Lessons from "Motherhood" posts by Rachel Jankovic - Part 2

Posted by Traci at 9:51 PM

These three posts by Rachel Jankovic on the Desiring God blog killed me. And then they brought me back to life.  I posted all three in their entirety for my records, but here’s a summary of what God is teaching me through this.  My words in bold, except when using quotes.  Unbolded is all direct quotes.  Part 2:


From Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

Motherhood is a calling.  One that the world hates, because it reminds them of sacrifice and sacrifice reminds them of…well you know who.

“Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.

You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another—and laying down your life for another represents the gospel.”

The world is literally terrified of sacrifice.  But as a Christian, I should run to it.  Sacrifice it ALL.  Let it go.  Because death to myself brings life.  Joy and fun and pleasure in my children.

“Our culture is simply afraid of death. Laying down your own life, in any way, is terrifying.

But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to the cross. To death. So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.

Death to yourself is not the end of the story. We, of all people, ought to know what follows death. The Christian life is resurrection life, life that cannot be contained by death, the kind of life that is only possible when you have been to the cross and back.

We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children.”

But I must give my life freely, in super love as Christ did.  I can’t fake loving sacrifice.  My kids will know exactly where they stand with me.  Exactly what I put ahead of them.  What I resent and hold against them.  I must lovingly put their value ahead of mine.

“The question here is not whether you are representing the gospel, it is how you are representing it. Have you given your life to your children resentfully? Do you tally every thing you do for them like a loan shark tallies debts? Or do you give them life the way God gave it to us—freely?

It isn’t enough to pretend. You might fool a few people. That person in line at the store might believe you when you plaster on a fake smile, but your children won’t. They know exactly where they stand with you. They know the things that you rate above them. They know everything you resent and hold against them. They know that you faked a cheerful answer to that lady, only to whisper threats or bark at them in the car.”

“Children know the difference between a mother who is saving face to a stranger and a mother who defends their life and their worth with her smile, her love, and her absolute loyalty.”

The most important place for me to live the gospel is in my everyday duties.  “If you tell them the gospel, but them live to yourself, they will never believe it.  Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.”

“Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.”

“Stop clinging to yourself and cling to the cross. There is more joy and more life and more laughter on the other side of death than you can possibly carry alone.”