The Ministry of Motherhood

“David said, “My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced. And since the Temple to be built for the Lord must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now.” So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death.” -1 Chronicles 22:5

In many ways, we try to prepare our children. We prepare them for potty training, swimming lessons, school, sports, driving, etc. We pack lunches, teach the alphabet in song form, buy new sports gear, practice driving. We try to prepare them before sending them out into the world. With swelling hearts, we hope everything goes well for them. We hope we’ve helped or made a difference somehow. We hope, somehow, we’ve made things easier for them. We hope they are ready.

In 1 Chronicles 22, we see king David wants to build a temple for the Lord to dwell in. However, God tells David that his hands are too stained with blood and that it is instead his son Solomon who will build Him a temple. This is a great honor and task for Solomon, so David prepares him for it by gathering all the tools he’ll need. Scripture goes into great detail to show every single thing David gathers so that his son will have everything he needs for this great task.

“I have worked hard to provide materials for building the Temple of the Lord—nearly 4,000 tons of gold, 40,000 tons of silver, and so much iron and bronze that it cannot be weighed. I have also gathered timber and stone for the walls, though you may need to add more. You have a large number of skilled stonemasons and carpenters and craftsmen of every kind. You have expert goldsmiths and silversmiths and workers of bronze and iron. Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you!” -1 Chronicles 22:14-16

A Living Temple

While doing a Bible study on this chapter, it dawned on me. I realized that in the same way that David as a father prepares the way for his son to build a temple for the Lord, we as parents must prepare the way for our children to build a temple for the Lord within their hearts.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” -1 Corinthians 3:16

To give a quick bite sized recap, God once walked among His creation in the garden of Eden until Adam and Eve’s disobedience brought sin into the world. This caused a separation between God and humanity for a holy God cannot dwell amongst what is unholy. Therefore a tabernacle, later a temple, had to be built for Him to be able to commune with His people. When Jesus died on the cross for our sin, the veil of separation was torn and through faith in Jesus Christ, God’s people were once again reconciled to Him. He no longer needed a physical temple to be built. Instead, God could now dwell within us by sending His Holy Spirit to those who believe.

So how do we prepare the way for our children to build a temple for the Lord within their hearts? We prepare the way by how we raise them, setting a strong foundation in Christ from a young age. Taking our children to church and teaching them about God are good things, but often it is the way we act in the daily that teaches them the most. As parents, our actions speak volumes- often more so than our words. If you want to teach your children to pray, then pray in front of them. If you want to teach your children the power of God’s Word, then let them see you read your bible. We prepare the way by teaching them about Christ, but also by modeling for them what that looks like. When we allow the Lord to sanctify and prune us, we produce fruit- the fruit of the spirit. We can only bear fruit and grow in godliness through daily surrender, and relationship with Jesus. To raise and equip future disciples, we show them how to follow Jesus by how we glorify and honor God in our own daily lives.

The Ministry of Motherhood

So be encouraged mama. Everything you do matters. From the tiniest detail to the grand scale moments. From the mundane to the exciting. From the hard to the joyous. You are preparing them every day. God has chosen you for your child(run) and has specifically placed you in the ministry of motherhood. In each moment you give of yourself, you deposit into their future. Your role is important and purposeful. It is the greatest role you will ever have- to prepare the way for the King of Kings, for your children to build a living temple for God’s Holy Spirit.  

“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” -Proverbs 22:6