Who We Are Inside

Before I had my son, last year, I spent a lot of time thinking about working mothers and my career and family and sorting out how it all would work together in my life. I know a lot of mothers, some who chose to quit work and stay home, some who chose to keep their career, and some who had no choice but to work. I've always found it interesting how many different opinions there are about who we should be.

I'm going to expand on this thought a little, so bear with me. The Bible is very clear in many passages that God knew us before we were born, and that he knows our purpose in life. He made us who we are and He knows what He intended us to be. It is different for each person. To one, He gave the gift of intercessory prayer; to another, the gift of music; and yet another, the gift of organization. But this goes further than simply spiritual gifts.

God knows what we can be and He knows the situations that we are called to. So yes, perhaps one mother is called to her career as a lawyer. And perhaps another is called to be a stay at home mom. I am all for equality and women's rights, but I think what is more important than any of our human causes is God's plan for us.

Is it a sin, then, when we do not try to be what God has called us? It doesn't only apply to working mothers, but to all Christians. If God has given a man the giftings and a call to a certain career (say, a teacher), and he left his career on the advice of others and forced himself into a mold that didn't fit, then that certainly seems like a distortion of God's will.

As Christians, it is easy to get embroiled in these petty little debates and even raze entire churches in the fallout. Whenever I think of all the different types of people in the church, with so many different callings and giftings, how can we force them all into a single man-made mold? I'm definitely glad that there is someone in our church who has a life calling of construction work; they've certainly built enough things for the church; or that someone is a nurse, it came in handy a few times; or that someone else has been trained in IT and is getting our church online. So yes, some women are very happy to stay at home for years and years and make their home the best one on the block. And if that is what God has called them to, then good for them. And if God calls another mom to her career, then He will give the grace and strength to balance it with family, since she is in His will.

So, what should you take from this somewhat rambling blog post? Simply that God has intentions for our lives and, regardless of debates and opinions, man-made causes come second to God's will. God's purpose is the highest calling on our lives, and we do ourselves and the entire community a disservice when we relegate God to the passenger seat.