We moms constantly try to gauge how successful we are, basing our worth on everything from what kind of parties we throw for our children to how well we keep house. We also use money as a tool to measure how we’re doing. And while stay-at-home moms fall prey to this most, working mothers also fret about income. I know this may have nothing to do with greed. We simply want to give our children the best of everything. And truth be told, the older they get, the more money they need. No mom wants to be unable to provide for her children. Is that true of you?
If so, I encourage you today to get on the same page with God and refuse to allow your cash flow to become a measure of your success.Once and for all, take money out of the equation in determining your worth.
Why?
Because your home is not a bank.
Banks are in business to have lots of money. Families are in business to have lots of love. Measure your success by how much love you generate. Dole out hugs and words of affirmation. Laugh more and gripe less. Bake some cookies and pop some corn. Money cannot buy memories.
Because promotions and paychecks rarely satisfy.
Don’t assume that having a job guarantees you will be appreciated more than you are now. Your boss and colleagues may actually make your life quite miserable. And no matter how much money you earn, you will wish you earned more. Besides that, earning more via promotion means your job will be more stressful. You may actually enjoy your family less when you earn more money. Money cannot buy peace.
Because what you love most about your mom has nothing to do with money.
You don’t think less of your mom because she didn’t make more money. You treasure her sweet spirit and wisdom. You appreciate her love for God or how she uses her gifts to bless others. In light of that, rest assured your volunteer service, your gift of gardening, or your patient suffering through hardship are examples of faithfulness that your children need more than they need gadgets and Disney trips. Trust me. They will not talk about your pay grade at your funeral.
Because you have your whole life to earn money.
You can make money until the day you die. You can raise children for a mere 18 years. In the grand scheme of our lives, that’s not very long at all. So whether you are at home wondering whether to work, or at work wondering whether to come home, just remember that money can’t buy time.
Because a mother’s work is priceless
There are plenty of studies that suggest moms should earn $100,000 for all we do for our families. While it’s affirming to hear that, it’s still an attempt to monetize what has no price. In God’s economy, your devotion to your family is an investment in souls. You are not just an employee performing duties. You are representing Christ and doing Kingdom work.
Until we see motherhood as service to God, we’ll always desire tangible evidence that we are valuable. God’s word assures us that he rewards faithful women. And while money is certainly a provision from him, hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant” is far greater than coins.
A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. Proverbs 31.30-31
As the saying goes: Those who love money will never be satisfied with money, and those who love riches will never be happy with what they have. This, too, is fleeting. Ecclesiastes 5.10
For the love of money—and what it can buy—is the root of all sorts of evil. Some already have wandered away from the true faith because they craved what it had to offer; but when reaching for the prize, they found their hands and hearts pierced with many sorrows. I Timothy 6.10
Mary Butler Coleman 
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