Ep. 123 || Motherhood is Ministry: How to See and Serve Your Kids

Changing dirty diapers. Providing nourishing meals. Having conversations about patience and self-control. It doesn’t look like an official outreach or job position, but ministering to our kiddos is one way we serve God. In this episode, Emily and Laura share how moms can see and serve their kids. Our individual circumstances are different, but we can all look to Jesus as our perfect example for ministry in everyday life. He worked, traveled, taught, and ate with his disciples to show them what it looks like to obey and love God in all things. Mamas, let’s live a life of ministry too.

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RELATED ARTICLES, RESOURCES, AND CONTENT

Related R|M Resources:

Faithful Motherhood Series

• Ep. 107, Grace in Discipline: An Interview on Faithful Motherhood with Elyse Fitzpatrick

• Ep. 113, Trusting God with Our Children: An Interview on Faithful Motherhood with Nancy Guthrie

• Ep. 116, Leaning into Grace: An Interview on Faithful Motherhood with Debbie Martens

Discipleship and Teaching “Gospel Thinking”

• Ep. 04, Teaching Our Children About Jesus

• Ep. 12, Is Your Child’s Faith Your Responsibility?

• Ep. 29, Using Life-Giving Words With Your Children

• Ep. 51, Family Devotions in the Season of Young Children

• Ep. 57, How Discipline Helps Us Communicate the Gospel

• Ep. 76, Sally Clarkson: Nourishing & Training Up Your Children at the Table

• Ep. 82, Using Stories to Pass Along the Gospel to Your Children

• Ep. 89, Trillia Newbell: Helping Our Kids Celebrate God’s Beautifully Diverse Design

• Ep. 108, How Do I Disciple My Children?

• Ep. 111, Seasons and Rhythms: Incorporating Gospel Reminders Into Your Year

• “What Should I Teach My Children About the Bible?” Emily Jensen

• “Kitchen Table Discipleship,” Stacy Reaoch

• “Gospel Thinking: How Do We Decide Our Family Traditions?” Eric Schumacher

• “Raising Treasure Hunters,” Stephanie Grayum

• “Helping Children See Christ in Scripture,” Nana Dolce

• “Passing Along Our Heritage: Teaching the Gospel in All of Life,” Autumn Kern

Encouragement in the Ministry of Motherhood

• Ep. 18, Freedom to be the Mother God Created You to Be

• Ep. 19, A Bad Moment Doesn’t Have to Make a Bad Day: Redeem Your Day

• Ep. 30, Why You Don’t Have to Live with Mom Guilt

• Ep. 37, Working Hard at Home: Emily’s Story

• Ep. 40, To-Do Lists & How-Tos: Finding Practical Help in Motherhood

• Ep. 43, Serving Others Right Where You’re At

• Ep. 44, Raising More Than Just “Good” Kids

• Ep. 61, Prayer & Motherhood: An Interview with Valerie Woerner

• Ep. 66, Hannah Anderson: How Humility Nourishes a Weary Mom’s Soul

• Ep. 73, Ruth Chou Simons: Faithfulness & Work in the Season of Young Children

• Ep. 87, What It Means to “Preach the Gospel to Yourself”

• Ep. 105, When Motherhood Feels Too Hard

• Ep. 110, Creativity and Motherhood: An Interview with Quina Aragon

• “Five Reasons God Made You a Mother,” Abigail Dodds

• “What if Motherhood was Meant to be Hard?” Lauren Weir

• “The Kingdom of Mom,” Maggie Combs

• “A God Who Serves Mothers,” Amanda Criss

• “Gospel Hope When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough,” Christina Kposowa

• “To Mom Well is to Know Christ Well,” Dianne Jago

Intentional Motherhood

• Ep. 27, Intentional Motherhood: It’s the Little Things

• Ep. 33, Intentional Motherhood Starts at Day One

• Ep. 32, Gloria Furman: Missional Motherhood

• Ep. 46, Intentional Motherhood: Communicating Your Family’s Mission

• “Seize the Phase,” Kay Fuller

• “Where Are We Going? Leading Your Family with a Gospel-Centered Vision,” Shelly Wildman

• “Tending Your Garden,” Colleen Searcy

• “Five Ways My Mom Invested the Gospel in Me,” Jaquelle Crowe

Bible Literacy

• Ep. 15, When Quiet Times Aren’t Quiet: How Moms Make Time to Study God’s Word

• Ep. 63, Jen Wilkin: Growing in God’s Word as a Mom of Little Ones

• Ep. 79, She Reads Truth: God’s Word Everyday, In Every Season

• R|M Abide Method for Bible study

Husbands as Ministry Partners

• Ep. 28, On the Same Team: Getting on the Same Page as Parents

• Ep. 90, Unified with Your Husband: Different Styles, Same Mission

Around the Internet:

• Missional Motherhood, Gloria Furman

• The Life Giving Parent, Clay and Sally Clarkson

• Christ in the Chaos: How the Gospel Changes Motherhood, Kimm Crandall

• Parenting, Paul David Tripp

• Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Tedd Tripp

• Give Them Grace, Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson

• Glory in the Ordinary, Courtney Reissig

• Mom Enough, Desiring God

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R|M Apply Questions:

Now that we see our work in motherhood as a ministry to our children, let’s talk about how to see and serve them well. You’ll find there are a million ways to do this with a scroll on social media, a simple Google search, or even a look at the R|M website. But ministry isn’t a thing of guilt, it’s a thing of grace. God graciously invites us into his work to spread his gospel and make disciples, even in our homes. Our ministry will look different than the mom next to us, but our goal is the same: to raise children up in the ways of the Lord.

1. When you hear the word “ministry,” what comes to mind? Who ministers? What does ministry look like? Ministry simply means serving God by serving others in our spheres of influence—which for a mom includes her family. How would you describe your ministry in motherhood?

2. The first thing we need to do ministry is a relationship with God. This is how we’re equipped to serve our kiddos and how we learn to obey God. How do you grow in your relationship with God? How do you grow in godliness and gospel thinking?

3. We have hundreds of moments in a day in motherhood to decide to submit in obedience to God or to chase our own selfish desires. Can you think of an example of a moment like this in your home? What would it look to serve God in that moment?

4. We minister in two main ways: in the physical and in the spiritual. What are some practical needs you meet for your children? How does that work communicate the gospel to them? What are some specific hearts needs in your children right now? How can you communicate the gospel to them for those issues?

5. Resources are everywhere, which is a wonderful thing. But it can also leave us feeling overwhelmed by the options or guilty for not doing all of them. How does the gospel free us from “mom guilt” and allow us to use resources with joy?

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