Bridget I. AKINGBOLU

 

Womanhood

Womanhood is the God-given identity and dignity of being female. It exists before roles, marriage, or children. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image… male and female he created them.” Worth is rooted in creation, not function.  Your value comes from bearing God’s image at creation, before you ever marry, work, or bear children. You don’t earn worth by what you do; you receive it by how you were made.

 

Womanhood is often confused for motherhood, yet they are not the same. Womanhood is the broader identity. Motherhood is a specific calling some women receive within it. Not every woman becomes a mother, but every mother is first a woman.

 

Motherhood as a Calling Within Womanhood 

Motherhood is a specific assignment some women receive: to nurture, train, and release children for God’s purpose. Psalm 127:3 calls children “a heritage from the Lord.” Heritage means stewardship, not ownership. A calling means God summons, equips, and holds accountable. 

 

Features of the calling: 

1. Divine Commission: God initiates motherhood, not just biology or culture. You don’t become a mother by accident in God’s eyes. He sees, chooses, and assigns.  Treat pregnancy and parenting as a response to God. Pray like Hannah, 1 Samuel 1:11, and dedicate the child to His purpose before birth. Ask, “Lord, why this child, why now, and how do You want me to raise them?”

 

1. Nurture with Eternal Aim: Raising a child is discipleship, not just feeding and clothing.  Your goal is a godly adult, not just a happy child.  Teach Scripture daily, Proverbs 1:8. Model faith like Lois and Eunice, 2 Timothy 1:5. Talk about God in normal life — meals, walks, discipline, bedtime. Aim for their heart, not just behavior.

 

1. Sacrifice and Vigilance: Motherhood costs you sleep, time, comfort, and plans.  You stand guard over your child’s body, mind, and soul.  Stay alert like Rizpah, 2 Samuel 21:10. Watch who speaks into your child. Guard media, friendships, and environments. Keep praying when it’s hard, like the Syrophoenician mother, Mark 7:28. Sacrifice is normal, not a sign you failed.

 

1. Prayer and Intercession: You fight battles for your child in prayer before you fight them in person.  Some things only shift when a mother prays.  Cover your children daily like Job, Job 1:5. Inquire of God about their struggles like Rebekah, Genesis 25:22. Keep a list of their names, needs, and future. Pray Scripture over them out loud.

 

1. Training Through Discipline: Love sets boundaries and corrects.  No correction equals no care, Proverbs 29:15. Discipline is not anger; it is direction.  Be consistent. Explain the “why.” Correct privately, praise publicly. Use consequences that teach, not just punish. Your goal is self-control in the child, not control for you.

 

1. Release for Legacy: You raise them to let them go.  Success is a child who can obey God without you holding their hand.  Gradually give age-appropriate freedom. Like Hannah, 1 Samuel 1:28, release them to serve God’s purpose, not your unfulfilled dreams. Bless them into marriage, ministry, and mission. Proverbs 31:28.

 

Preparedness and Unpreparedness for the Calling 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “For everything there is a season.” Motherhood has a season, but sin, poverty, and broken systems often force it early. 

 

Preparedness: Seen in Elizabeth, “advanced in years” with a priestly home, Luke 1:7, 13. Seen in Mary, young but submitted: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord,” Luke 1:38.  Preparation is not age. It is surrender to God, knowledge of Scripture, and a support system.  Build your life before the child comes, Proverbs 24:27. Get spiritually grounded. Secure community. Learn basic childcare. Steward finances. 

 

Unpreparedness: Seen in Hagar, a servant used for Sarai’s plan, Genesis 16:3–4. Seen in Dinah, whose violation reminds us that girls can be forced into motherhood by others’ sin, Genesis 34:1–2.  Some mothers start without choice, maturity, or help. The travail is real. If this is you, know God still meets you, Genesis 16:13. Ask for help. Let the church be Elizabeth and Joseph to you. If you see a girl-mother, don’t shame her. Cover, counsel, and resource her. The call can be redeemed.

 

Where Mary Falls 

Mary is the bridge between womanhood, calling, and early motherhood. 

 

1. Young but Called: Betrothed, poor, from Nazareth, Luke 1:26–27. By culture, unprepared. By heaven, chosen.  Mary was a teenager. She had no house, no wealth, and faced stigma. Yet God called her. So “too young” does not cancel a calling, but it does require covering.  If you are young and pregnant, don’t panic or hide. Like Mary, say yes to God but also say yes to help. Don’t mother alone. If you lead young mothers, don’t just quote “you’re favored” — give practical cover like Joseph did.

 

1. Prepared by Posture: She knew Scripture. Her Magnificat, Luke 1:46–55, echoes Hannah and the Psalms. She surrendered, Luke 1:38.  Mary was spiritually literate and yielded. Her yes was informed by God’s Word.  Raise daughters in Scripture so if life surprises them, they can respond from the Word, not fear. As a mother, keep your Bible open. Submission is easier when you know God’s character.

 

1. Covered by Community: God sent her to Elizabeth for confirmation, Luke 1:39–45. He gave Joseph a dream to protect her, Matthew 1:20.  God never calls without sending people. Isolation is dangerous.  Find an Elizabeth — an older woman who won’t compete or judge, but will bless your calling. Find a Joseph — a man or structure that protects, provides, and obeys God on your behalf. Be that for others.

 

1. Faithful in the Calling: She pondered, Luke 2:19. She fled to Egypt, Matthew 2:14. She released Him at Cana, John 2:5, and at the cross, John 19:26.  Faithfulness is long. It moves from cradle to cross. It includes thinking, protecting, and letting go.  Build quiet time to process, Luke 2:19. Be willing to relocate or change plans for your child’s safety. Start releasing early — let them obey others, solve problems, and follow God without you.

 

1. Model for Girl-Mothers: Mary shows God sees the young, but also that young mothers need Elizabeths and Josephs.  Her story is not a license for child pregnancy. It’s a template for how God surrounds a vulnerable calling with mercy and structure.  Churches should create Mary plans — counseling, prenatal care, education, housing, and discipleship for girl-mothers. Girl-mothers should receive them without shame.

 

Self-Care Within the Calling 

A mother cannot pour from an empty vessel. Scripture frames self-care as stewardship, not selfishness. 

 

1. Rest as Obedience: God rested on the seventh day, Genesis 2:2. Jesus said, “Come away… and rest a while,” Mark 6:31.  Rest is a command, not a reward for finishing everything. If God and Jesus rested, you must.  Schedule a Sabbath — 24 hours with no housework, just worship, sleep, and family. Take naps when the baby naps. Say no to extra events in newborn season. Rest is trusting God runs the world while you sleep.

 

1. Nourish the Body: “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,” 1 Corinthians 6:19.  Your body is a tool for the calling. If it breaks, the work suffers.  Eat protein, drink water, and take postnatal vitamins. Move your body — 15-minute walks count. Do annual checkups. Sleep deprivation is real; trade night shifts with your husband or support person. The Proverbs 31 woman “girds herself with strength,” v.17 — you need physical strength.

 

1. Guard the Heart and Mind: “Keep your heart with all vigilance,” Proverbs 4:23.  Burnout starts in the soul before the schedule. Anxiety, comparison, and bitterness drain you.  Limit social media that makes you feel “less.” Like Mary, treasure and ponder, Luke 2:19 — journal one good thing daily. Use Philippians 4:6–7: pray, list requests, thank God, receive peace. Get counseling if you feel constant dread.

 

1. Accept Help and Set Boundaries: Jethro told Moses, “What you are doing is not good,” Exodus 18:17–18.  Doing it all alone is disobedience, not holiness. God gave you a body of Christ for a reason.  Make a list of 3 things others can do — meals, school runs, 2 hours of childcare — and let them. Say no without guilt, Nehemiah 6:3. “No” to good things protects “yes” to God things. Galatians 6:2: let others carry with you.

 

1. Continue to Grow: Priscilla learned and taught, Acts 18:26.  Motherhood is not where your mind dies. You remain a whole woman with gifts, dreams, and learning.  Read one book a quarter. Take an online course during nap time. Keep using your skills part-time or in church. 1 Timothy 4:8: godliness has value, so keep growing spiritually, intellectually, and vocationally. Womanhood does not pause because motherhood starts.

 

Conclusion 

Womanhood is the full dignity God gives every female. Motherhood is a calling some women receive within that dignity. Some enter prepared like Elizabeth. Some are called young like Mary but covered by God and community. Some are thrust in too early like Hagar and need rescue and restoration. 

 

Isaiah 49:15 ties God’s faithfulness to a nursing mother: “Can a woman forget her nursing child… even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” God forgets neither the prepared nor the unprepared. 

 

Therefore, honor the calling, protect the season of girlhood, surround every mother with Elizabeths and Josephs, and teach every woman to rest, eat, pray, and receive help. Then Proverbs 31:28 will be fulfilled: “Her children rise up and call her blessed,” and the mother will still have strength to hear it, because she mothered from fullness, not emptiness.