Finding Strength in Faith and Family: A Working Mother’s Perspective

As a working mother, I often feel I am walking a narrow path—balancing urgent deadlines, school drop-offs or events, and precious time with the family.  

At work, I’m held to high standards as a tax lawyer. There is little tolerance for error or mistakes, as the potential liabilities that come with them can be huge. At home, I have a 5 year old who screams at the top of his lungs whenever things don’t go his way. I’m fortunate enough to have the support of my husband, parents and in-laws, but still, there are days when the guilt and sense of inadequacy hit hard – especially when I have to leave work early to deal with a family emergency, or when I lost my temper at James on a stressful day.

I can’t help but wonder if work-life balance is just a myth. As a Christian woman, can I really have a fulfilling career, and still be a virtuous wife and a good mother?  

Seeing my job as an opportunity to honour God, and not a burden

The Scriptures affirm that God entrusts each of us with unique gifts to be used. Whether in the home, workplace, or community, our labour is a way to honour Him.  In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus teaches that God gives His people “talents” according to their abilities. The servants who doubled their gifts were praised, while the one who buried his talent was rebuked.

For me, I stumbled upon tax law in the last year of my studies, and was blessed enough to be offered a job at one of the few law firms in Singapore which has a tax practice. I enjoy the intellectual rigour and challenge that come with the job. I also found a sense of achievement when I manage to solve a complex problem for a client, or contribute to shaping Singapore’s tax policy through consultations with the government.

My job is therefore an avenue for me to put the talents God gave me to productive use. Being a responsible employee, a trusted advisor to my clients, and a sounding board to my juniors at work are also ways to showcase the values upheld by Christians.

The virtuous woman is a tapestry of work and wisdom

Proverbs 31:10-31 paints a portrait of a woman who thrives in both domestic and entrepreneurial roles. She “worketh willingly with her hands” (v. 13), “giveth meat to her household” (v. 15), invest in land to plant a vineyard (v.16), makes and sells fine linen (v. 24), and “stretcheth out her hand to the poor” (v. 20). Her life is a woven tapestry of sacred homemaking and secular work. Her true strength? “A woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised” (v. 30). 

The faithful women in the Bible also include those who held a job and served the Lord:

• Lydia, a “seller of purple” (Acts 16:14), excelled in her trade while opening her home to Paul’s ministry. She also has a household which was baptised (Acts 16:15). Her work funded her hospitality, proving that careers can support our works. 

• Priscilla, a tentmaker (Acts 18:3), partnered with her husband to mentor Apollos in the faith (Acts 18:26). Her work did not prevent her from finding the time to edify others.

If you feel torn between work and home just like me, know that you are not alone. The ladies in the Bible tried to juggle work and other commitments, just like modern day working mothers. So, whether you are changing diapers, drafting reports, or running from meeting to meeting, remember that “whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). 

Parenting and family building is never a one-person job

That being said, I’m not advocating for all of us to become supermoms. Raising a child takes a village and it is okay to find your village and lean on them.

Our husbands are our partners and our pillars of support

• Husband and wife ought to treat each other with mutual respect and love. While wives have to submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22), husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies (Ephesians 5:28).

• Fathers also have the responsibility to set good examples for the kids, to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4)

Communal child-rearing is also implied in the Bible:

• When Ruth bore a son (Obed) after she married Boaz, Naomi helped to take care of him – “And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it” (Ruth 4:16)

• Rebekah was sent away to be Isaac’s wife with her nurse (Genesis 24:59). It was later revealed in Genesis 35:8 that Rebekah’s nurse, Deborah, died in Beth-el, and Jacob buried her under an oak called “Allon-bachuth” or oak of weeping. This shows that Jacob deeply mourned Deborah’s passing, due likely to the fact that Jacob shared a very close relationship with Deborah, possibly because Deborah helped to raise Jacob as Rebekah’s son.

So, find the support you need and don’t be afraid to ask for help, whether it’s grandparents, your helpers at home or your husbands. For me, my village is a testament of God’s providence, and it is only with their support that I can strive for excellence at work.  

To all the mummies reading this, I hope you go easy on yourselves. Know that your worth is not about being the perfect mum or having everything under control, but by being “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Whether at an office desk or a kitchen table, remember that you are a beautiful image of God (Genesis 1:27), and that one day, your children will learn to appreciate the sacrifices you have made for them.