Jul
9
52home
Filed under Biblical Womanhood | 52home 2:10 p.m.
This morning Dad announced that he will be taking a leave of absence and explained the reasons for his decision. We so respect our dad’s humility—in fact we’ve never respected him more! Our family is experiencing God’s abundant grace and we are eager to see how God will bring His good purposes to pass for Sovereign Grace Ministries in the days ahead. We are grateful for your prayers!
Nicole, Kristin, and Janelle
Are you a fake, a foul, or a faithful friend? Kevin DeYoung is part-way through a series on what the Bible has to say on the important topic of friendship In “Talking Shop” Nancy Wilson has wise words for young moms on how to give and receive advice from friends. And Paul Tripp exhorts us to bring God’s wisdom to bear on our relationships.
“The duties that God, in an ordinary way, requires at our hands are not proportioned to what strength we have in ourselves, but to what help and relief is laid up for us in Christ; and we are to address ourselves to the greatest performances with a settled persuasion that we have not the ability for the least.” ~John Owen, Works Vol. 6, 94.
—from the archives To paraphrase the first magnificent answer of the Shorter Catechism: A mother’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. And isn’t it interesting to note, as J. I. Packer points out in his new book, Praying the Lord’s Prayer, that this doctrinal statement uses the word “‘end,’ not ‘ends,’ for the two activities [glorifying and enjoying God] are one.” Dr. Packer continues:
God’s chief end, purposed in all that he does, is his glory, and he has so made us that we find our own deepest fulfillment and highest joy in hallowing his name by praise, submission, and service.
Christians get so hung up with the pagan idea (very dishonoring to God, incidentally) that God¹s will is always unpleasant, so that one is rather a martyr to be doing it, that they hardly at first notice how their experience verifies the truth that in Christian living duty and delight go together. But they do! And this will be even clearer in the life to come. To give oneself to hallowing God’s name as one’s life-task means that living, though never a joyride, will become increasingly a joy road.
In other words, as we continue “lub-dubbing” along (I love that expression!) and learning contentment as mothers for the glory of God, caring for our children will increasingly become a joyful experience. That doesn’t mean it will be easy or a “joyride” as Dr. Packer says. But if our highest fulfillment is found in worshipping and obeying God, then motherhood will undoubtedly be a “joy road.” And if this is what God has called us to, then there is no other road we would rather be on.
