EquippedMama

Guard your heart with all vigilance,

for from it are the sources of life.

Remove perverse speech from your mouth;

keep devious talk far from your lips.

Let your eyes look directly in front of you

and let your gaze look straight before you.

Make the path for your feet level,

so that all your ways may be established.

Do not turn to the right or to the left;

turn yourself away from evil.

Proverbs 4:23-27 New English Translation

Before having children, I never really understood the phrase, “Monkey see, monkey do.” But with a toddler in the house, the examples of this mantra are endless.

Take our morning routine, for example. After breakfast and a quick attempt at dishes, I bring my little girl into the bathroom to brush her teeth and put in my contacts. Whenever given the opportunity, she asks for my contact case. Although she does not need corrective lenses, she is always very happy to take the plastic container and use her little pointer finger to mimic the motion of putting the plastic discs into her eyes too! Similarly, if I am not vigilant, I often discover that the family collection of toothbrushes has been greatly diminished… often recovered discarded by tiny hands for a more entertaining toy.

Realizing how many of my actions are copied by my little one, I am reminded that my call to holiness has implications not just for my life, but also for the lives of my children. In this passage from the Proverbs, we are given several directives as to how holiness is to characterize the most basic aspects of our lives.

We are called to a pure heart.

We are commanded to holy speech.

We are to carefully protect what we see.

We are to consider the ways that we go.

The first command seems perhaps the most serious. We are told to guard our hearts “with all vigilance, for from it are the sources of life.” What is that supposed to look like? This concept of guarding seems a little foreign to those of us Mamas raised in a culture where we are encouraged to follow our hearts and do what feels good, but the Bible states repeatedly that the heart is wicked, and prone to evil.

In Luke 6:45, Jesus states that the heart impacts all areas of life and its health can be measured by the barometer of our mouths.

The good person out of the good treasury of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury produces evil, for his mouth speaks from what fills his heart.

Luke 6:45 New English Translation

Our lips are like a gas pump. If you go to the local gas station, prepay and select the green button, you should not be expecting unleaded or E-85 to come out. When we started driving a diesel truck I had to constantly remind myself that the only pump I could choose was the green one. Why? Because you can only get diesel out of a diesel pump! Similarly, Jesus says that the words we speak are barometers of the condition of our heart. We can only pump out of our mouths what fills our hearts and minds.

That is a humbling realization! When we are critical and speak condescendingly of people, that reveals our heart. When praise ourselves, that reflects our heart. When we say nasty and hurtful things, we should be reminded to do a heart-check- because just like the gas pump, we cannot expect diesel to come out of a pump that holds another liquid.

This passage in Proverbs goes on to say that our eyes should look straight in front of us and that we should make our path level. Does this list sound at all exhausting to you? It doesn’t take me more than a few minutes in the morning to fail in at least one of these areas. I selfishly pursue what I want without considering the needs of others. I say unkind things. I get distracted and sidetracked from the work I know I should do. How then is there hope for holiness as we mother?

The first step comes with humility. Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus never shied away from those whose weren’t holy. His biggest aversion seemed to be those who thought they didn’t need grace. Often Jesus’ parables reflected his heart for the lost. One such example can be found in Luke 18:10-14.

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers- or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week; I fast a tenth of everything I get.’

The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘ God be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’

I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 18:10-14 New English Translation

Holiness in our own strength is doomed to failure. However, the Lord promises to hear the prayers of those who humbly seek His face (2 Chronicles 7:14). So in humility, we must first of all recognize that we are reliant on the Lord to accomplish this task of mothering in perfect holiness.

Secondly, we must ask the Lord for the sustaining power that only he can provide! Let your cry join the Psalmist in Psalm 51 when he wrote-

Create for me a pure heart, O God! Renew a resolute spirit within me!

Do not reject me! Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me!

Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance! Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey!

Psalm 51:10-12 New English Translation

Finally, as we seek the Lord, let us check our hearts for motivation. Let us seek to be Mamas that love the Lord and live holy lives motivated by love for him, rather than guilt, fear, or perfectionism. Where wrong motivations are present, ask the Lord to help you with those. Seek the Lord out of a love for him, but also recognizing the impact your lifestyle of holiness will have on your child.

“Take Time to be Holy”

1. Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

2. Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

3. Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide;
And run not before Him, whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,
And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

4. Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
Each thought and each motive beneath His control.
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

William D. Longstaff. 1882.