Hope and Help for the Trials of Motherhood: In Conclusion

A Father's Dominion


"Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 5:5-11)


Motherhood is hard. It is full of little daily trials - bickering children, runny noses, spilled milk, stains on a freshly-laundered shirt, fatigue. It is also often full of bigger, harder trials - Christmas Day trips to the ER, car accidents, rebellious children, severe financial stresses, breast cancer, miscarriages, deaths in the family.


But how thankful we can be that in the midst of all these trials, we serve the God who is King over the universe, Ruler of the nations, Sovereign over every detail - big and small - of our lives! How thankful we should be that we are not in control, that our good does not depend on us but rather sits on the shoulders of the Governor of all the earth.


1 Peter 5:5-11 was written to give hope and help to suffering Christians, and it is no mistake that Peter ends this passage with a doxology praising God for His dominion, His sovereignty, His eternal kingship.


It is God's kingship that informs every promise of 1 Peter 5, and it is God's kingship that should motivate us to obey every command of 1 Peter 5.


We seek to submit to those in leadership over us - both in the church and in our home - because we know that they are in those positions of leadership by the sovereign placement of God. We do not proudly trust our own understanding, but listen to their wisdom because we trust that God uses His leaders in carrying out His plans for us.


We desire to be humble in share our struggles and needs with other believers, serving them and allowing them to serve us, because we acknowledge that we are not in control; we are not the rulers of our lives. We are not proud, because the King of the Universe opposes the proud, but gives grace to those who are humble, and we desperately need the grace of our Sovereign Lord. And God has ordained to give us grace through His Body when we humbly share our lives with them.


We are content under the mighty hand of God`s kingship, because we know that in His sovereignty, He dispenses both trials and blessings to work out His good plan for our lives. We do not assert an ability to decide what is best for us, but rather joyfully entrust both our pleasant days and our excruciating days to the Mighty King of all.


We are not anxious about anything, but in everything present our requests to Him who sits on the throne, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving that He is sovereignly working all things to our good. We need not be anxious, because our lives are not under our control, but under the control of the powerful King who cares for us.


We are alert to the devil`s prowling, fully aware that he opposes the reign of our King and would like nothing better than to destroy His kingdom and people. But we have a confident alertness because we know that our King has already won the victory over Satan, and that Satan must submit to His authority. We resist the devil, firm in our faith in the Master of all things.


We are comforted by the fellowship of suffering with other believers, thankful that our caring Sovereign has not left us to manage this world and the devil on our own as individuals, but is building a kingdom of comforted sufferers who work together by His Spirit to build each other up in Christ.


We are full of hope in all circumstances because our eternal future is in the hands of the Ruler of history who has called us and promised to wipe every tear from our eyes as He restores, confirms, strengthens and establishes us in His eternal glory in Christ.


God's hope for every mother is much more than a life of enduring, grinding existence until her sad life is done and she goes to her grave. Much more! And 1 Peter 5 gives us wisdom to walk in and hope to cling to, so that we can be joy-filled, humble, confident, loving, serving mothers who glorify our God and Saviour, to whom be the dominion forever and ever. Amen!