What Does It Take to be a Mother?
No, this isn’t going to be a biology or physiology lesson, but the biology and physiology of conceiving a child really should be taught by parents to our children in the home. They need to learn that when an egg in the woman is fertilized by a sperm from a man, a child is conceived. That child will continue to grow inside the woman for approximately nine months and then be born making her the mother.
But there’s so much more to motherhood, as God intended it, than just this textbook description.
- Maturity. A woman (along with her husband) should recognize that life is sacred and a gift from God (Psalm 127:3). Until both of you are ready to accept God’s gift of a child, and the wonderful role of motherhood (and fatherhood), you should not have a child.
- Acceptance. Change is inevitable! Women (not girls) need to be prepared both mentally and emotionally to be mothers. So much changes when a child comes into the home. Those carefree days of sleeping in and eating out must be put aside for a while.
- Resilience. What you thought might be a fairly easy role turns out to be not so easy. For such a little person, babies take a lot of time and work no matter how you may be feeling. Since mothers do most of the daily care for a child, you have to be tough to navigate through all of the needs of a child.
- Teaching. One of the areas of being a mother that is sometimes overlooked early in a baby’s life is teaching. Children begin to learn as soon as they are born. If you don’t believe it, see what happens when they cry and receive your attention. They learn quickly that their cry will bring you to their side to fulfill whatever their need is. You teach them every day by the example you set for them. Teaching them about God and His word is one of the most precious times in parenting. (Eph. 6:4)
- Love. This one tops my list. You may think that all mothers love their children, but that is just not the case. If you’ve ever taught school or Bible class at church, you may have encountered children who are not loved as they should be by their mothers. They are sometimes considered a problem to deal with rather than a gift from God.
- Sacrifice. A self-centered person should think long and hard before having a child. There are things that must be given up when a child comes into your home – time, money, privacy, quiet, peace…and the list could go on and on. Be prepared to sacrifice some things when a child comes into your home.
This post isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list of everything it takes to be a mother, but simply a reminder of some qualities mothers (and fathers) should possess.
As Mother’s Day approaches each year, I tend to spend time thinking about my mother and all that she taught me. My list doesn’t cover it all, but she did exhibit the ones I’ve mentioned. I always think, “her children rise up and call her blessed” (Prov. 31:28).
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AUTHOR: Donna Faughn
