What Comes First – Calling or Gifting?

Welcome to Guest Post Month at The MOB Society! Today’s post is from Gina Smith, one of our newest contributors and author of the blog Real Life Titus Two! Please welcome her!

You are a busy mom. Your days start early and, in order for you to have any “down time”, you often stay up late. You feed your children, bathe your children, change your children’s diapers, and do your children’s laundry. When (if) they nap, you’re busy cleaning the house, making or planning a meal, and sometimes even grabbing a nap for yourself. You drive your children to play groups, the library, soccer games, and friends homes.

You’re busy…but sometimes you feel frustrated because you “aren’t doing anything”!

As your life has slowly become immersed in mothering your children and keeping your home running , there can be a simmering desire to be involved in something bigger. To be out doing ministry, serving, and using your God given gifts and abilities.

Being a mom will look different from on person to the next. Some home school, while others have children who are in school. Some of our husbands work from home, while others leave for the day. Some of us have babies or toddlers, while some have older children. It changes with each season of life.

I had dreams of being married and living the kind of life my Mom did….going to Bible studies and out to lunch with friends while my kids were in school, and being there for them when they got home. But my life has been different in many ways, even though I, like my mom, am a stay at home mom. It was different because God led us to homeschool our children. That meant that the bulk of my time was spent at home. They were involved in Co-ops, sports and other activities as they got older, but much of our time was spent at home because the job of home schooling, and doing it effectively, was huge. On top of that, I had a home to keep in order.

How does a mom decide what to be involved in apart from her home and family calling? Here are some questions you can ask yourself, that will help you to evaluate your season of life, and help you to decide what might fit well into your schedule:

• Am I able to keep my home in order (not “perfect”, or “spotless”-but orderly?)
• Do I have the time to prepare nutritious meals for my family?
• When is my husband home? Am I there when he needs me? Do we have regular time alone?
• Am I able to be consistent with disciplining and training my children?
• Do I spend time with other women that encourage me in my ministry at home, or do they encourage discontentment?
• Am I finding my fulfillment and identity in “ministry opportunities” or my giftings? Do I have a hard time seeing the home as my most important ministry?
• Do I see the opportunities to minister that come to my door? Do I look for opportunities to minister as a family, or with my children, so that I am not taking much time away from them?
• How much time am I spending on the computer (blogging, facebook, etc.) and taking my attention away from those who are IN my home?

I found that the “at home mothering” season of life for me meant that some of what I might have wanted to do had to be set aside for awhile – and most of the time I really didn’t mind that. It was for a season. It was not forever. Being faithful to that calling was actually what God used to grow and prepare me for the ministry I have now that my children are grown!

Motherhood is a mission field! It is a “full time ministry.” Yes! Every morning when your feet touch the floor, you’re on the mission field! We may have to sacrifice involvement in certain interests, and the amount of time we are able to use our gifting for a very short season, to embrace the high calling of the ministry of motherhood.

Be encouraged! It is all being used to conform us, and our children, to the image of Christ, and will be used to point others to Him. It will prepare you to be most effective in the seasons ahead!

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Gina Smith has served alongside her husband at a small Christian college right outside of Washington DC for almost 20 years, where she served as the Dean of Women. Gina previously dedicated her days to serving her family, but now that her children are both grown, she   fully enjoys her calling to live life with women  in person and on-line. Gina has been a mom for 23 years and she and Brian have been married for 25 years.

You can find her at her blog: www.reallifetitustwo.com

Throughout the month of November, we want to thank you, our faithful readers, for sticking by us as we worked through the rebuild of our site. In addition to giveaways, we are also thankful to our contributor, Franchesca Cox of Small Bird Studios, for providing free printables that we can share with you. Enjoy, and thank you for your support!