(Editor’s Note: This is the last post in a series on discipleship and young mothers. If you missed the first three posts be sure to check out Part 1: Discipleship is for Young Moms, Too and Part 2: No Time to Disciple Other Women? No Problem! and Part 3: No Sufficiency to Disciple Other Women? No Problem!)
by Melanie Yong
Every morning when I go to brush my teeth, my two-year old climbs up to the counter and watches intensely for bubbles to appear out of my mouth.
She even wants to help me brush and make the bubbles come. Then without fail whenever I brush her teeth she joyfully exclaims, “Bu-bo coming?!”
Our children watch what we do. And often they want to join us. As I’ve been thinking about objections to discipling as a young mother, this one may be another.
Objection #3:
My children are my priority.
I can’t divide my time.
Precisely because they are learning about life by watching, don’t we want our children to see us caring for and investing in other people?
We want them to know that our relationship with our husband is a priority because God prioritizes marriage in his word.
Likewise, when I have a younger lady into my home – when my children see us discussing a book, opening Scripture or praying together or talking about Jesus while we cut up veggies - what a marvelous opportunity it is to show them that the body of Christ is intimately involved in each other’s life.
This is another priority God places on the church: the fellowship of believers. My children get to learn that Mommy talks to lots of people about Jesus. She talks to me and she talks to Auntie Jessica. And Auntie Kate. Lord willing, in their minds, it is a normal and important thing for Jesus to be a part of every day conversations. It is a normal and important thing for people from church to be coming to their home and involved in Mommy’s life.
My bubble-loving two-year-old has surprised me on more than one occasion.
As I get ready to pray with a lady, I will ask the kids to play quietly so we can pray. More than once, she has toddled over to me and said, “I pay too.” And she’ll climb up in my lap and ceremonially cover her eyes, sit still, and wait quietly while we pray.
Our children are watching and learning more than we know. Modeling discipleship to your children in this way is not a forsaking of them as your priority.
Father God, I pray You would use these moments to show my children the implications of the gospel lived out. I pray that my kids will catch a vision for how following Christ involves my giving my attention to other people for the sake of gospel growth. I pray they will see the body of Christ building itself up in love (Eph. 4:16).
Wisdom in all things
There is no doubt that young mommyhood is a tiring, if not exhausting, season of life. We need God’s wisdom to decide how to spend our waking moments.
And sometimes wisdom requires us to say “No” to an extra relationship at this time. But let us also not excuse ourselves from ministering to the saints because of the busyness of this season. Let us rather run this race with others and rejoice that we can fall into bed exhausted each night because we have given ourselves for others, emulating our Savior in how he has given himself for us.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Melanie is from California. She’s married to Jeremy, who is a pastor in the Golden State. Together they’re raising three photogenic children (Miah, Ellie and Bethan) with another on the way. Mel’s welcoming smile is indicative of her joyful hospitality. Mel is crazy about seafood, but she finds particular delight in meditating on God’s word as it applies to discipling her children.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Good insights and encouragement here, Mel!
My two kids are now young adults, and we’ve seen how our examples at Bible study and helping others have affected them. Still, I have to say that in all of this it’s the work of the Holy Spirit that has borne fruit. God is amazing in how he blesses his people and their families!
Tim
Thanks, Melanie! I think God prompted me to read this today. I’ve been praying through my priorities with two under two and I really appreciate your insight on the way my little girls need to see me discipling other women.
This is encouraging and convicting at the same time. I think that it’s easy just say “I’m too busy to disciple and my first priority needs to be my family” and then miss out on these opportunities to model dicipling before the kids. They will need to see my obedience to the great commission to “go and make disciples” before I start repeating this command to them. Kids remember what you do more than what you say.
I reposted this article to Athenians, the Christian news aggregator. To join in the discussion surrounding it, go to http://www.athenians.info/stories/a-busy-mommy-can-also-be-a-discipler