To The Overwhelmed Mom

To all the wives and moms out there who have their hands very, very full. You will answer to Jesus for how faithful you were as a wife and a homemaker. This means that if you’re being lazy or selfish or disobedient to your husband or lacking self-control, you should repent. But it also means that you are going to be judged by what God requires of you… And not by whether or not you lived up to the standard of that one lady on Instagram.

My wife is an amazing woman. In fact, she is the most amazing woman. But she is not a superwoman. She can’t keep up with it all. Our house full of little kids is far from a showroom, and the list of things to do never ends, and sometimes she has to have a good cry. I usually do the dishes because her plate is so full. And that pun is very much intended.

I see the social media accounts and hear the stories of the ladies who seem to have endless energy – running a business, maintaining a rabbit-like birth rate, and keeping the house looking like a magazine cover. I know that some of that is just social media impression. Maybe some of it is real, and God bless them. If you can do that, but you aren’t, because your priorities and desires are out of whack, then repent and refocus on the Titus 2 assignment God has given you.

But ladies, if you’re doing your best, that is enough. Just please Jesus, and give Him all that you have to give Him, and rest in the sweet truth that His grace fills in all of the cracks. Serve your family with joy using whatever talents God gave you. If you bear fruit beyond the bare essentials of homemaking, great! But if you can’t, if that’s not who God made you to be, or where He has you right now, that is OK. Be a faithful mortal. Resting when you need to rest and being realistic with your expectations is actually part of faithfulness and obedience to Christ.

And men, let us respect and delight in our wives the way that God made them. If we don’t want them to compare us to the guy who’s making nine figures a year, we shouldn’t compare them to the looks of the childless supermodel and the “productivity” of the professional social media influencer. We need to love and lead and shepherd them simply into faithfulness- nothing less, and nothing more. And we must delight in them all the while. Can there be lazy women who need to be confronted? Absolutely. But there are also tired women who have their priorities straight and are doing their best and they just need a hug and 15 minutes without the kids… not a disgruntled husband who is upset at them because dinner is late.

Husbands… love your wives. She’s your friend and your ally and your helper. You are one flesh. You are on the same team. She is the multiplier of everything you are, even while she is also the weaker vessel. Take care of your right arm.

#GenderRoles #Manhood #Patriarchy #Womanhood