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A Call to Motherhood
By Quin Kehler

Where are those days when mothers' duty was to train their girls all about homemaking? Cleaning, cooking, baking, washing and needlework. Also, help mother look after the youngsters if she were the older daughter, training to be a mother and wife someday.
But no, now we think homemaking is an old custom. Many mothers are too busy working outside the home to train their children. Instead, we give our children to someone else to educate them, such as enrolling them in public school.
One of my co-workers told me that she works because she gets bored at home, yet she has three kids! Are we forsaking the responsibility God has given us? When a mother fails to train her children, she failed to fulfill her God-given role. God gave parents the blessing and privilege to train children for Him. He said in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
To teach them diligently in all areas of life spiritually, physically, mentally and socially. Why do you think King Solomon wrote Proverbs and Ecclesiastes? He was the wisest man that lived, and God gave him that wisdom. He wanted Solomon to teach us biblical principles on the home and of life. Throughout the book of Proverbs are numerous instructions on childrearing (Prov. 1:8-9; 4:1-4; 7:1-3; 10:1; 13:1, 24; 15:5; 19:13, 18, 26-27; 20:11, 20; 22:6; 23:24-26; 29:15, 17).
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6 says. There are mothers noted in the Bible which we can glean lessons from:
Eve, along with her husband Adam, taught their sons Cain and Abel about God's law. Abel knew what sacrifice was acceptable to God. He gave Him his first offspring from his flock, and God respected it. But to Cain’s offering, He did not (Gen. 4:3-5). Abel's death by his brother was the first murder committed in the Bible. Are we doing our part in training our children about God's Word?
Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, told their son Jacob to deceive his father by disguising himself as his twin brother Esau to rob his blessing. Rebekah sinned in devising the plan. It cost her to lose Jacob as a result. He had to run away from home because of his brother's hatred towards him (Gen. 27-28). What morals are we teaching our children?Leah and Rachel, Jacob's wives, contend with one another regarding childbirth. Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, but Rachel was barren (Gen. 29:30-31). Rachel was jealous when she saw Leah could bear Jacob children (Gen. 30:1-2; 20; 35:23). She gave Jacob her handmaid to bear children for her (Gen. 30:6-8). Eventually, God opened her womb and she bore him, Joseph (Gen. 30:22, 25). I could imagine the children watching their mother’s bickering because of her discontentment. Are we setting a good example for our children to follow?
Scholars believed that Queen Bathsheba, King Solomon's mother wrote Proverbs 31 to him regarding finding the right wife. She was concerned for her son making the wrong decision. We read in the Bible, like his father King David, had many wives. They worshipped false gods and turned his heart away from God (1 Kings 11:1-7, 9, 11). What counsel will we give our children when they become older?
What kind of mother do we want to be to our children? The way we train our children today, will affect our grandchildren and great grandchildren. Let us not allow the world to dictate how we raise them.