Written By Joseph Spurgeon

Let me speak plainly to the mothers. You labor daily, caring for your children, supporting your husband, managing the home. These are good and noble tasks.

Yet I know the weariness that can settle in. The frustration. The sense that your efforts go unseen or unappreciated. You may feel as though your husband doesn’t notice, or that your children repay your sacrifices with ingratitude.

A few years ago, The Huffington Post published an article titled, “If Not Shown Appreciation, It Gets to You.” It chronicled the voices of middle-aged women who, after years of homemaking, decided to leave their marriages. Their refrain was predictable: “I don’t feel appreciated. I’ve asked, pleaded, and I’m done.”

These women weren’t just venting, they were walking away from their homes, their vows, and their families. Trading the security of home for the uncertainty of isolation. Why? Because they believed they deserved more recognition, more affirmation, more appreciation.

What does this reveal? First, it reveals that our culture is steeped in feminist ideology and self-worship. Divorce becomes a righteous rebellion in the name of self-fulfillment. But second, and more importantly, it exposes a common temptation, especially for women. The desire to be appreciated, if left unchecked, becomes an idol. Yes, husbands must honor and thank their wives. But wives must not serve for the praise of man. Your service must flow from love for Christ and then for your family.

Hear this truth: You—every mother—deserve the wrath of God. That’s not a popular message in our day. But it’s the truth. Even the most tender, self-sacrificing mother is a sinner in desperate need of mercy. So be vigilant: do not let your homemaking become a means of self-justification. Do not let a clean house, obedient children, or admired husband become your righteousness. Do not offer your labor on the altar of pride or demand appreciation as your due.

Your identity is in Christ. Your justification rests not on your work in the home, but on His work on the cross. Serve your family not to prove your worth, but because Christ has made you worthy. Work hard, knowing the Father is already pleased with you, not because of your domestic excellence, but because of Christ’s righteousness imputed to you.

As a daughter of God, your calling to motherhood pleases Him because it flows from faith in His Son. Rest in that. Reject the lie that you must earn praise. And take joy in serving the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is never in vain.

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