen world.  Training starts early – it’s never, ever too early to begin teaching your child about God and the life we are called to live.

Nancy Campbell wrote a list in one of her devotionals about what she believes God wants us to raise our children to be.  Here it is, from her website:

What kind of laborers does God want us to faithfully prepare for His service? The following is my vision for our children, grandchildren and future generations. I believe He wants us to prepare children who are…

Baby lovers

Blessing imparters

Bible believers

Bible obeyers

Committed laborers in God’s harvest

Courageous overcomers

Demon destroyers

Diligent workers

Evil haters

Faithful servers

Fearless soldiers

Freedom fighters

Fruit bearers

God fearers

God lovers

God pleasers

God worshippers

Gospel preachers

Holy Spirit empowered witnesses

Home lovers

Israel supporters

Jesus fanatics

Justice keepers

Life choosers

Light shiners

Liberal threateners

Obedient listeners

Parent honorers

Responsible citizens

Sharp arrows

Tomorrow’s leaders

Truth bearers

Truth keepers

Truth lovers

Truth preservers

Truth seekers

Truth speakers

Persecution endurers

Prayer warriors

Righteousness lovers

Uncompromising disciples

Valiant conquerors

Wisdom getters and

Zealous servants of the Living God!

Reading that list makes me realize what an impact I have on my children, and what I should be focusing on – and how much of the ‘little’ I might feel I do, really adds up!  By simply living a life pleasing to the Lord, I am able to instill many of these things in my kids right from my own mission field.  When I think of how much my children need to learn, I realize how important it is that I am here to teach them these things.  By being here I mean mentally and physically.  If I’m so busy worrying about a big project I committed to again (because I need to feel like I’m making a difference) that I can’t be fully available to my children even when in their presence, they’ll pick up on that and Satan will notice too.  Sibling rivalry, obedience issues and so many other negative things begin to crop up.  The best way to keep these issues at bay is to be 100% available to your children, and not caught up in thinking about other things.  So mothers, remove any doubt that what you’re doing right now isn’t a big deal.  Allow yourself to become happily consumed by your marriage and family that you wake up excited about our Fathers work and what kind if work He’ll send to you today.

When you’re feeling discouraged remember that the little things count (you are showing Gods love by kissing that boo boo, and extending God’s mercy and grace to that rambunctious boy who knocked the flowers over again, serving together as a family, or feeling like you want to do great works for God…  Remember that you already are!!!  You are doing one of the greatest works you can, by raising followers of our Lord.  By simply doing your job, raising your children, you are serving the Lord.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15