Q: I am a young mother with four children under 10 years old. My friends at church criticize me because I do not work outside the home or attend their women’s Bible studies and help with their various ministries. They tell me I should be working as they do. I do try to be available to my neighbors when they are in need but feel that my first responsibility is to my children. Am I wrong by declining other opportunities for service?
A: Alan Redpath, the great preacher and pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, had a plaque on the wall of his study that said, “Beware of the barrenness of a busy life.” Many people see their activities as the most important and are offended when others will not come alongside to help. People should be cautious about insisting that their calling is someone else’s calling. It takes strength not to succumb to peer pressure. We must all listen to what God is “calling” us to do and not mistake His voice for someone else’s.
Mothers have enormous responsibilities in caring for their families. The Bible has a lot to say about the hearts of godly mothers. A “mother tenderly cares for her own children” (1 Thessalonians 2:7, NASB).
Everyone is responsible for their own decisions in life and they have the opportunity to instill in their children a sense of responsibility. Mothers can greatly influence children’s attitudes—good or bad. They can help build character in their children. Most mothers will admit that motherhood is a full-time job. The influence of a mother upon the lives of her children cannot be measured. They know and absorb her example and attitudes when it comes to questions of honesty, temperance, kindness and integrity. “Her children rise up and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:28)
Q: My family and I are believers privileged to move from India to the USA legally. We are proud to have completed the process of obtaining American citizenship after having experienced persecution for our faith in God. But we have been stunned to see what prosperity can do to people, even Christians. Do most citizens—even the less fortunate—understand how blessed they are to live in this prosperous nation?
A:Materialism may do what an enemy could never achieve—materialism robs a nation of its spiritual strength. Many, particularly in the younger generations, do not know the hardships of the early beginnings; the battles for freedom, the sacrifices made for future generations.
America has probably been the most successful experiment in history. The American Dream was a glorious attempt. Its success was because it was built on the faith of our forefathers who believe in Almighty God to guide them. The early concepts of America came from Holy Scripture—and the Lord blessed us because of it.
But we have gone a long way down the wrong road, and if we do not turn back to Him, Americans will learn all about persecution.
There is no doubt that when a nation ceases to fulfill the function God intends, that nation comes to an end. Monstrous new ideas that could easily destroy our freedoms are rushing onto the scene. A terrifying spiritual and moral tide of evil has already loosed us from our spiritual moorings.
Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has done. Out of pain and problems have come the sweetest songs, the most beautiful poems and the most gripping stories. We must pray that God will turn our hearts back to Him.
