Responsibilities Of A Christian Wife And Mother

Reliability and trustworthiness are required in the areas of motherhood and homemaking as well. Selfish and irresponsible mothers and homemakers are not all that rare; even among Christians. Many homes of yesteryear, filled with the offspring of the womb, were kept spotless and sparkling by the sort of hard working and industrious wife described by Solomon. This is not always the case today.

The reliable and responsible wife does her husband good and not harm. She supports him and builds him up. She sees the importance of her role as an encourager and supporter. She knows that of all the people in his life, her opinion is the most important to her husband. She realizes that just one hurtful and discouraging word from her can do more to tear down his confidence and destroy his ego than dozens of words from someone else. She determines to make a relationship and build a home that will be a place of encouragement and enrichment for him.

THE WIFE IS RESPONSIBLE TO REAR HER CHILDREN IN THE RIGHT WAY. The vital importance of motherhood needs no confirmation because the very existence of each of us and any progress we may have made toward physical or emotional maturity is a living testimony to the essential nature of motherhood. Most of us could personally attest to and endorse old sayings such as, "God couldn't be everywhere, so he gave us mothers". Or, "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." Or again, "Behind every great man stands a great woman." Down through the ages responsible Godly mothers have served mankind and have fulfilled God's eternal purpose for man as well. Since all good is a gift that comes down to man from the Father in heaven, these qualities could also be described as divine qualities; especially those particular characteristics that obviously emulate the divine attributes of God.

It would seem significant that God 's plan involves responsible wives who have a primary responsible in bringing up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The importance and influence of a wives role as a primary care giver and loving guide of the children God entrusts to the home cannot be overstated. Many studies have confirmed wives who take this responsibility seriously are by far the primary influence that can determine the direction of a child's life. The same studies reveal that a large percentage of this influence is exerted before the child is six years old. The mother often creates the environment and teaches the standards and values that ultimately determine a child's personality, character traits and future value judgments. Of course, this is not recent news. Someone said long ago, "Virtues are learned at mother's knee - vices at some other joint." God inspired the wise man to say, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."

History confirms the importance of responsible wives and mothers in the formative years of a child. Sir Walter Scott's mother was well educated and a lover or poetry. George Washington's mother was a pure and good woman. The mother of Patrick Henry was very eloquent of speech. John and Charles Wesley's mother was intelligent, pious and full of organizational ability. Napoleon Bonaparte's mother was energetic and full of ambition. When asked what France needed most, Napoleon replied, "Godly mothers." Lord Bryron, the great infidel and agnostic poet, had a mother who was ill-tempered, proud and violent.