Motherhood, work and our identity

As a Christian woman, I often think about how the seasons of our life can bring about great change. Earlier this year, the church camp topic was family, and one of the classic questions asked was, “Can women work full-time and have kids?”  The answer, perhaps not satisfying to some, was “It depends.” Circumstances are different for each family, some may face more pressing financial needs that require both parents to work, or the husband may not have the faculties to be the breadwinner of the household. All the same, our pastor encouraged us to ask ourselves, “Why not give up full-time work to be a mother? In fact, is it really giving up?”

As someone who is unmarried, I have not made this choice, but spending time with those married with kids has given me many things to think over. One of these friends works part-time as a doctor and stays home with her two children. She admitted that it was a struggle to do things different to her own mother, who juggled full-time work and motherhood perfectly fine. In the end, my friend was convinced that there was no better full-time work than to bring her children up in God’s word and to model out the Christian life for them. Her reason for part-time work was not to appease her parents, but moreso to retain her skills if the need arose to work while her husband pursues full-time ministry.

An article on Desiring God particularly resonated with me as Carolyn McCulley looks into the apparent identity crisis for women. Simply put, when work is our identity, change shakes up that identity and it becomes plain to see if we have confused what we do with who we are. 

Mae-Ann Soh

2/6/15 Further reflections: If unclear, my intentions are not to offend or hurt women with my personal reflection. Upon receiving some feedback, I would like to clarify that both motherhood and work can become an idol, and if robbed of that particular identity, can cause an identity crisis. I would like to encourage women to consider how tightly or loosely they hold onto their current roles and to prayerfully ask for God's help as we continue to let our identity in Christ shape our lives as women of God.

Winning God through Success

Work earns us money. Work can win us the respect of people. But does work win over God?

In an article on Desiring God, Marshall Segal exposes success as a lethal drug in our jobs, though society tries to convince us otherwise. The message of success is rehashed from an early age when we start school, and eventually can become a self-driving motivation when we start work. In fact, Australian author, Lisa Pryor acknowledges through her own experience that “No matter how much a student fights it, at law school and business school it is hard not to be taken in by the idea that the ultimate achievement in life is to get a job at a firm which is bigger, fancier and pays better than anywhere else.”[1]

Success promises us esteem, control and security – the very things we had surrendered in our sin, yet success elevated on a pedestal can easily lead us to assume that we are therefore worthy in God’s sight.

In response to this, Marshall questions if our work is a search of redemption by success or an act of worship as those already redeemed.  Needless to say, he encourages us to do the latter, by working in line with the gospel and in love for the world. Why are we able to do this?

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.”  Acts 17:24-25

Work does not win God over, because we cannot offer him anything in the first place! On the surface level, we may not subscribe to such thinking, but when we examine our true motivations for work it would be unsurprising if we thought they could somehow redeem us.

How do you work for God?

Prayer points:

·         To work out of the security in Christ that was given to us, rather than out of a need to prove ourselves that stems from insecurity

·         To work for the sake of others instead of trying to only serve ourselves

[1] The Pinstriped Prison- How Overachievers get trapped in corporate jobs they hate

Transforming Work Conference

As a final year university student with graduation looming round the corner, I often wonder and worry about the type of work I will be doing, the kind of people I will meet, and how I will work as a Christian. With my marketing major, people sometimes comment, “You marketers just bring out the greedy side in people. You tell us what we want even if we don’t need it.” Indeed this is the case in our consumerist world, and I hope I will continue to let my faith shape the way I work, rather than having a gap between what I say and do on Sunday as opposed to the rest of the week.

Mae-Ann Soh

This very interaction between faith and work will be discussed at ‘Transforming Work’ conference at Malyon College, Brisbane on Saturday June 20. By examining what God thinks of our work, and how church affects our work, the aim is to capture a vision for serving God in the workplace. This conference is suited for those in paid work, those about to enter the workforce, and for church leaders who desire to empower the Christian workers in their congregations.

The details of the conference are as follows:

Cost: Inclusive of food and beverages

Prior to May 20, early bird prices for individual are $45, and group (5 or more participants) are $40. Standard prices for individual are $55 and group are $50. 

Time: 8:30am – 4:30pm, Saturday June 20

Location: Malyon College

                   53 Prospect Road Gaythorne, 4051

Register here 

More Information:

http://malyonworkplace.org.au/tag/events

Contact Murray Wright by email or by mobile (0406766240)