Mothers Every Day

This coming Sunday is Mother's Day in the United States. Millions of dollars will be spent on greeting cards, flowers, and other gifts for mothers. And yet, mothers and motherhood are still undervalued in contemporary culture and among too many people--even many who consider themselves Christians. Elderly mothers, typically widowed, are often left alone and virtually forgotten, even by children who live nearby. In other cases, enmity over some past slight or disagreement festers between a grown child and his or her mother, and they stop speaking to each other. Tempers flare because a mother is thought meddlesome for offering advice or an opinon. On a wider social level, pressure on young women to forgo raising children and pursue a career outside the home is enormous, and those who put family life first are widely depicted in the media as fools, rubes, or afflicted with a miserable, empty life.

In God's Kingdom, on the other hand, mothers and motherhood are treasured and vitally important. We are commanded to honor and reverence our mothers (Exod. 20:12; Lev. 19:3), to heed their teaching (Prov. 6:20), and. in our righteous obedience, to "let her rejoice who gave birth to you." (Prov. 23:25)  We must not dishonor or grieve our mothers through foolishness (Prov. 10:1) or rebellion (Prov. 30:17; Micah 7:6). For her part, a mother is admonished to love her children as well as her husband, to be discreet and chaste, and to be a good homemaker, so as to honor God (Titus 2:4-5). Above all, a mother is to "teach [God's commandments] diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (Deut. 6:6-7)  We have the archetype of faithful motherhood in Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus, who reverently accepted the great responsibility that God placed upon her, diligently taught and cared for her Diviine Son, grieved inexpressibly to witness His suffering and death, and gloried in His resurrection.

There is in all literature no more apt description of the good wife and mother than that found in Proverbs 31:

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed . . .  (Prov. 31:25-28)

I have been so infinitely blessed to have this image fit the mothers who figured most prominently in my life--my own mother and my dear wife, the mother of my children!

Honoring, caring for, and blessing our mothers is not something that can or should be done just through a card one day a year. The relationship between a mother and a child is infinitely precious in God's sight, and one that lasts for eternity--it should be treated accordingly!  If there is friction or enmity between you and your mother, heal it now and completely.  You can't imagine what blessings flow from simple apology and forgiveness!  No matter how young or old they are, children and mothers should be speaking with and visiting each other as often as reasonably possible--no one should ever be alone and forgotten! And no feasible expense or effort should be spared to take care of our aging mothers (or fathers), and to see that their grandchildren get to know and love them deeply.

In other words, treat every day as Mother's Day!

Tom Fleming

Songs of Praises