Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Love Begins at Home

Mother Theresa hit the nail on the head when she said that "love begins at home." If I can't love my own family, then how can I truly love others outside my home? If I don't teach my children how to love, then how can they possibly make a positive impact on the world?

So, how can I fulfill Christ's commission to His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 to "go" and "make disciples" of others if I haven't made disciples of my own children first?

Before I got married, I went on several mission trips to Honduras and Costa Rica, and in those rich experiences, I learned that my work was in vain unless I developed a real relationship with the people I sought to disciple. Unless I showed my care and concern,
my love, for the people there, I had only minimal, if any, impact on them. However, as I listened to their stories, offered hugs and encouragement, and prayed with them, I found that the hearts of the people I reached out to were more receptive to hearing and believing the Word. Yes, it's cliche, but the people I discipled discipled me. And from them, I developed a love for people of different cultures and languages.

Soon after I was married, I became pregnant with our first child, and at that moment, my mission work changed. It became imperative that I make every effort to lead my child (now children) to the Lord. That doesn't mean I no longer support mission work in the U.S. and abroad: we actively support missionaries in several different locations.
It simply means that my work is here, in our home, with our children. And yes, it is very lonely at times. Being a mom, especially a stay-at-home mom, is a very isolated and isolating position to be in. But Jesus promises in verse 20:

"And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

As a mother of two small children, there are days when I desperately want to run away, even if it's just to Starbucks for a minute to myself. But I truly believe that I have a job; I have been commissioned, along with Peter, Andrew, James and John, to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all the Lord's commands. For me, the first nation to go and disciple is my home.
Love begins at home.

Just as I once reached out to complete strangers in foreign lands with the Gospel, I must now listen to, hug, encourage, and pray with and for my children. I must teach them about the One who loved them so much He gave up His life for them. That is my job. For now.

Love begins at home.

6 comments:

  1. The world tries to tell us that this isn't enough; you need MORE to be fulfilled as a woman in our modern culture! How refreshing to hear from women who embrace the high calling that the Lord has ordained for them, no matter how tough or mundane the job gets.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are so right about the world: it can really get ya down! It is tough tough tough to "embrace" mothering at times because women feel like they should be doing more. I feel this way all the time and have to remind myself that this is where God wants me to be right now. And really, what more important task is there than raising our children in the Lord and being a loving and supportive wife to our husbands?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for sharing your heart, I have loved reading the link ups and realizing there is more like me who are committed to ministering to their own children. I wished I realized this sooner.

    ReplyDelete
  4. cit adevar si cita invatatura....multumesc din inima mi-ai fost de mare ajutor....mi-ai aratat calea pe care trebuie sa merg.,sa nu ma mai pling de acest privilegiu ci sa fie o bucurie FAMILIA MEA....EA VA FI MAI PRESUS DE TOATE SI DE AICI VA INCEPE LUCRAREA MEA...DOMNU SA TE BINECUVINTEZE, AI FOST O LUMINA VIE IN VIATA SI INIMA MEA

    ReplyDelete
  5. Keri, I have been randomly reading your blog for awhile now. I am trying to keep up with it everytime you post a new one on FB. You are an amazing writer!! I just noticed the popular posts on the side and found this one. I love it! So true and so easy to forget (especially on the rough days) the one reason we are called to be a mothers.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Elizabeth, thank you for reading and commenting. I hope to encourage mamas like you and myself that motherhood truly is a worthy calling, that we will be blessed if we perservere in our mission work at home. Yes, as you said, there are rough days, but think about the day your child confesses his belief in Jesus; it will be worth it!

    I missed you at Bible study the other night. Hope to see you next week! :)

    ReplyDelete