The Most Important Role

It has been said that being a mother is a high calling. We've all heard it. Many of us have even said it. But have you ever stopped to think about why motherhood is a high calling? What is it that makes the job of Mother so important?...

Travis and I were engaged to be married when we first started entertaining thoughts of one day homeschooling our children. Though it seemed even then like the right thing (for us) to do, I remember the insecurities I felt at the thought of teaching our children. I was overwhelmed by the typical questions of, "How will I know what to teach?" and "What if I'm not smart enough?"; but my concerns went even more fundamental than that. "How can I be both Mother and Teacher?..."

Since then, I have realized, of course, that I don't have to know everything about everything in order to successfully homeschool our children... and that there are awesome curricula out there which not only tell you exactly what to teach but also give... ahem... sell... you everything you need to do it (like Sonlight). These things I learned readily. It was the answer to the other question ("How can I be both Mother and Teacher?") which, although it should have been the most obvious answer, took a little longer for me to get.

Mothers are teachers! It's easy to see the role of Mother as that of Caretaker, Nurturer, Comforter, Provider, Cook, Housekeeper; but do we sometimes overlook--or simply fail to recognize--what is perhaps the most important of the many roles of Mother: that of Teacher?

Indeed, every Mother is a Teacher whether she homeschools or not. Children typically spend more time with their mothers than any other person, and from their mothers' examples--and words--they are constantly learning. What is your example teaching your children? Love or hate? Forgiveness or bitterness? Gentleness or anger? Humility or pride?... And what about your words?

Mothers have a great opportunity--and a great calling--to build into their children through words. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says,

"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."

Elizabeth George says in her book A Woman After God's Own Heart, "As mothers, you and I have countless, daily opportunities in our homes to plant God's Word deeply in the minds and souls of our children. We just need to take advantage of those opportunities" ((Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2006), 124.). Learn to look for the teachable moments you have with your children, and use them to pour the truths of God's Word into their hearts.

Indeed, mothers have a unique and powerful influence on the lives of the most impressionable of people on the earth--their children. If living and speaking--teaching--in a manner worthy of that role isn't a high calling, I don't know what is!

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