God Bless Mothers

God has not called all women to be mothers.  Those who have been given the ability to be mothers have a role different from any other member of the family.  What does the Bible say about mothers?  How are our roles being defined by the culture in which we live?

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is thought by many to be the prime example of motherhood. God must have thought motherhood to be especially important to children by assuring that Jesus would have a mother.  She was there to nurture, train, and love Him— even knowing that He was God in a human form.  It is almost unfathomable to imagine her care for Jesus with this acknowledgment.  She knew the pure joy and the unrelenting sorrow of loss that was Jesus’ life and death.

In our modern culture, the role of the mother has many names.  There is a stepmother, birth mother, surrogate mother, adoptive mother, foster mother, and sometimes extended family and friends that take the name.  This does not mean that the role of the mother is diminished by the lack of actual birth of a child from a woman’s body.  Even Mary would not completely fit that traditional definition in that she had a virgin birth brought about by the Holy Spirit.  Matthew 1:23 tells the story, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.”  What then, does the Bible say about mothering and what are her responsibilities?

The Greek word philoteknos appears in the scripture referencing the love of a mother to her children.  It is a special kind of “mother love.”  It is nurturing and affectionate and caring.  Titus 2:4-5 urges young women to love their husband and their children.  Under that umbrella of love, we see responsibilities that are given to mothers.  Psalm 127:3 imparts to us that children are a heritage— a gift from God.  Acknowledging that children are from God is the first step to becoming the mother God would desire of a Christian woman.

This Mother’s Day 2023 we give our respect and thanks to mothers.  We acknowledge the value of the role.  Mothers are available any hour of the day.  In Deuteronomy 6:6-7 we find the command that mothers (and fathers) speak of God’s word to their children when they are at home and walking along the road and when they lie down and rise up.  They are to teach their children and start children off “on the way they should go” (Proverbs 22:6) and live by the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  Their integrity is such that their child may learn the essence of Godly living (Proverbs 10:9).

Do not let modern-day culture defile the role of the mother.  Be wary of those who would lessen the enormous value and considerable responsibilities given by God to mothers. Give thanks this Mother’s Day to your mother and the mother of your children.  God bless the mothers.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel