I used to think that my purpose in life was to be a “good” mother to my children. But that was prior to knowing Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. The problem with that thinking is that our children grow up. They leave home and we find ourselves wondering, “What is my purpose now?”.
I say that I wanted to be a “good” mother to my children because it wasn’t until I became a follower of Jesus that I began to understand what that entailed.
The world convinces us that if a child loves their mother above all else, she must be a “good” mom. And, if that means that we (as moms) have to compete with their fathers for that top spot, so be it. We will scheme behind dad’s back, talk about him as though he is a tyrant or, even worse, as though he is inferior. We cause our children to come to us for everything. Then, we blame dad when we feel like there is too much on our plates. And we make dad feel like he is not a member of our little family within the family and wonder why he works more than necessary and doesn’t have the intimacy with our children that we do.
And we do all of this to win that top spot; to be a “good” mom and our children’s best “friend”.
I remember being adamant that I was the parent and not my children’s friend. But, when something got broken and needed to be concealed, who did they come to? They came to their “friend”, Mom. When they wanted to listen to inappropriate music, on whose car radio did they listen? And who sang those inappropriate songs with them? Again, their “friend”, Mom. If they didn’t do something that was expected and needed an excuse, who did they turn to? Who had an excuse for every behavior? That’s right, they turned to their old buddy, Mom.
My husband and my children deserved better. And so did God! I am so thankful that they all have forgiving hearts.
Our children are all grown. And they have families of their own. But once they had all left our home, I found myself asking, “What is my purpose now?” They didn’t need me to cook, clean, discipline, or direct. And they certainly didn’t need their “friend”, Mom, anymore.
So I wondered, “What is my purpose now?”
Once I came to know Jesus as my personal Savior, I also came to recognize that my purpose here on this earth is simply to glorify God and point others to Him. No matter where I am or what I am doing, that is my purpose.
And that was my purpose with our children. But I wish I had done a better job.
By the way, that is the definition of a good mom. One who will point her children to God. One who will help them to understand that they need to love Him more than they even love her.
And guess what? My purpose hasn’t changed. My purpose was never to be a good mom. It was — and is — to do everything God gives me to do in a way that glorifies Him. “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” Colossians 3:17.
I may not get the Godly Mother of the Century Award, but God did use me (somehow, in spite of myself) to glorify Himself to our children. Even though we had a few bumps in the road, all five love the Lord and are raising (or about to raise) their children to love and honor Him.
And now, I get to live out my purpose with a fresh start. I get to start all over again with those precious little grandbabies of mine!
And the scripture has shown how important Godly moms and grandmas can be to a child. We can see one such example when we look at at Timothy, the Spiritual son of the Apostle Paul.
The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy saying, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” 2 Timothy 1:5.
When our children finally do leave the nest, Lois’s example should keep us from wondering, “What is my purpose now?” God shows us through her example that we are moving into a new season of purpose.
Acts:16:1 tells us that Paul’s mother was a believer but his father was not. “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.”
So this mom and grandma raised Timothy to be a strong man of God and a protégé to the Apostle Paul!
Paul credits a great portion of Timothy’s faith to his upbringing. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 says, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”. Paul tells us that Timothy’s grandma and momma taught him the scriptures from infancy.
This mom and grandma knew their purpose. It was to point Timothy (and others) to God and to raise him to love God. And they did it well.
But whether we are mothers, grandmothers, or someone who has no children or family at all, our purpose is the same. We never have to wonder, “What is my purpose now?” Because our purpose is to glorify God to whomever He puts in our lives. Whether that is a grandchild, child, husband, sibling, postman or cashier, whomever God puts in our life needs Jesus. And, by living our lives in a way that glorifies God, we point them directly to Him.
Let’s go live out our purpose!
Father God, forgive us for forgetting our purpose. Forgive us for robbing you of glory. Help us to understand more fully that those around us need a relationship with you far more than we need them to think highly of us. Be glorified in us, Father. Thank you for having a purpose and a plan for us. Please don’t let us miss one single opportunity to glorify you, Father. We love you and praise you and pray this in Jesus’s holy name.
Have you always wondered what your purpose was? God wants to show you. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior then your are missing out on the life that God created you to live! He has a purpose and a plan for you. This begins with you being adopted by God, Himself. Then, it allows for you to spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Please go to our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) and pray the prayer that is outlined there from the bottom of your heart. Because God tells us that anyone that seeks Him with their whole heart will find Him. Please pray this prayer and, once you have, reach out to me at admin@Forgiven-N-Loved.com and let me know. I’d love to be in prayer with and for you.
Luv Ya!
