What Biblical Motherhood Really Looks Like in Daily Life

The call to biblical motherhood is certainly being heard more in this generation than in the past several ones. Many are feeling the pull to invest their lives in their families, even if it means “losing themselves” in motherhood. But navigating that path feels so daunting. There’s not a whole lot of support. So how are we supposed to know what to do?

The best way to have direction and fulfill the call to biblical motherhood is by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead in your life. For me, that journey began long before motherhood as I learned what it meant to become a biblical woman. It all comes down to priorities. We must ask God to shape our lives according to His will and to help us pursue what He is calling us to do rather than what we want or what others expect. We have to do this on a daily basis, but we also need to look over our lives and determine how our systems align with the Lord’s will; or don’t.

Structuring your time

The nitty-gritty details of daily life may seem unimportant, but how you live each day is a direct reflection of your priorities. We have to make time for what matters. Here are some typical things that we need to account for on a daily basis:

• Making meals
• Cleaning
• Playing/interacting with your children
• Spending time with your husband
• Personal care
• Prayer and Bible study
• Planning and preparation

Anything outside of that is just icing on top. We need to get our homes in order and we need to have a plan to do it. It’s a lot, but we don’t really have any excuses. Any time I find myself trying to make excuses I just look at my screen time. Ouch. Previous generations of women didn’t have that distraction, and they also had a lot less modern conveniences to make homemaking easier. So, we need to spend some time figuring out how to make these priorities a reality. Check out my post on making a schedule as a stay-at-home mom if you need help with this.

Discipling your kids

As stay at home moms, caring for our children is obviously at the top of our lists. But keeping that priority in check was a big learning curve for me. In a productivity-driven society, I found slowing down and spending time with my kids really difficult at first. I am certainly an advocate for independent play, but we do have to adjust our expectations of what we can get done with kids in tow.

The biggest eye opener for me was when I started thinking about what kind of childhood I wanted my kids to grow up in. That changed my whole perspective. Because while yes, I want to teach them to work hard and I don’t want my life to completely stop and become all about my kids, I also want everyone to be together and enjoy each other while we’re doing that work. You can invite your kids along for the ride, or you can drag them along. If you’re a parent, you know the difference immediately.

So think over the last few days. How have things gone? What’s been your first priority? Has it primarily been about your task list or about building a family culture? No shame. I’ve been in low places with this. Just be honest with yourself. That’s the first step to making change and embracing biblical motherhood as a daily calling rather than simply checking off responsibilities.

Taking care of yourself

Sometimes it feels like modern motherhood presents us with two extremes: the “hot mess” mom who is barely surviving and the “boss babe” who is primarily focused on personal achievement. In reality, most of us are somewhere in the middle, trying to care well for our families while also stewarding our own health and well-being. But let’s talk about what taking care of yourself should look like for moms trying to stay in that middle ground.

Sleep, diet, and exercise have to be prioritized. It kind of goes without saying, but in many homes it’s not practically implemented. It wasn’t for me. In my second pregnancy I surrendered to my fatigue and decided working out just wasn’t in the cards for me. I didn’t even make time to go on walks on a regular basis. After that pregnancy I felt worse than I ever had, weaker than I ever had, and was my all-time heaviest. Physically I was struggling, but many of the deeper battles were actually rooted in anxiety and a lack of peace.

So choose your hard. It is a biblical command that we steward our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit! What a responsibility! It doesn’t have to be all or nothing either. We can only do what we can do. So start with something small. A small change, and it’ll compound once you see the effects, I promise.

Reaching outside the Home

Now up to this point you may be thinking that all we should ever do is focus on our families. But that is far from the calling as a biblical woman and homemaker. Our homes should be solid. Well managed and functioning smoothly. After that, we should be reaching out as witnesses to the rest of the world.

So often I see the inverse of this being the model in our society. We are pouring out to the rest of the world, divided as a family, never participating in anything together. What does that lead to? By and large a minimal impact per individual and a disjointed family. If you’re always doing everything separately, how can you be strong as a family?

I believe we need to be family centered and then use that strength to reach outwards. As a mother, that means building a community. There’s a buzzword! Community is so important. Whether it’s extended family, church family, or even local members of your town, being in community with other believers is crucial. Beyond that, being a part of groups where you are the only believer and can make an impact is important too!

Schedule some playdates, get to your local library, call your mom! We should be focused on building and raising our families, but it should also be a priority to influence and be a part of other communities as well.

Submitting to your husband’s authority

Ugh. Submission. It’s such a gross word in our culture. The sad reality is that many women who fail to submit to their authorities lack the peace that comes with NOT being in charge! If I never had to make another hard decision for the rest of my life, that would totally be okay with me. I don’t mind being the one that sits on the sidelines in that department. Sure, it requires sacrifice of my own wants sometimes, but for the most part it helps me just to rest. There are so many little decisions and tasks to do as a wife and mother, I’m grateful that the burden of final responsibility doesn’t rest entirely on my shoulders.

So what’s the point of submission? Just to have an easy ride? Absolutely not! Submission helps your family function as a powerhouse because everyone is on the same page! The family mission is singular and it’s focused. You don’t have to wonder what the goals are because everyone is striving for the same thing.

Another aspect of submitting to your husband is respecting him. One practical way I remind myself to respect my husband is by asking whether I would speak to him with the same courtesy and consideration that I would show someone I respected professionally. So how would I treat a boss? Would I complain a lot? Would I ignore him or appear inconvenienced when he asked for something? No. I would try my absolute best to impress him. Now obviously my husband is more compassionate and won’t fire me if I do a bad job. He’s also not ONLY a boss to me. I’m not just taking orders from him. But to support him well I have to do a good job at being the homemaker of his house.

Just think about it. It sounds harsh, but it really does make sense in most marriages. Of course, biblical submission is never a license for sin, abuse, or neglect, nor does it eliminate a wife’s wisdom, counsel, and influence.

Mark 3:25: “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand”

Final thoughts

By no means do I have all of this figured out, but striving to incorporate these principles into my life as a Christian wife and mother has made a tremendous difference. Ordering my days well and taking care of myself allows me to better serve my family. Focusing my efforts on discipling my children and being the respectful, submissive wife God has called me to be helps cultivate peace and unity in our home. Then, reaching outside the home takes that spiritual work and allows it to become a testimony to others, just as God calls us to do. We won’t do any of this perfectly, but by God’s grace we can strive for biblical motherhood in our homes.