The purpose of our motherhood is ultimately rooted in God and his good design. It’s not about us; It’s about him. When women created in God’s image, we exist to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Then, by believing and confessing the gospel or “good news” that Jesus Christ came to save sinners through his life, death and resurrection, we are made new.
This gospel story has canceled our entire ministry at Risen Motherhood. Knowing Christ changes everything about who we are and how we live. It is not just a moment in history in which Jesus hung on a Roman cross; It contains a story that we are invited to be part of, and it gives us the answers to our deepest desires and questions. While the Gospel forces us to look at Christ, we learn who we really are, who we need and who we should be. We are starting to understand our past and look forward to our future. We discover where we live, hope, help, joy, peace, peace, love, comfort, strength, and much more. We find answers to our questions. Our identities are secured, so that whatever happens to us or how we stumble, we are safely tied to Christ, all the way until we reach home.
A lot can be said about this – we have already written a whole book about it, and we are going to unpack it more in this one! But for now, this is what we want you to know: God does have a person He wants you to models your life, and that person is His Son, Jesus Christ. God does not give you a formula or a precise point-for-point, product-by-product guide for every minute decision in motherhood, but he gives you his word, with all the instructions you need to know to walk through your motherhood wisely
travel. God does not leave you behind to sort everything out alone. He gives you his spirit (and the church) to strengthen, help and guide you along the way.
So you want to know what kind of mother to be? A Gospel Mother.4 We will explore this concept more in the entire book, but in case you need a little convincingly in advance, we hope you see that this kind of mother is full of joy and freedom.
A gospel mother …
Gets a new heart and a new nature with the righteousness of Christ. You do well not to earn anything, but because the good has been done for you and you know that you are able to follow and obey God’s orders.
Knows her mission and goal. Regardless of your earthly praise, you lead a life that is sold out for Christ, his goodness to the world around you and the reason for the hope you have.
Lives free from the punishment of sin but is still struggling with his strength. You will not be perfect, and you will struggle with this tension of a sin nature until you reach the coast of heaven. You know that God is in redemption – nothing is too far away or a pity for him to redeem.
Understands the reality of a broken earth and the hardships of the life east of Eden. You know that suffering and sorrow will be constant companions during your days on earth, and you do not expect life to always be easy.
Lives free of fault of mother. Because there is no conviction for those who are in Christ and your sins are paid in full, you do not have to suffer from the suffocating weight of courageous guilt. If you are struggling, you can dig under the surface and discover whether you experience real conviction of the
Holy Spirit or conviction if you do not meet the ideals of your own or culture.
Verheugt because nothing can separate her from the love of God. If you fail, you can tell God, repent and continue to trust Him. He is not angry with you or disappointed. He loves you more than you can ever imagine. You know that God promises to help you through the guidance of His Word and His Spirit and other people around you.
It acknowledges that the fight against the world, the flesh and the devil is – not other mothers. You know that the struggle is not really about methods, ideas or opinions about motherhood, but instead against the spiritual forces of evil. You know who the true enemy is, and you stand your ground.
Runs in freedom of fear. Although you know that there are many things that you could fear in this life, you ultimately only fear the Lord and you believe he is in control of all things. You rest safely that it is not up to you to control or protect any variable against all damage.
Trust God to keep growing and changing her. You know that you are sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit, who lives and is active in you, your day after day grows in the parable of Christ.
Set her view of eternity and the glory that waits. You do not live for the immediate rewards of today in your marriage or children, your bank account or your circumstances. Your gaze has been set on the person and the work of Christ and what is important forever. You live with hope and a future.
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[4] 4 When people use the word gospel, they can mean different things. For the purpose of this book and how we frame motherhood, we use the word gospel to represent the metanarrative of God’s redemption story by Christ for his people. The story of the good news of Jesus Christ is all -embracing and it also influences all life. The big story of redemption is the story that informs all our other roles and decisions. The Mnemonic CFRC (Creation, Fall, Redemption, CummMation) is the tool that we use to help ourselves and other mothers to remember the points at a high level of this story, so that we can consider how they apply faster. We were not the originators of this idea – it is often used in church history in different traditions. Over the years, we have learned a wide range of Christian authors and theologians, because we have developed our thinking about how CFRC cooperates with our unique circumstances, personal conscience and heart motivations.
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GospelThrough Emily A. Jensen and Laura WiflerShow mothers how they can navigate their daily decisions and current circumstances through a biblical lens, and experience the freedom and trust in whom God has made them.
While friends, co-mothers and expert guides, Emily and Laura, walk through the practices and think about how you can rest in the grace of Christ, peace and insurance in your motherhood.
Read more about the book and how you can buy here.