“Mami, why not everyone believes in Jesus?”, asked my first daughter when her Prep year just began (this was 9 years ago) when we were at the school oval as I walked her to her class. She added further comment to her question naively, “Turned out not all people in this school believe in Jesus!”. 

I was surprised by her sudden question, but also glad. Welcome to the real world—outside the bubble of church and Sunday School! I used our few minutes before the bell to explain as simply as I could for a five-year-old. I ended with, “That just gives you and me all the more reason to share Jesus with them, right?”. She nodded, smiled, and ran off to class, content with our short but meaningful chat.

My daughters attend public schools, and every now and then they share stories about conversations with their friends— some related to Christianity, others touching on different religions. Sometimes they also come to me with intriguing questions. The other day, my second daughter, who is 8 years-old, asked, “What is LGBTQ+?”— as she stumbled over the abbreviation, finding it a bit of a tongue-twister. 

The reason I’m sharing this is not out of fear that my children will be exposed to bad influences. Because the truth is, they already are, and they inevitably will be. We can’t raise our kids within a bubble. As they grow, they will learn that the world’s beliefs are very much the opposite to the principles of God’s kingdom.

But as mothers or parents, we can be intentional in guiding them in the way they should go. As Proverbs 22:6 reminds us, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Yes, we can and should encourage them to study hard, do well in school, and be successful. But we must also remember what Jesus said in Mark 8:36 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”. What will it profit if our child grows up to be the most successful yet neglecting their faith in Jesus?

 The Spiritual Need of Our Children

As I reflect on motherhood, I realize that as our children grow, our role goes far beyond meeting their physical needs. It is easy to get caught up in daily tasks—being a carer, cook, driver, cleaner, teacher—but there’s something even more important: we are also caretakers of their souls.

While we work hard to equip them for success through education, tutorials, and extracurricular activities, how much attention do we give to their spiritual growth? Do we rely solely on church or Sunday School, or are we teaching them to seek God personally in everyday life? And more importantly—are we nurturing our own spiritual walk?

The most powerful way to teach God’s truth is not through words, but by example. Children imitate what they see, especially from those they live with.

“So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it” – Hebrews 12:1

If we do not ground our children in God’s truth early on and simply “go with the flow,” the world will quickly sweep them away. The danger lies in how subtle it is—drifting requires no effort. By the time we realize it, we and our children may have already been carried far from where we intended to be.

We can’t afford to drift, we must teach them to swim strong against the current! Everyday is a spiritual war, for ourselves, for our children, “Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand firm against him” – Ephesians 6:13.

The Grace of God in The Journey of Motherhood

As the Holy Spirit continues to work in my heart, I am reminded again and again—I can’t raise my children in my own strength or wisdom. I need His guidance every day.

There have been many moments when I did not know what to do or say. In those times, I quietly prayed, and God either changed my daughters’ hearts—or mine. These are what I call Divine Helps. Motherhood does not come with a manual, but we have access to God’s wisdom. When we feel clueless, it’s not a sign of failure—it’s a reminder that we need God to parent through us. The secret to a strong mother is fervent prayer to the Almighty God.

I pray that my daughters will be successful in everything they do with their hands. That they can live out their passions and be blessings to other people in their schools and community, but above all I pray that they grow up loving Jesus and living for His purposes and His Kingdom, not their own. 

At the end of the day, I know I may not always get it right. I will make mistakes and sometimes feel completely overwhelmed. But even in the unknowns, I am learning to lean on the One who never fails. I want to keep trusting that His grace will fill in the gaps where I fall short. Because really, that is what this motherhood journey is—it is not about being the perfect mum, but about walking closely with a perfect God who loves our children even more than we do.