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Motherhood
is one of the greatest privileges God bestows upon us. I am thankful to live in
a country that sets aside a special day to honor mothers, but I am more
thankful to have the examples of godly mothers to follow. I am so blessed to
have a mother who has always done her best to walk in the Lord’s footsteps, as
she leads me. She is a woman who has encouraged and guided me in all the right
ways. The importance of the role of women in God’s word cannot be
overestimated. The influence of women today is felt in the pulse of nations, as
she, through home and the children she nurtures, weaves the moral fiber of
generations to come. I saw it said simply on a social media site this morning,
“Today we honor those who raise the future.” In the Old Testament, the
character of a king is revealed just before or after stating the identity of
his mother (2 Chron. 24:1-2; 2 Kings
22:1-2; 2 Chron. 29:1-2). In the New Testament,
the apostle Paul writing to Timothy, commends his faith, which he learned from
his mother and grandmother. Women hold the keys to the home and they strengthen
the church because of their God-given role to nurture and teach children.
I
am thankful to be able to learn from the example set by Sarah, who had such
faith, she “was delivered of a child when she was past age” (Heb.
11:11). How many truly amazing
feats could we do today in God’s service if we only “judged Him faithful who
has promised”! I am thankful for Jochebed, who is only mentioned by name in two
passages, yet owns a place of honor in Israel’s history because she mothered
three great leaders in early Hebrew history. May we take the time to teach our
children about our Lord, as she did hers. Children are gifts from God, yet to
many people, children are a bother; some women want children, but do not want
to be a mother to those children. May we see motherhood for what it is, a
privilege, as Hannah saw. May we also pray for the welfare of our children, as
Hannah did (1 Sam. 1:27).
When there are things we do not understand, may we keep them to ourselves and
ponder them in our heart, as the mother of Jesus did (Luke
2:19 & 51).
May we be mothers like Mary, who possess a meek and gentle spirit and may be
ever present in the background of our children’s lives (John
19:25). May we pattern our
lives after the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. And most importantly, may we be
the mothers God expects us to be.
A father
occupies a special place in the life of children, but a father will never have
the influence that a mother does in the life of that child.
1.
Colley,
Cindy. Women of Deliverance. Publishing
Designs, Inc. Huntsville, Alabama. 2004.
2.
Colley,
Cindy. Women of the Genesis.
Publishing Designs, Inc. Huntsville, Alabama. 2005.
3.
Colley,
Cindy. Women of Troubled Times. Publishing
Designs, Inc. Huntsville, Alabama, 2008.
4.
Duncan,
Bobby. Inspiring Profiles: Fair To Look
On. 2001 Publishing Designs, Inc. Huntsville, Alabama. Second Printing
2004.