By Rikki Beth Poindexter
***This blog is a continuation of last week’s blog. Make sure to go back and read part I if you have not yet.***
8. This biblical mother is not lazy.
Our great example of wife and mother in the Scriptures is the Proverbs 31 lady. Reading about her makes me tired. Hardworking is a trait of a biblical mother.
Am I a lazy mother or a hardworking one?
9. The biblical mother is consistent and balanced.
These traits make her dependable. She is consistent with her walk with the Lord. Consistent in her child training and discipline. Consistent in work and housekeeping. Consistent in teaching her kids and making sure they are learning. The biblical mother is not hot and cold, on and off, sweet and sour. She is ever-constant. Everyone in the house can count on her because of that. Many people depended on the Proverbs 31 lady. She is biblical!
Am I a consistent mother?
10. The biblical mother adapts to the changes of her kids.
As they grow, their needs change. They change. Parenting styles change as the kids age. If you have multiple kids, they are all different, and she understands that. All of the children are treated equally, but everything isn’t fair. Life isn’t fair. She teaches that. Older kids earn responsibilities and freedoms. All the kids in her home may not get a job at 18 years old or they may not all get their driver’s license at 16 years old. She can navigate these changes and seasons with the wisdom of her husband.
I would like to add that I do know some godly, biblical mothers who have raised godly kids with heathen husbands - dads who weren’t on board. Thank goodness the kids got saved young, and God worked things in their hearts so when dad fought against mom, the child knew what was right and made the right decision at a young age. It was in the child’s heart!! II Timothy 3:15, “ And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” You can be a biblical mother without biblical help from your husband if he isn’t saved or right with the Lord! I’ve personally been able to witness this in a family. Thank God for that! Timothy in the Bible had two godly women as his example! They passed their faith down to him (II Timothy 1:5).
Am I adapting to the changes in my kids’ lives?
11. The biblical mother is raising her kids to be able to one day leave her home.
Because she has kept her husband as the first priority, she is not afraid for her kids to get married and leave the home, leaving her with a man she doesn’t know. Our children are not created to always need their parents the way they do as young children. There will come a time in their life when they will desire marriage. It is supposed to be this way.
Genesis 2:24, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Proverbs 18:22, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” At this writing, I am 23 days away from our first child’s wedding and then she will move 4 hours away. This is the way it is supposed to be. I am thrilled for the couple!
A biblical mother also teaches those kids how to be able to live in the world but not be like the world. She models this in her life and has taught them from Scripture how to do this. She has not been conformed to the world. “Our babies are precious, but very early they begin to show signs of the sinful self-will they have inherited from Adam through us. Their nature is to rebel against authority (otherwise known as Mommy and Daddy). Only by God’s redeeming, sustaining grace, and years of PATIENT TRAINING can we grown-up sinners raise our adorable little sinners to love and obey their Creator” (“The Role of a Lifetime” by Claudia Barba).
Am I preparing my kids for the day they will not need me and leave my home?
12. The biblical mother’s kids, primarily the young ones still in the home, will be different from the rest.
They will be different because of the amount of time that is invested in them by their mother. They will have great biblical knowledge because she knows the importance of teaching them the Scriptures and has done it! II Timothy 3:15, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Her children are well-behaved (not perfect), but they will definitely stand out in this day of children left to themselves and not trained. They are respectful and have manners. She has taught and trained them. She has been consistent. Proverbs 29:15, “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”
How are my kids? Are they behaved and respectful?
Whew….the attack that is on the home and life of the lady striving to be biblical is great! She will have to purpose in her heart regularly and fight the distractions and the fiery darts that are aimed at her. She will have to remind herself what she is doing and why she is doing it. She will have to be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that her reward is coming (I Corinthians 15:58)! She is a great threat to the enemy.
Will you be a biblical mom? Will your kids rise up, will they call you blessed (Proverbs 31:28) because you are a faithful, biblical mother? Not just because they know the Scriptures and understand about honoring their parents, but will they rise up to call you blessed and REALLY mean it because you are a biblical mother? I pray to God I am. I pray He will help me in the areas I need improvement