In Honor Of Mothers
by Joe R. Price
Today is the annual day in America for praising the virtues of motherhood. It is one of the busiest days of the year for telephones, the internet, florists, and restaurants. And, the greeting card industry loves to see the second Sunday of May roll around.
There ought to be more to honoring mothers than a flower, a card, a telephone call, a text message, or a meal out. None of us would be alive without our mothers. She bore you, fed you, dressed you, trained you, and cared for you when you could not care for yourself.
God blessed the world with love when He made mothers. The mother who gives her energy and devotion to the well-being of her children and home deserves daily recognition for her good works (Proverbs 31:28). Rise up and call your mother “blessed.” Honor your mother with kind words, thoughtfulness, and respect. The fool chases away his or her mother with harsh words and unkind treatment. “He that doeth violence to his father, and chaseth away his mother, Is a son that causeth shame and bringeth reproach” (Proverbs 19:26).
A mother’s love is not inbred. The tragedy of child neglect and abuse at the hands of a mother is horrifying testimony to this fact. Mothers are not perfect. Young women must learn to love their children (Titus 2:4). Experience and practice, being trained by the word and will of God, helps mothers mature.
A brief reflection on some Bible mothers will help every mother learn more about fulfilling her role, as well as help all who are blessed to still have their mothers (and grandmothers), to love and appreciate them more sincerely.
Jochebed, the mother of Moses, reminds us that mothers are to be supremely interested in the life and safety of their children (Exodus 2:1-10). Mothers not only give life, they are also the sustainers of life. Rather than give her child up to Pharaoh’s mandated slaughter, she devised a plan that not only saved her child’s life but also insured she would continue to care for him. Her faith in the provisions of God was rewarded. “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw he was a goodly child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment” (Hebrews 11: 23).
What a contrast to the millions of mothers who put their children to death by abortion! The scourge on this nation is the sinful treatment of innocent life in the name of “choice”! Mothers give and protect the physical life of their children. We urge mothers to also remember their children’s need for spiritual life and safety. Do not neglect the eternal welfare of your children while seeing to their temporal safety. Every mother who loves her children in this way ought to be honored by all.
Hannah reminds us that an important work of motherhood is to instill within children a devotion to God. Not being able to bear children, Hannah was weighed down with sorrow (I Samuel 1:1-8). She vowed to God that if He would bless her with a son she would devote that same child to God all the days of his life (I Samuel 1:9-18). God answered her petition and she named her son Samuel (“asked of Jehovah”). Women who want to be mothers still pray for children, and women who are with child pray for their unborn babies. Mothers who honor God do not forget to talk to God about their children and about being good mothers to them. God has given mothers a unique opportunity to affect the devotion of the next generation. Mothers who love their children “give them to God” by living godly lives, by teaching and guiding their children in godliness, and by setting good examples for them to follow. Mothers who devote their children to God deserve to be honored as genuine blessings from God.
Lois and Eunice were mothers who gave the blessing of instruction in God’s word to Timothy (II Timothy 1:5; 3:14-15). His mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois were women of strong faith. Their faith helped Timothy develop his genuine faith in God. Since faith comes by hearing the word of God it is evident that they had taught the word of God to Timothy (Romans 10:17). From the time he was a young child Timothy was taught the “sacred writings” (II Timothy 3:15). The mother is the first person to shape the thinking and values of the child. What better to put into the mind and life of your children than stories about Jesus, the importance of truth, and the value of prayer? When a mother’s mouth speaks with “wisdom and the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26), she deserves to be honored.
Motherhood brings many trials. There is the trial of managing and wisely using time (Ephesians 5:16). There will be days when it seems you don’t have time to sit down and hear what happened at school, to draw a picture, or read a story. But, remember that time is slipping away and one day those opportunities will be gone. Mothers, more than most, know the trials of patience and the need for self-control (I Corinthians 9:26). The demands placed on mothers are great, and the wise mother remembers to exercise restraint through faith, prayer, and godliness. The responsibilities that fall on a mother call upon her to possess humility, unselfishness, and diligence in all wisdom (cf. James 3:13-18).
Mothers are a gift from God. How true it is that “a foolish man despises his mother” (Proverbs 15:20), and is “the grief of his mother” (Proverbs 10:1). Thank God for your mother. And, if you are a mother, be sure to thank God for His wonderful blessing of motherhood.