Servant or Superwoman?

Servant or Superwoman, which would you rather be? Which should we be? In our modern “feministic” society, women have strived to “better” themselves by shaking off the “old fashioned” notion that we should make something of ourselves and do something with our lives other than sitting at home changing diapers and doing laundry like a “mindless servant“. There’s also the feminist notion that we can have it all and we can do it all, we should be Superwoman. I feel strongly that Satan is using both of these lies to sever our connection with our husbands and children and to undermine our relationship with God.

As a stay at home mom I do have those days when I feel like a servant with my mounds of laundry to be done. Days when I feel my brain is turning to mush as I build a block tower for the umpteenth time, when I feel like my world is so small that the highlight of my day is finding a great price on toilet paper. Days when I get done running my errands only to look down and realize that the accessory to my outfit for the day was a chocolaty handprint on my shirt. It’s tempting to think, “Is this all there is to life? Sippy cups, play dough, and naptimes?” But lately God has been reminding me of His calling for my life.

He hasn’t called me to “be more” or to do more. He has called me to be a wife and a mother, nothing more, nothing less, and that’s not to be ashamed of. Neither has he called me to be Superwoman. Who put this notion into our heads anyways? The idea that we should have super powers to be able to carry on a full time job, to be a wife, and a mother and to deal with everything that goes with it without a hitch? Sure, Superwoman had lots of powers, but she only had one job to do. She wasn’t married, she didn’t have kids, and she wore the same outfit everyday (thus no mounds of laundry!) [1] So be encouraged, she wasn't so special afterall.

Those of us who are called to be keepers of the home need to remember that this is one of the greatest callings on earth! “It is true that many 'perfect jobs' may come and go during the childrearing years, but only one will absolutely never come along again- the job of rearing your own children and allowing them the increasingly rare opportunity to grow up at home.” [2] The idea that we need to base our self worth on our career accomplishments or that we’re only worth the income we bring in is a lie. “There is no greater measure of her worth or success as a woman than the extent to which she serves as the heart of her home.” [3] How many other careers offer you the chance to shape and mold the very core - the faith, the attitudes, the future - of the next generation? We have in front of us, on a day to day basis, what many people earn advanced degrees and take sophisticated classes to understand - child development and the human condition. [4] Why should we be ashamed that we’re taking the time to learn about it first hand and embracing the opportunity to be the ones to teach and to guide our children through it?

When people ask me, “What do you do?” I don’t avert my eyes in shame and say, “Oh, I’m just a stay at home mom.” I look them square in the eyes, (chocolate covered shirt and all) and smile brightly and say, “I’m a wife and a mom, and I love it!” At the end of my life I want to be able to say as Jesus said in John 17:4, “I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”

So, servant or Superwoman? I choose to be a servant. Not one who mindlessly does the daily chores without thinking. But a servant of Christ, joyfully and willingly carrying out my calling to be a keeper of my home, and to be the one to help shape the future of our world.






[1] Context taken from “Feminism Now Defined by Each and Every Woman” by Andrea Tantaros, "Newsmax"
[2] Quote by Dorothy Patterson from "Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free", by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
[3] Nancy Leigh DeMoss, "Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free"
[4] Context taken from "Complete Book of Baby and Childcare," by Focus on the Family