Mission of Motherhood, Chapter One - Jul. 6, 2005

Question 1.

Psalm 127:1Psa 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.

What, according to this verse, is the secret to the success of a godly family?

According to this verse, the Lord building the house is the secret to the success. OK, what does success mean?

Success: 1. The favorable or prosperous termination of any thing attempted; a termination which answers the purpose intended; properly in a good sense, but often in a bad sense.

I wonder if there is ever a termination of a godly family? At what point does it come to an end and we say our job is done and we can rank it as successful or unsuccessful. I think I understand what Sally is trying to get at with this question. We have to know that we don’t build the house. Of course, here the word house implies the family. We don’t build the godly family. We can’t produce the fruit of the spirit in our children. We cannot make them have love, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. We can make it appear that they have those things but the authentic manifestation of the fruit comes through the work of the Spirit.

I have to caution myself not to define success in my own mind. I had an idea of what success would look like and what it involved was external, the appearance of godliness. God does not look on the outward but on the heart. I want the measurable things to be of the heart.

What will happen to the work of the house building if parents are not following God's path?

I am so sensitive to a works theology that this question does make me a bit nervous. I have read all of the Clarkson’s books and I know that they don’t advocate a formula style of parenting … that if you do this you do a., b., and c., you will have a Godly family. But my first impression of that question leads me there, to that desire to go back to Egypt … what if it were true, what if I could just do something to make my children be godly children. I cannot go back there. It is not true. So, what then? Follow God’s path.

Our church is watching a series of dvds on Sunday mornings called nooma. The first Sunday was titled "dust". Rob Bell talked about the education of the Jewish children. How they all learned the torah by age 10. Then some of those went on to learn all of the scripture. Then the best of those went on to another level of education and then the best of the best of the best, would become the disciple of a rabbi. They would go to the rabbi and ask to be his disciple and he would fire questions at the candidate to determine if he was truly good enough. Only the best of the best made it this far, the rest went back and learned the family trade. Once the rabbi determined that the candidate was indeed good enough to make the cut, he would say, "Come, follow me." The disciple would then follow in the footsteps of his rabbi, emulating everything that the rabbi did and said. He would walk so closely behind the rabbi, that the dust that the rabbi’s feet would kick up would cover the disciple. Thus the Jewish saying, "may you be covered with the dust of your rabbi"

Jesus called his disciples, "come follow me" They weren’t the best of the best. They were working in the family trade. But Jesus called them to be His disciples. He calls me to be His disciple.

And am I walking so closely in His path, so closely behind Jesus, that I am covered in the dust of my rabbi? Am I emulating Him? Modeling my life after Him ... His compassion, His mercy, His wisdom, His grace, His love, His understanding. If so will my children be likely to follow me there as well.

That is what I believe it means to be on God’s path. If I am not following my rabbi, then there is no direction for my children to follow. It will be an aimless, pointless journey.

 

-- Cynthia

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