Paul describes his life as a disciple in II Corinthians 6: 4-10. As I read this the other day it sounded a lot like a mother’s life. I’ll write it out here with the motherly equivalents in parentheses.
“as servants of God (mothers) we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance (day in and day out), in trouble (children misbehaving), in hardships (money won’t stretch far enough) and distress (layoffs, sickness, house/car repairs); in beatings (feeling beaten, defeated and overwhelmed), imprisonment (trapped at home), and riots (sibling fighting); in hard work (always more, never ending), sleepless nights (infants, teething, sickness, night frights,…) and hunger (hard to get a bite while helping everyone else);
(Here is the part we all desire to be like) in purity, understanding, patience, and kindness, in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love, in truthful speech and in the power of God, with weapons of righteousness (God’s Word) in the right hand and in the left;
(Now here is more we can relate to.) through glory (husband and children thanking you), and dishonor (world, even friends and family, calling your passion a waste); bad report (tough day, ex: Jr. hit Sissy), and good report (smooth day, ex: Jr. protected Sissy); genuine (fulfilled), yet regarded as imposters (told there is more to life); known (we are family), yet regarded as unknown (children ignore you in public); dying (to self), yet we live on (give more); beaten (feeling defeated), yet not killed (will not give up); sorrowful (many tears), yet always rejoicing (in God’s good gifts); poor (literally), but making many rich (all those children); having nothing (of my own goodness or wisdom), yet possessing everything” (God’s greatness and wisdom)
So the next time you are hit with the thought that God could use you more somewhere out there, remember you are already living the life of a full-time disciple of Christ!!