Good Morning, Mom!

Few things can capture the heart of a busy mom like her child can.  It’s why we work so hard, isn’t it?

Love.

It’s why I was so captured, I think, by this verse in 1 Thessalonians 1 this morning:

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul was encouraging the new Believers in Thessalonica, who were suffering for their faith. He was telling them, in essence, “I’m proud of you. I’m praying for you.  I see what keeps you going.”

I love reading God’s Word!  Every morning, God shows me something new about Himself.  Sometimes, He simply reminds me that nothing I am doing is unseen.   But most of the time, reading the Bible offers encouragement. Encouragement to press on. To live a life that pleases God. To love my husband. To teach and nurture my children.

Paul too, knew the power of encouragement.  In this passage,  we find him taking the time to encourage the church there in Thessalonica.

Notice how carefully he chooses his words, starting off by telling the Thessalonians that he thanked God for them.  (Don’t you love that!?) He went on to say that he was noticing something about them: that their work was “produced by faith, their labor prompted by love (ever had a baby?), and their endurance inspired by hope.

I smiled as I read this part.

That’s like motherhood too—isn’t it?  The work of motherhood is also produced by faith.

Faith that in due season, there will be fruit.

The labor of motherhood is prompted by love.  Right from the start!

And finally, the endurance needed for the days of mothering is inspired by hope.  The hope of good things to come if we don’t give up.  The hope that as we train our children, they will walk in the truth. It’s truly a hope that is prompted by love.

Where is your endurance coming from these days?

Look to the Lord, busy mom!  His love produces faith, love and endurance.

Inspired by hope,

 

Starting in the fall of 2013: