Mothers

Motherhood is one of God’s greatest gifts to the world. In fact, motherhood is a revelation of certain aspects of God’s divine nature. This means that distinct characteristics of His nature are specifically endowed into the hearts of women to bless their children with the character and goodness of a gracious and loving heavenly Father. This does not mean that the Lord of Glory is female or that He is both male and female. That erroneous teaching is the result of extreme liberalism and the literal butchering of some (so-called) modern translations of the Bible. The feminization of God is the result of the encroachment of pagan religious concepts in the mainstream of today’s post-Chistian culture (and beyond the scope of this specific article).

Nonetheless, we see God in any mother that is normal, adjusted, and functional in five key areas. First, we see God’s unconditional love in motherhood. This is the “no strings attached” agape love of God that will spur a mother to love her child no matter who they are or what they have done. Second, we notice God’s unending nurture in mothers. The care and compassion of a godly mother is unparalleled in any other earthly relationship. Third, we observe God’s untiring intercession in motherhood. Moms are always standing in the gap for their children in prayer and in practical every day ways. Fourth, mothers, like the Lord, offer undeterred protection. One would be better off tangling with an angry grizzly bear than to mess with mom. I remember one crisp Friday night at a football game in Illinois. A group of punks surrounded my brother during the game after one of them ran up and jump kicked him from behind. Unfortunately for him (and the mob), my 5 foot 3 inch mom was standing nearby and saw the whole thing. The next thing I remember was this kid dangling in the air by the collar and a plain clothes police officer trying to protect the kid and mob from my mom! Finally, with the hardest job in the world hands down, we see in the mother God’s unselfish service. The Scripture says that God never slumbers and most moms seem to work around the clock tending to the needs to everyone but herself. There ought to be a Mother’s Day every month.

According to Titus 2:3-5, all women have a mothering role to play in that they are to teach the younger women to live godly, productive, and pure lives before God. Many women will have their own children to mother but given today’s moral and ethical decline, there has never been a time when we need women to reach out and be smart moms (engaged, godly, functional, excellent) to their kids and those that have no one to nurture them. Perhaps the greatest description of the “smart mom” is found in Proverbs 31. The smart mom is a person of noble character and great value (which means guys you can’t really afford her), completely trusted by her husband, hardworking, a giver, proactive, an asset to her husband, thrifty, confident, wise, a good manager of the household, blessed by her family, obedient to God, and greatly consequently rewarded. This description may seem odd to a culture that has been bent on redefining the precious and powerful role of the mother, but today we praise God for women who care more about the opinion of God than what the world thinks of them.

In looking at the Scriptures we can find examples or many smart moms and some that were not so smart. I want to share some principles from their lives for being a smart mom.

Smart moms influence dads to obey the word and not violate it (Eve, Genesis 3:6).
Smart moms believe the promise of God instead of laughing at it (Sarah, Genesis 18:12).
Smart moms turn their backs on wickedness rather than pining for it (Lot’s Wife, Genesis 19:26).
Smart moms keep their hearts free from bitterness (Job’s Wife – “curse God and die,” Job 2:9).
Smart moms dedicate their kids to God (Hannah – 1 Samuel 1:11).
Smart moms make room for God in the home (Shunammite Woman, 2 Kings 4:10, 36).
Smart moms know how and when to shut other men down (Bathsheeba, 2 Samuel 11:2-5).
Smart moms come down on God’s side (Rahab, Joshua 2:14).
Smart moms do not care what others think about them (Sinful Woman, Luke 7:36-43)
Smart moms know how to hear from God in tough times (Widow at Zarephath, 1 Kings 17:9, 13-16).
Smart moms dream dreams for their kids (Mary, Luke 2:51).
Smart moms balance service with personal devotion (Luke 10:38-42).

Make sure you show honor and appreciation for your mother and all the mothers. We would all be lost in this dark world without God’s love shining through their hearts to all of us. Moms, thank you for all you, thank you for being smart, pure, compassionate, and godly, and thank you for giving us a true glimpse of the heart of the Father.