Embracing the High Calling of Motherhood
Summary
Motherhood holds a unique and God-given place in the fabric of family and society. Scripture calls for mothers to be honored, and their influence is profound—both in the home and in the shaping of future generations. In a culture that often subtly undermines the value of motherhood, it is vital for Christian women to embrace and model a biblical vision of their calling, even when it means swimming against the prevailing tide of popular opinion. The role of a mother is not only strategic but also deeply spiritual, requiring courage, conviction, and a willingness to be different for the sake of her children.
Drawing from the story of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4, three essential questions are posed: Are your children okay? Is your husband okay? Are you okay? These questions serve as a spiritual diagnostic, inviting mothers to reflect on their responsibilities and relationships. For children, three tests are offered: the protection test, the presentation test, and the provision test. Protection involves not only shielding children from harm but also having the courage to make them different when necessary, even if it means saying “no” to what is popular. Yet, overprotection can be just as harmful, so wisdom and balance are needed.
The presentation test asks whether mothers have intentionally offered their children to the Lord, recognizing that every child will worship somewhere—the question is where and to whom. The provision test is not about material abundance but about the sacrificial giving of oneself, year after year, in love, care, and prayer. These acts of provision leave a legacy far more enduring than any material gift.
Attention then turns to the husband, challenging mothers to consider whether their husbands are providing protection, presenting themselves in Christlike love, and offering emotional, physical, and spiritual provision. Even when a husband is not a believer, a wife’s faithful witness can be a powerful testimony.
Finally, mothers are encouraged to examine their own hearts: Are you okay? True protection is ultimately found in the Lord. The call is to present oneself afresh to God, embracing the high calling of motherhood with humility and faith, knowing that the greatest legacy is not in worldly achievements but in the spiritual lives of one’s children.
Key Takeaways
- True protection in motherhood requires both courage and discernment. It means being willing to make hard decisions that set your children apart for their good, even when it is unpopular or misunderstood. Yet, it also means resisting the urge to overprotect, trusting God to work in your children’s lives as they encounter the world. [06:02]
- The act of presenting your children to the Lord is a deliberate and ongoing surrender. It is not a one-time event but a daily posture of entrusting your children’s hearts, futures, and identities to God, knowing that if you do not intentionally offer them to Him, the world will claim their allegiance elsewhere. [08:57]
- Provision in motherhood is measured not by material abundance but by the sacrificial giving of oneself. The small, unseen acts of love, care, and prayer—year after year—are what shape a child’s soul and leave a legacy that outlasts any earthly possession. [12:24]
- The health of a marriage profoundly impacts the atmosphere of the home. A husband’s Christlike love, protection, and provision create a foundation of security for both wife and children, while a wife’s faithful witness—even in the face of spiritual differences—can draw her husband toward the truth. [16:22]
- A mother’s own spiritual well-being is foundational to her calling. True strength, protection, and purpose are found in God alone. Presenting oneself to the Lord daily, embracing the high calling of motherhood, and finding identity in Christ rather than in cultural affirmation is the path to lasting impact and peace. [19:39]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:36] - Honoring Mothers: A Biblical Mandate
[02:01] - The Cultural Challenge to Motherhood
[03:43] - The Mother’s Day Questionnaire: Three Essential Questions
[04:44] - Are Your Children Okay? The Protection Test
[07:37] - The Presentation Test: Offering Children to the Lord
[09:35] - The Provision Test: Sacrificial Love in Action
[12:24] - Gratitude and the Legacy of Provision
[13:19] - Is Your Husband Okay? The Role of a Godly Husband
[14:26] - Protection and Presentation in Marriage
[16:22] - Provision and Emotional Support in Marriage
[18:30] - Are You Okay? A Mother’s Spiritual Health
[19:39] - Presenting Yourself to the Lord
[20:40] - The Cost and Reward of Motherhood
[21:51] - The Uniqueness of a Mother’s Love
[22:14] - Closing Encouragement and Blessing
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: The High Calling of Motherhood
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### Bible Reading
- 2 Kings 4:25-26
“When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, ‘Look, there is the Shunammite woman. Run to meet her and ask her, “Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?”’”
- 1 Samuel 1:22, 27-28
“Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, ‘After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.’ … ‘I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.’”
- Ephesians 5:25
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
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### Observation Questions
1. In 2 Kings 4:26, what three questions does Elisha’s servant ask the Shunammite woman, and why might these be important for families? [04:05]
2. According to the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1, what does it mean that she “presented” her son Samuel to the Lord? [08:11]
3. In Ephesians 5:25, what kind of love are husbands called to show their wives? How is this love described? [15:43]
4. The sermon mentions three “tests” for mothers regarding their children: protection, presentation, and provision. What does each of these mean in your own words? [04:44]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think the sermon emphasizes asking, “Are your children okay? Is your husband okay? Are you okay?” as a spiritual diagnostic for mothers? [04:25]
2. What does it look like for a mother to “present” her children to the Lord in daily life, rather than as a one-time event? [08:30]
3. The sermon warns against both under-protection and over-protection of children. What are the dangers of each, and how can a mother find the right balance? [07:10]
4. How does a husband’s Christlike love and provision impact the spiritual and emotional health of the home, according to the sermon? [16:22]
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### Application Questions
1. The sermon challenges mothers to make hard decisions that may set their children apart from others for their good, even if it’s unpopular. Can you think of a time when you had to say “no” to something for your child’s sake? How did you handle it, and what was the outcome? [06:02]
2. Overprotection can be just as harmful as under-protection. Are there areas where you might be overprotecting your children? What would it look like to trust God more in those areas? [07:10]
3. Presenting your children to the Lord is described as a daily act of surrender. What practical steps could you take this week to intentionally entrust your children to God? [08:57]
4. The sermon says that provision is not about material abundance but about sacrificial love, care, and prayer. What are some “small, unseen acts” you do (or could do) for your children that might leave a lasting legacy? [12:24]
5. For those who are married, how can you encourage your husband to be a source of Christlike love, protection, and provision? If your husband is not a believer, what does faithful witness look like in your home? [16:22]
6. The sermon asks mothers to examine their own spiritual health: “Are you okay?” What are some ways you can care for your own soul and find your identity in Christ, rather than in cultural affirmation or achievements? [19:39]
7. If you are not a mother, how can you support and honor the mothers in your life—whether in your family, church, or community? What is one specific thing you could do this week? [00:36]
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Closing Encouragement:
Take a moment to pray for the mothers in your group and for the children and families represented. Ask God for courage, wisdom, and faith to embrace the high calling of motherhood and to leave a spiritual legacy that lasts.
Devotional
Day 1: Honoring Mothers as a God-Given Calling
The Bible commands us to honor our mothers, recognizing the unique and irreplaceable role God has given them in our lives. When children listen to and obey their mothers, they bring honor and glory not only to their mothers but also to their homes and to God. In a culture that often subtly undermines the value of motherhood, it is vital for those who follow Christ to model and uphold a biblical pattern of motherhood, leading by example and showing the world the beauty and significance of this calling. [00:55]
Exodus 20:12 (ESV)
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you."
Reflection: In what specific way can you honor your mother (or a mother figure) today, whether through words, actions, or prayer, to reflect the value God places on her role?
Day 2: The Protection, Presentation, and Provision of a Godly Mother
A mother’s role is marked by her protection, presentation, and provision for her children. From the earliest days, a mother is called to protect her child, sometimes by making them different from others for their good, and to avoid both overprotection and neglect. Like Hannah, who presented Samuel to the Lord, mothers are entrusted with the privilege and responsibility of offering their children to God, shaping where and how they worship. Year by year, through acts of love and care—like making a robe for Samuel—a mother provides not just for her children’s needs but also for their spiritual growth and well-being. [11:08]
1 Samuel 1:22, 1 Samuel 2:19 (ESV)
"But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, 'As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.' ... And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice."
Reflection: What is one intentional step you can take today to spiritually nurture or protect a child in your care, even if it means making a difficult or unpopular decision?
Day 3: The Husband’s Role in Supporting and Honoring Motherhood
A husband is called to protect, present, and provide for his wife, especially as she fulfills her calling as a mother. He is to love her as Christ loves the church—purposefully, sacrificially, selflessly, and exclusively—so that she feels secure, valued, and supported. This love is demonstrated not just in words or gifts, but in daily actions, emotional presence, and faithfulness, creating a stable and loving environment for the whole family. [15:59]
Ephesians 5:25 (ESV)
"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."
Reflection: If you are a husband, how can you tangibly show sacrificial love and support to your wife today? If you are not, how can you encourage or pray for a husband or father you know to fulfill this calling?
Day 4: Presenting Yourself to the Lord in the Calling of Motherhood
Mothers are invited to present themselves to the Lord, embracing the high calling of motherhood with humility and consecration. Like Mary, who responded to God’s call with surrender, mothers can offer themselves afresh to God, trusting Him to be their ultimate protector and strength, even when the world does not recognize or applaud their sacrifices. This act of dedication is not about public recognition but about faithfully serving God in the years given to influence their children for His glory. [19:15]
Luke 1:38 (ESV)
"And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her."
Reflection: In what area of your life as a mother (or as a spiritual mother) do you need to freshly surrender to God’s will today, trusting Him with the outcome?
Day 5: The Lasting Legacy of a Mother’s Self-Giving Love
The true legacy of a mother is not found in her achievements, possessions, or societal contributions, but in the self-giving love she pours into her children. Through the daily sacrifices of childbearing, nurturing, and guiding, a mother provides herself for her children, shaping their memories and faith. The most beautiful and lasting impact comes from a mother who gives herself to the high calling of motherhood, trusting that her investment will bear fruit in the lives of her children for generations to come. [21:12]
2 Timothy 1:5 (ESV)
"I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well."
Reflection: What is one way you can intentionally invest yourself in the life of a child or young person today, so that your legacy of faith and love will endure?
Quotes
Given that the Bible has so much to say about the nature of motherhood, it's surely important that those who profess faith in Jesus Christ should lead as it were in a culture such as our own in the establishing and in the modeling of a biblical pattern of motherhood for those ladies who would be prepared to respond to that kind of challenge is to take on a task that is akin to swimming against a ten-foot swell as it comes against you in one of the major oceans of our world. [00:01:39]
It is to swim against the prevailing tide of so much that is represented as popular opinion, so much that is this morning worldly wisdom, and the consistent denigration of motherhood in our culture is that it's most effective when it is subtle rather than blatant because after all saying hi to your mom is something that every professional footballer does whenever the camera goes on him. [00:02:17]
One of the loveliest pictures of protection which Jesus was happy to use to describe of his own compassion is that of a hen with her chickens. If you think about it, mom's, you are the whole protection thing from day one, right? After all, the child is born in you. God has determined that it would be within your frame that that child would be protected from the moment of conception. [00:04:56]
And that what is pictured in those nine months of pre delivery is virtually a picture of so much that will then follow in their early years. That child is dependent upon you in a way that they are dependent upon no one else. And while the father is to provide protection overall for the family and for his wife, nevertheless it is to the mum that the challenge Falls of providing this kind of protection. [00:05:24]
There is no way in the world mums that you will be able to protect your children unless you are prepared at certain points in their lives to make them unequivocally different from every other child around. And the fear of doing that which militates in the heart of a mother may introduce terror to our children no matter how much they may demand that that may be the case. [00:06:02]
Are you prepared to determine what is in and out in terms of what goes in to their moral consciousness and is stamped in their computer images? Protection. Protection enough—a mother tough enough to say no to the potential of harm, tough enough to say yes to pursue the potential of benefit. But when I tell you about protecting them, I need to ask you this question: are you willing to protect them from overprotection? [00:06:50]
If you protect them too much, you're going to harm them rather than help them. You can't interrupt your children up in cotton wool. You cannot stash them in a wardrobe. You cannot keep them from the world. You cannot remove them from the lifestyle no matter what you endeavor to do with them. Hey mom, are your kids okay? How about the protection test? [00:07:21]
First Samuel 1 verse 22: Elkanah has gone on to make the annual sacrifice to the Lord and fulfill his vow, but Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, after the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord and He will live there always. I will take him and present him before the Lord. Can I ask you mum, have you offered your children up to the Lord? [00:08:11]
If we do not by design offer them there, we will by default offer them somewhere else. Our children will worship; the question is where will be worship, at what shrine will they worship? And to the mother falls the privilege and responsibility in large measure of determining the nature of that presentation. [00:08:57]
There is not a child on the face of the earth who ever grew up in the presence of the Lord by accident. There are very few children that I know that are so zealously keen to be involved in children's ministry and youth ministry and any kind of ministry there about as keen to be involved in that, especially if there's challenge attaches to it, as they are to visit the dentist or to attend there the summer program of math curriculum. [00:09:41]
Each year, Samuel's mother made him a little robe and took it to her. It's an interesting little detail, isn't it? I love those little details. Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him. Now, only mothers know the psyche that's involved in that creation process. That's why one of the great likes in our culture are young women who know how to knit and know how to sew. [00:11:04]
What was represented in this robe was probably far more significant than the robe itself. The robe itself would wear and go, but the love and the care and the insights and the prayers and the longings of the mother for her boy was what was represented in the creative process year by year. Many of us have a longing in our hearts—if only we could get a chance to say a few things to our mothers that we never had the chance to say. [00:11:56]
Thank you for providing my needs and only some of my wants. Thank you for not inverting it and providing my wants and only some of my needs. Hey moms, are your children okay—protected, presented, provided for? Are your kids okay? Secondly, is your husband okay? [00:12:41]
Is your husband all right? Is he protecting you from the temptation to itself despair and to failure? Is he commending you in the role that you play as a mother? What about the presentation tests? How does he present himself to you, mom? Does he present himself to you in the way that he was told to in Ephesians chapter 5—to present himself to his wife in the way that Jesus Christ presents himself to and for the church, namely purposefully, sacrificially, selflessly, and exclusively? [00:15:32]
Do you know that your husband only has eyes for you? Do you know that he is radically committed to faithfulness? Do you know that he is prepared to do what every mom needs him to do for her kids, namely love her with a passion so that those children may never ever have cause to doubt the security and stability of that home? Is your husband okay? [00:16:09]
You don't live for kisses, do you? You don't live for candy. You don't live for cards. You don't live for bouquets. If you're a godly woman, you live to see your children walk before the Lord and righteousness. That's what you live for. All of a godly woman's hopes in this world are bound up with the children of her motherhood. You will not be remembered by your kids because of the job you did in the marketplace of life. [00:19:55]
Success in the realm of mothering, it seemed to me, comes as a result of giving yourself. I don't want to be crude in any way at all, but in the process of childbearing there is a major giving of yourself. In the process of child feeding, there is a major giving of yourself. In the process of child rearing, there is a major giving of yourself. Your body will never look the same as it did, and at the end of the day the memories your children cherish will not have to do with your qualifications, your education, your societal contributions. [00:20:34]
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