Do you know that mothers are God’s gift to the world? Have you ever stopped and thought about the miraculous and awesomeness of God? Do you realize that when God created the first woman that he had practically commenced the creation of many tribes and nations? Do you realize that without a mother you would not have been born? Do you also realize that without women, procreation will never have been possible?
Mothers! What a blessed gift to the world! No wonder then that a special day has been set aside to honour mothers everywhere! Motherhood is God’s prized gift and should never be left to chance or taken for granted. Mothers have a tremendous responsibility not only to their children but to the world at large. As the saying goes “the hands that rock the cradle rules the world.” How true that is! How mothers rear their children will influence the world for good or bad! It will pay great dividends or reap devastating consequences.
Hence, mothers need all the help they can get if they are to do an effective job – one that will bring glory to God. No better place to turn for wisdom and instruction on how to perform the job of parenting than in the Bible itself. The scriptures are filled with many lessons of mothers who have gone before and from whom mothers everywhere can learn from.
Here are a few of them:
1. The first woman on earth, the wife of Adam, and the first mother: her name was Eve. Scripture calls her “the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3: 20). Who better to learn from? She was the only woman without a mother and a father. Eve experienced and endured all the complexities that any family structure dared to encounter. You name it, she faced it. Her life was filled with many anxieties, heartaches and torments. Mothers can learn many lessons from Eve’s life. Not only her personal life but that of a parent as well. The life lessons we can learn from Eve are that women share in God’s image and that God wants us to freely choose to follow and obey him out of love. Nothing we do is hidden from God. Likewise, it does not benefit us to blame others for our own failings. We must accept personal responsibility for what we do. The duty of mothers was to multiply and replenish the earth. What awesome responsibility!
2. Sarah. She was the wife of Abraham which made her the mother of the nation ofIsrael. She gives hope to every woman who is experiencing problems in having children. Sarah waited 90 years to have a baby. Her faith serves as a shining example for every person who has to wait on God to act. Sometimes we feel like God has placed our lives in a permanent holding pattern. Rather than taking matters into our own hands, we can let Sarah’s story remind us that a time of waiting may be God’s precise plan for us.
3. Jochebed. She was the wife of Amram and the daughter of Levi. She had three children: Aaron, Moses and Miriam. Jochebed was a God fearing mother. She showed tremendous faith in God. She dedicated all her children to the Lord and His service. Her son Moses became the deliverer of the Israelites from the hands of Pharaoh inEgypt. Under God’s divine guidance, his mother Jochebed played a part in his salvation and the deliverance of the Israelites. Her name lives on, not by how many big things she accomplished, but by how wisely and well she served as a mother.
4. Hannah. She was the mother of Samuel the Prophet. Hannah’s story is one of the most touching in the entire Bible. Like several other mothers in the Bible, she knew what it meant to suffer long years of barrenness. She was cruelly taunted by her husband’s other wife. But she never gave up on God. Finally her heartfelt prayers were answered. She gave birth to a son, Samuel, and then did something entirely selfless to honour her promise to God. She gave him back to God. Samuel grew up to become the last ofIsrael’s judges, its first prophet, and counsellor to its first two kings, Saul and David. Hannah teaches us to never give up, to honour our promises to God, and to praise God for his wisdom and kindness.
5. Bathsheba – David’s favourite wife. She was a remarkably powerful woman. She intervened to have her son Solomon succeed his father as king. Bathsheba was wise and protective. She used her position to ensure both her and Solomon’s safety when Adonijah tried to steal the throne. We can learn many lessons from her life story. Often circumstances seem stacked against us, but if we keep our faith in God, we can find meaning in life. God makes sense when nothing else does.
6. Rebekah – Isaac’s wife and the mother of Jacob and Esau. We can learn many lessons from her. She bore two sons who became leaders of great nations. Her life ended with her becoming a frustrated heartbroken mother. She brought about hostility between her twin sons Jacob and Esau. Rebekah was assertive and fought for what she believed was right. Rebekah sometimes thought God needed her help. She favoured Jacob over Esau and helped Jacob deceive Isaac. Her trickery led to a split between the brothers. It was Rebekah who pushed Jacob, her son, into deceiving his father and stealing his brother’s blessing (Genesis 27:2-13). This resulted in great conflict in the home (Genesis 27:41-43). Impatience and lack of trust made Rebekah interfere with God’s plan. Isaac and Rebekah made the same mistake that many parents make – they chose favourites among their children. This is something that all parents should guard against. The results of such actions can cause conflicts in your home that can go on for many years. Rebekah’s life should remind us that it is a dangerous thing to use maternal power for manipulation. We need to allow God to work His plan out in our lives. He has everything under control.
7. Mary – The mother of Jesus – An extraordinary woman of faith. She was the most honored mother. Her son Jesus is the redeemer of the world. Mary stands as highly favored by God, a shining example of obedience and submission to the Father’s will. Although she could not comprehend how she would conceive the Savior, she responded to God with belief and obedience. Mary’s submission to God’s plan cost her dearly, yet she was willing to be God’s servant no matter the cost. What sacrifice! What loyalty! What love! The value of a mother’s love cannot be measured in currency, but in the moral character, wisdom and training she gives her children, (Prov 6:20-24).
8. Elisabeth – the wife of Zechariah and the mother of John the Baptist. Elisabeth was indeed a godly woman. She had enormous faith in God throughout her entire life. She appreciated God’s mercy and kindness. She was humble, even though she played a key role in God’s plan of salvation. Her focus was always on the Lord, never herself. That is a lesson we ought to learn from her. We should never underestimate God’s tremendous love for us. Our God is a God of surprises. Sometimes when we least expect it, he touches us with a miracle and our life is changed forever.
9. Eunice. The mother of Timothy. Her life story is one that is often cited as an example of a mother who trained her son well. Paul wrote a letter to his friend Timothy saying, “I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.” Lois and Eunice must have done something right, as Timothy was a very effective minister in one of the most influential cultural centres of theRoman Empire. If it wasn’t for Eunice’s training, the church would have been without a central figure in its historical development.
These mothers are worth studying as their dedication to, and faith in, God lead to the development of great, godly children. If you are a mother, it is wise to take the time to thank your mother for her training, and pray that you will be as effective as these women were.
So my friends, as we pay tribute to our mothers and all mothers everywhere, let us give God thanks for the influence our mothers have in our lives. Let us not “rob” our mothers of the honour that is due for the good things they have done for us. Neither let us not despise them by rejecting the protection, prayers and preparations they give us daily. This poem is dedicated to all mothers.
I Said A Mother’s Day Prayer For You
I said a Mother’s Day prayer for you to thank the Lord above,
for blessing your children with a lifetime of your tender hearted love.
I thanked God for the caring you’ve shown them through the years,
for the closeness you have enjoyed in times of laughter and of tears.
And so, I thank you from the heart for all you’ve done for them,
and I bless the Lord for giving us the best mothers there could be!
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers! May God bless you!
