EquippedMama

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; ² that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well. ³ Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;

⁶ Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 

Romans 16:1-4, 6

Living outside a small town in southern Texas means everything is a social event. Even taking out the trash. You might be toting the large, smelly bin to the road in boots and shorts (because it’s always shorts weather here) and receive a friendly honk by a nondescript pickup truck as you are unloading. Or perhaps the greeter at church knows you got pulled over for speeding because they recognized your name on the police scanner. Where we live, the gentlemen at the post office know that if I am collecting more than three packages I probably need help out the door because I can’t juggle children and cardboard boxes well.

We live in a friendly town, but despite the warm cultural climate, its far too easy to live life in isolation. We might attend church with other similar aged adults. Perhaps we visit with other moms during ballet class or soccer practice. But how often do we know what’s going on with the people next door?

In the end of the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul wrote a lengthy list of individuals to whom he sent his greetings. For many of these people, he greeted them because of the way that they had served the church. Noted at the beginning of the chapter is the Deaconess Pheobe, who is forever commemorated in Scripture for her usefulness to the Apostle Paul and the church. Prisca and her husband were praised for their willingness to risk personal safety for the sake of the church. Another woman, Mary, was mentioned as working hard (if you have a study Bible it might explain the text implies “to the point of exhaustion”). These women (and many other men and women also listed) were all in on the Good News of Jesus Christ, and being a Christian impacted their first-Century day planner. Their lives centered on serving and building up the body of Christ.

In the book of 1 Timothy, the Apostle Paul delineated the parameters by which a Christian widow became a benefactor of the local church. In this time before government subsidies and social security, the church was a needed welfare system of sorts, for those who were in dire straits. Paul’s requirements for qualifying widows were restrictive, to say the least.

⁹ A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, ¹⁰ having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.

1 Timothy 5:9-10

In this passage we see the picture of a woman who is involved in the life of her church. She is one who lives with an open hand, serving the Lord in whatever capacity He has given her.

As Mamas, it’s so easy to see our family as our ministry. To a degree, this is an appropriate assessment, as they are our primary ministry. After all, feeding an infant at two hour intervals, or homeschooling multiple grades, or running the endless carpool shuffle hardly leaves time to take on an additional ministry (or two or three).

However, in both these passages, we see women who served with what the Lord had already given them. The model for the “widow indeed” is one who brought up children and showed hospitality to strangers. Someone who washed saints feet. Someone who was devoted to good work.

These things can seem pretty daunting, right?

It depends on your expectations for hospitality.

Since moving to our area, one of the best examples of hospitality I have encountered is a mama of seven who lives a few miles from me. When we welcomed our fourth in the family, she was eager visit and bless me with enough to feed my children for multiple meals. Our fridge was well stocked with spaghetti, sourdough cinnamon rolls and homemade barbecue. Surely making all that food was a sacrifice, both for her time and her resources, yet she provided for me out of the overflow of her love for Jesus.

When I first moved to Texas hospitality looked like a friend inviting me over for coffee and visiting with me while she nursed her baby. As a new wife in a new city, her gift of friendship was priceless.

Its really easy for us to feel like mothering is our ministry, therefore we are precluded from serving others who don’t share our DNA, however, as Christ-followers we are encouraged to do more. We are encouraged to live life with an open hand, and be available to serve those the Lord has placed in our neighborhood, or the ranch next door. It requires intentionality and caring for the well-being of others. In a world so riddled with isolation, it is a beautiful testimony of the love of Jesus.

Front door photo by Jessica Lewis ud83eudd8b thepaintedsquare on Pexels.com