It Is Not About Me

There are many things that could be said about this video clip and Jamerill Stewart does a great job on her blog.  I am not even going to touch the lazy comments even though I could say plenty about that.  I want to talk about the comment, "Happy mom, happy baby."  That has not been my experience and I believe that comment is sinful.  Don't get me wrong I do believe that moms do need time to rest and recharge just like everyone else.  However, the idea that if  I go after all of my dreams (at the expense of my husband and children) and put my needs over my children's needs that they are just going to say I am so glad my mom is happy.  That my child is going to say "Mom it is okay that you are forgetting to nurture my needs and potential for your own happiness because that is what makes me happy, secure, and feel loved."  That is not reality.  It is not biblical. 

If we follow Jesus example he denied himself all the way to the cross then we can not adopt the philosophy of this mom.  What if Jesus had said, "I am going to spend my time on earth making myself happy.  So what if it means that sinners will not have a chance to accept me and will be doomed to spend eternity in hell."  Really what the "Happy mom, happy baby" philosophy says is I am going to live for myself and to please myself.  That is my goal in life and my child better be happy with that-- if not then that is not my problem.  If it hurts my child then so what after all life is about pleasing myself.  That is selfishness which is clearly sin. 

Life is not about me.  My role as a mom is not about me.  My role as wife is not about me.  My role as a woman is not about me.  Everything that I do is not about me-- all of it is and should be about bringing glory and honor to my Lord and Savior.  So in actuality it is all about Jesus.  I have this short time here on this earth to glorify Him and to impact this world for him.  There will be different seasons of my life where the task of bringing Him glory will require different things of me.  Right now that means being home full time with my children, homeschooling them, and supporting my husbands he builds a business.  If I stopped to think about me I would be ineffective in these roles.

Jesus says in Luke 9:23 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."  Scripture does not say for me to please myself.  Scripture clearly tells me to deny myself and take up the cross He has given to me.  So in my life right now it means to deny myself and serve my family.  When I was not yet married I was to deny myself and serve the Lord in other ways.  When my children are grown I will still deny myself and serve my husband, but there will likely be others I will serve.  There will never be a time when I live only to please myself.  The Lord does not want our lip service, he wants our hearts.  He knows that if we focus too much on ourselves that we will not give our whole heart and life to him.  So he tells us to deny ourselves and follow his plan.

As a disclaimer I am not saying that it is never God's plan for a woman to work outside her home.  That is not my judgement call to make and I did work outside my home for quite a while.  Talk to the Lord and follow his plan for you concerning this matter.  I am also not saying that a woman should not have a break either.  What I am saying is that the me-time is often taken to extreme in both directions.  One side says that a mother should never get a break at all.  The other side involves continual indulgences that are taken at the expense of the family-- not just monetary expense either (physical, emotional, etc).  It is the heart attitude.  If you are working outside the home or taking the me time because you feel you are entitled to it or you deserve it then likely your life is about you instead of to glorify the Lord.  However, on the other hand you have worn yourself out in service for the King and  you need to recharge your batteries to serve more and better than your heart is in the right place.  Take some time today to ask yourself who or what life is about.  If your answer is anything other than to glorify the Lord that your motives are out of line and you need to ask the Lord to reallign your priorities.  It is not about me.  IT IS ABOUT HIM!!!!!!