"You're not getting anywhere, Mom," my 9-year-old son astutely observed as the treadmill on which I jogged spun endlessly. I chuckled to myself. "Yes," I answered between breaths, "but the exercise is good for my heart." Later as I reflected on my son's remark I realized how much this season of my life resembles that treadmill. The work of motherhood is tiring, endless, and often doesn't seem to be getting anywhere.
You vacuum the floors while crushed up cracker crumbs are being strewn across the living room. You clean the bathroom only to find a mess of toothpaste in the freshly scrubbed sink. You discipline and try to instruct your children, then wind up mediating the very same argument ten minutes later! Each day consists of a myriad of meals, stacks of schoolwork, heaps of household chores and limitless loads of laundry. More than just about any other endeavor, motherhood can leave us wondering: Is any of this making a difference?
In his letter to the Galatians the apostle Paul writes, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal. 6:9). Interestingly enough, the phrase translated 'lose heart' was in the ancient world used to describe the fear and weariness a mother experiences during labor. It speaks to the time before delivery when the work is hard and painful, and as yet unfinished and unrewarded.
It is easy to lose heart in these seasons when the work is always before us but never accomplished. When we're pouring out our lives in what feels like a never-ending multitude of meaningless tasks. When the majority of what we do, day in and day out, goes unseen. But this is the natural pull of our flesh—the desire for success, for applause, for measurable accomplishment. We crave the mountaintop and cringe at the valley. We court the magnificent and cower at the mundane.
The Galatians, too, were tempted to make a show in their flesh. Literally! After Paul left them, some troublesome teachers came along trying to convince the Galatian Christians that they needed to be circumcised in order to be truly saved (Gal. 5:1–2). How tempting it is to have some outward sign, some benchmark or ritual to which we can point and say, See! This justifies what I'm doing! It's important; it's quantifiable!
But the reality is that doing the most important thing spiritually often doesn't look like you're doing anything significantly. Paul says, "Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." (Gal. 6:8 NIV). Whatever we're living for—be it our own flesh or the Spirit of the Lord—will inevitably increase in size and strength. And that increase will be exponential.
You see, what we're sowing in the humble, ordinary work of motherhood is not the fruit but the seeds. What we have in our hands may look small—a bedtime story, a nutritious snack, a clean pair of socks—but over time it will yield a crop. Our ordinary labors of love become God's extraordinary means of grace, not only in the lives of our children, but in our very souls!
Motherhood teaches us the value and importance inherent in the work of the home, not just because of the people it serves, but because of the God whose heart we are reflecting—a God who cares for even the most minute details of creation (Matt. 6:26, 28). It teaches us humility as we reconcile ambitions for greatness with the role of a servant—sleepless nights, spit-up stained sweatpants and dirty toilets (Phil. 2:5–7). Motherhood teaches us how to love our neighbor, and that our neighbor is often right in front of us (Mk. 12:33).
Motherhood discovers our weaknesses that we might learn to depend on Him who is our strength (2 Cor. 12:9). We realize community is crucial and grace essential (Heb. 4:16, 10:24–25). It instructs us in the art of dying to self and trains us in the task of being faithful with the little things (Luke 9:23; Matt. 25:21). Motherhood stretches our faith and tests our obedience as we serve Christ by loving "the least of these" (Matt. 25:40). It gives us eyes to see the magnificent in the mundane.
Perhaps you find yourself in such a season right now, where the days spool on endless repeat and all your efforts yield little tangible progress. Maybe your work is exhausting, unfinished and unrewarded, and you're beginning to wonder if it makes any difference at all. May I just encourage you, from one joyfully weary momma to another? Keep running! It may not seem like you're getting anywhere, but God is working in the unseen—strengthening your faith and building your endurance. He knows the work is good for your heart and He always has your best in mind. So do not grow weary in doing good. Look ahead and trust that the harvest is coming!
O Lord, it can be so difficult to maintain focus on eternity when the dishes are piling up in the sink and the baby needs feeding and the refrigerator is growing things and the toddler is flushing toys down the toilet…but You, Jesus, are my anchor! Lift my gaze if but for a few moments; refresh my weary heart; lead me to find rest in Your loving arms. Help me remember that my work as a mother matters to You, and that You are pleased with it! May I find joy in reflecting Your heart to my family as I daily love, serve, and create order out of chaos. Amen.
Reflection Questions
- How does viewing your work as a mother in light of God’s command to love our neighbors and serve the least of these help you rediscover the meaning in motherhood?
- We may not see the full fruit of our labors for many years, but we can find encouragement in tiny shoots and little blossoms! Where do you see these marks of growth in your children? In yourself?
- What has motherhood taught you so far about who Jesus is and what He cares about?