Photo by Joel Olives

By Christine Chou

What have you been learning lately?

I recently read a short article in the Biola University magazine entitled “Who’s Yo Mama?” in which Joseph Hellerman discusses the passage in Luke 11:27-28 in which a woman calls out to Jesus, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”  Jesus replies, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”  Hellerman points out that the woman’s statement points to the patriarchal values at that time.  A female was given value in society if she became a mother and bore a son who could carry on the family name.  Jesus’ response directs our attention to the fact that, to quote Hellerman, “No longer will the personhood of women be defined by bearing sons.  Just like man, a woman becomes the person God intends her to be when she hears the word of God and obeys it.”

This passage struck a chord with me because currently, my job and the most significant role I play is being a mother to my three-year-old and ten-month-old boys.  My significance and personhood, however, are not determined by me being a mother – rather, it’s determined by hearing the word of God and obeying it.

Apparently, this was only part one of what God wanted me to learn.  Not long after I read the article, I had a very vivid dream.  In my dream, I was with my husband Joe and we were staying in a motel somewhere.  Our purpose for being where we were was to share the gospel and we had one or two boxes of bibles with us for this very purpose.  The next day, we checked out and forgot the boxes of bibles!  We left them at the motel and moved on.  In the next part of my dream, I was sharing this with my friend and laughing at the irony of how we had gone to share the good news but had left the word of God behind, rendering the bibles we had brought useless.

I believe God wanted to remind me that my significance extends beyond what I do everyday for my sons.  In fact, He really just wants me to hear His word and obey.  My dream hit me like a ton of bricks because I realized that I was getting caught up in the everyday busyness of life and not spending enough time in God’s word.  How can I hear the word of God and obey it if I am not actively seeking Him in the word?  Moreover, I feel called to overseas missions.  Isn’t it ironic that I want to be a missionary bringing the word of God to others, yet I find myself not spending nearly enough time meditating on the very word I seek to bring to others?

I realize now, that actively preparing for being a missionary overseas does not consist only of support raising, taking vision trips and praying about this part of our future, but must include disciplined study in God’s word in order to be able to obey it.

Christine Chou is currently a stay-at-home mom to two young boys and wife to the children’s pastor at Evangelical Formosan Church of Los Angeles.  She and her husband Joe feel called to overseas missions and have recently partnered with Pioneers International.  Born and raised in California, she is a licensed attorney and previously practiced civil litigation.  Christine’s hobbies include reading and watching TV, especially as a way to unwind after a long day of taking care of the kids.