Recently I have come across the phrase the "holy call of motherhood" a lot and it has really made me dig deeper to try and find the basis of this phrase. I've also seen the phrase that being a mom is "the highest call" of a woman. Again I ask, really?!? What about single women? What about those who thought they were going to be moms because they had never felt so sure of anything else in their lives (besides being a wife), but it is physically impossible? And what about those who feel God calling them to be complete as two (just husband and wife, fully complete)? I realize that I am viewing this world through the lenses of IF. I get that. But I am really trying to figure out where these phrases are in the Bible, and upon my searching so far I still haven't found any evidence that motherhood is either of these.
As a result of talking about this with some fellow sister's in Christ (both moms and non-moms), I've come to the conclusion, and it has also confirmed my original thinking, that this phrase and concept just doesn't exist in God's Word. There is no one call that is holier than another since we are all created in Christ's image and no one person is better than another, or holier than another, or has a higher calling than another. There really is no reason for anyone to exalt their role in life over that of anothers.
One of the women I was talking to about this pointed out the fact that many women are mentioned in the Bible who, to our knowledge, did not have children. If these women did have children, given the time period and culture, they most likely would have been mentioned. A few of these likely childless women who answered God's call upon their lives are: Esther, Deborah, Priscilla, and Mary & Martha.
While doing some research, I came across this list that I think is both very intriguing and encouraging as a woman seeking to find meaning in a life that does not involve motherhood at the moment and who does not know if it ever will.
In conclusion, it is clear for me to see that my call as a Christian woman, whether or not I am someone's mom, is to obey God and He will use me to His glory.
1 comment:
I love this post, Kristine. I have thought about it often over this last week. I think it can be so easy to get down on ourselves, think that we are "less than." I think that a lot of this idolizing of mothers has come in opposition to the "world's" views that women can do everything perfectly, but some of it comes from women who are just insecure in their own role, so they must boast about their importance. They don't do it to drive knives through our hearts, but it inevitably does.
Anyway, thanks for this post. I really loved it.
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