Motherhood is a high calling, a noble undertaking, arguably, the most important job in the world. Today I’m talking about a trend I’ve noticed on social media and mom blogs recently that concerns me. I want you to know how moms are important and why.

Moms have the most important job in the world. 

C.S. Lewis said, “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.”

I’ve noticed a trend on social media and mom blogs recently that concerns me. What I’m about to say is not going to be the popular sentiment, but this morning I felt convicted to speak up. But first a little bit about me: I’m a mom of five. I had my first child at the age of 15. And my kids range in ages: 30, 26, 24, 20, and almost 18. 

I remember as a very young mom feeling frustrated a lot. My son was strong willed and in my mind, a very difficult child. I read a lot of books about strong willed children and how to deal with them. 

Moms are Important

Motherhood is hard. But it’s also the most rewarding job you will ever be blessed to have. It requires patience and understanding. It demands you to rise above your own self and put others first. 

I’ve shared this thought before, and it’s still so very true: The real key to patience is valuing the other person so much that nothing is more important than your relationship. 

Your kids need you to be patient. 

“Love is patient and kind…” 1 Corinthians 13:4

I’ve read a lot of posts recently about moms losing their cool and “being a jerk” to their kids that end with the words: “I’m still a good mom.” or “You’re still a good mom.”

I don’t want this to come across as harsh, hard, or even judgemental, but being a jerk to your kids is not being a good mom. 

Do good moms have bad days? Yes. No mom is perfect. I have more than my fair share of regrets. But let’s not placate our egos by suggesting that being anything less than kind and loving is okay. The reality is: being a jerk to your kids is sinful.

The Bible calls us to come out of sin – not to accept it as okay. 

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:8,9

I’ve been a mom for 30 years and a writer / blogger for 20 years. Writing words that have reached millions of women over those 20 years, is not something I take lightly. I want the words I write to do two things: encourage and point people to God’s Word. 

Motherhood is a high calling. 

As a mother you are raising the next generation of children who will change the world for better or worse. Being rude to your kids and blaming it on a bad day isn’t okay. 

God isn’t calling you to stay in your place of selfishness. He’s calling you to do better today than you did yesterday. 

Everyone has a bad day every once in a while. But those bad days should be few and far between. And when you have a bad day, you need to ask forgiveness. Your kids need to hear you say you’re sorry. They need you to show them by your actions that you need Jesus and that you depend on Him when you are having a bad day.

They don’t need you flying off the handle, speaking rudely, being harsh, or being impatient. 

Author Pam Leo wrote, “Let’s raise children who won’t have to recover from their childhoods.” 

And Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

Motherhood requires sacrifice. It requires sacrificial love. It requires you to lay down your life for your family on a daily basis. 

I feel like I need to put in a disclaimer here: I’m not suggesting that you never take care of your own needs. You do need to take care of yourself. Get dressed. Take a shower. Eat healthy meals. Get a babysitter if you feel like you need a break. Ask for help if you are overwhelmed. 

But the truth is, motherhood requires sacrifice. 

Most moms love their kids with a fierce love – the kind of love that would cause her to jump in front of a speeding train to save her child. But the real test of love is often not in the grand moments of time. The real test of love is demonstrated in the daily sacrifice of time. A kind word. A sincere smile. A warm meal. A tidy space. Moments in time when you choose to smile and say an encouraging word even when you’re tired or stressed.

I had a wonderful mom. She was loving and gentle. She spoke in kind words. She woke up everyday with a cheerful attitude. She made life more pleasant. 

Life is hard. Kids learn that fact from an early age. Life can be brutal. 

But mothers can offer their children something the world does not: a gentle place to land. 

Your kids love you when you have a good day and they will love you when you have a bad day. And everyone has bad days. But don’t use that as an excuse. 

Words spoken can never be taken back. And despite the nursery rhyme, words wound and they can wound deeply. Be careful with your words. Be careful with your tone of voice. Think before you speak. Take a deep breath and pray before you yell or lose your cool. 

You will never regret showing mercy. You will never regret being loving. You will never regret the words you didn’t say in anger. 

My desire is to elevate the role of motherhood in this day and age when self is valued more than sacrifice. Moms, you are so very valuable!