Do Good to Your Fellow Mom
Right before my second son was born, my husband had emergency back surgery. Following my c-section, neither of us could lift more than ten pounds which made things really interesting as we tried to care for a newborn and a 30-pound toddler.
I remember calling an older mom the day I found out my husband needed surgery and just weeping. How were we going do this?
My friend immediately sprang into action, rallying an entire army of moms (and a few dads) to come to our aid. They quickly signed up to cook, clean, grocery shop, and lift our toddler in and out of bed six times a day. Others wrote us notes of encouragement, sent their husbands to mow our lawn, offered up prayers, and even brought diapers. You know how they say “it takes a village?” Well this was it.
Thinking back on that season, I smile (and tear up) remembering each mom that did good to us. Some of them I knew and others I only recognized from a polite smile at church, but God knit my heart to theirs because of their kindness. That’s what God does—he uses our acts of love to bind us together in unity.¹
Mama, I know it’s hard to do good to other moms when you’re struggling to even do good to your own family, but God has called us to it. “So then, as we have opportunity,” the apostle Paul writes, “let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”² The really good news is that God equips the ones he calls. As we seek to do good to other moms, he will be faithful to give us grace, opportunities, and a great reward. He will supply us with everything we need to his will.³
Grace to Do Good
Trying to do good to other moms in our own strength is a recipe for disaster. Thankfully, God doesn’t expect us to do it alone. His word tells us that he is “able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”⁴
When Paul uses the word “grace” here, he is referring to God’s practical provision in giving us everything we need in order to do the good works he has called us to do.
I have seen this grace play out in my own life again and again. Recently, a friend mentioned at Bible study that she was really stressed and hadn’t had much time to herself. I remember thinking, “I wish I could come watch her kids, but I don’t have any time to give during this season.” The next day, God opened my eyes to a window of time I didn’t realize I had available. My oldest son is in morning preschool and my youngest still naps which means that I essentially have only one child underfoot from 9:30-11:30 each morning. I texted her that night and told her to drop her kids off the next day during that time slot. God graciously provided the time she needed to recharge by making me aware of her need and the time I had to offer.
It’s reassuring to know that we don’t have to come up with the grace on our own, isn’t it? He’ll give grace to you too, friend. It is by grace we are saved and by grace we continue to do the Father’s good work.
Opportunities to Do Good
Did you know that you were created for good works?⁵ That’s what the Bible says. And not only were you created for good works, but God has already prepared them for you!⁶
I’m guessing that God probably hasn’t prepared too many good works for the mom who is caring for little ones. He knows that she is doing a great deal of good within the walls of her own home. In fact, Galatians 6:10 comes with a big, beautiful caveat—we are to do good “as we have opportunity.”
As freeing as those words might initially sound to our ears, we would be wise not to use them as a blanket excuse. We are still called to do good, just with wisdom and discernment.
Before you check out from doing good to your fellow moms because you’re too busy, ask God to reveal any opportunities that you may have overlooked.
Are you breastfeeding ten hours a day? Doing good to another mom might look like texting her a Bible verse or a sending her a link to an encouraging podcast episode.
Are you a working mom who doesn’t have time to cook for your own family, let alone another? Maybe God wants you to order a pizza for a mom who just had surgery.
Don’t have the extra cash to buy a mom a cup of coffee? Invite her into your home and offer her a cup of kindness—a listening ear might be just what she needs as you fold your laundry.
If we ask God for opportunities to do each other good, he will give them to us at just the right time, in just the right amount, just as he has prepared them.
Reward for Doing Good
Doing good can get tiring, especially when you feel like you’re always on the giving end. For this reason, Paul cautions and encourages us, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”⁷ God knew that we might be tempted to grow weary in doing good, so he made sure to remind us of his reward. It’s a big one, friends—eternal life!⁸
We know that our good works are not the basis for our salvation. But the Bible says that when we sow to the Spirit—when we bear his fruit of love and kindness by doing good to other moms—we show that we are indeed of the Spirit.⁹ Our fruit is indicative of our life source. If we are abiding in Christ, we will no doubt produce luscious fruit. If we are looking elsewhere for our source of life, fruit will not grow.
If there is a lack of fruit in your life—if you find yourself completely unmotivated to do good to other moms—consider where you are getting your nutrients. Are you looking to the things of this world for life? Or are you looking to the True Vine, Jesus Christ?¹⁰ Only those who abide in him will reap the ultimate reward of eternal life with God.
Hearts Knit Together
How wonderful that God has chosen to care for his daughters through the ministry of fellow moms! Only our God would desire to show his love through the good works of weak and weary mothers.
This week, mama, consider the opportunities that God has (or hasn’t) prepared for you, lean on his grace, and look forward to your reward in Heaven.
May he knit our hearts together as we do each other good.
[1] Col. 3:14
[2] Gal. 6:10
[3] Heb. 13:21
[4] 2 Cor. 9:8
[5] Eph. 2:10
[6] Eph 2:10
[7] Gal. 6:9
[8] Gal. 6:8
[9] Rom. 8:14
[10] John 15:1
