A GODLY MOTHER
by
Hallie Gipson
With
Mother’s Day only a few days away, it’s natural for our thoughts to turn to
mothers – our own mother in particular. If our mothers are still living and our
relationship with them a good one, we might be focused on purchasing just the
right card that conveys just the right sentiment, or that perfect gift we know
our mother will love. But for some, Mother’s Day evokes memories of a relationship
that is or was stormy, hurtful, or non-existent.
Regardless
of the current relationship with our mothers or our memories, we must use God’s
standard set forth in His holy word for being a godly mother. We are called to
account for our actions even if our own mother was not a godly example for us
to follow.
If
you are not a mother, please don’t be discouraged that your gifts of nurturing
and molding children for the Kingdom are not being used. You can become a
“Spiritual Mother” by pouring those gifts into the life of a child being raised
by a single parent, a child being raised in a foster home, an international
student who’s far from home – the possibilities are endless! There are many
ways to love, encourage, and nurture the children around you and make an impact
for the Kingdom.
The
only way to be a godly mother is to be a Christian
mother – you must first have a relationship with Christ.
John
3:16 says:
“God so loved the world that He gave His one
and only Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish but
have eternal life.”
If
you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord of your life, I
encourage you to pray a simple prayer confessing your sin and asking Jesus to
cleanse you of that sin. As you repent and turn from your sin to Christ, and
“confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised Him from the
dead, you will be saved”. (Romans 10:9) If you have just prayed to receive
Christ, tell someone!
When
you have the love of Christ in you – in your heart – then the love you have for
your children and family will flow from that love-relationship with Christ.
The
Bible tells us that God created all life – even from the beginning – so we are
to value life as God values life.
Genesis 1:27: “God created man in his own image . . . male
and female He created them.”
Psalm 139:13: “For You (God) formed my inward
parts; You (God) wove me in
my mother’s womb.”
The
Bible also says that “children are a gift from the Lord.”
(Psalm 127:3).
That’s
a great thought!! You can consider your children presents from God Himself!
So
how do you care for those precious “gifts” – your children? The “tips” that follow
may seem simplistic. Each one is certainly a deep topic in itself and worthy of
more development than I have chosen to give for this article. My desire is to
give you food for thought as you reflect on Mother’s Day and to point you to
the best “know-how” book there is – the Bible!!
- LOVE
What is love? The Bible tells what love is in 1
Corinthians 13:
§
Love is PATIENT – not getting
short-tempered when your children are fussy or cry for a long time.
§
Love is KIND – being gentle, not
rough.
§
Love DOESN’T GET ANGRY
EASILY
– even when your children misbehave and do things you have told them not to or
just get on your last nerve for no apparent reason.
§
Love PROTECTS – do everything you can
to keep your children safe and out of danger both physically and emotionally.
Guard their hearts by carefully monitoring what they watch, what they listen
to, and what they read.
§
Love NEVER FAILS – always love your
children no matter their behavior.
- DISCIPLINE
§
You want to discipline and correct your children out of love and not
anger. If your children can learn to obey you, then they can someday learn to
obey God, submit to Him, and also submit to those who have earthly authority. The
goal of a Christian mother is to raise children who will grow up believing in
Jesus Christ.
- TEACH/FEED them God’s word.
§
Just like you give them milk and food for their bodies, you must give
them food for their souls. Food for the soul is found in the pages of God’s
word, the Bible. It’s never too early to start telling your children Bible
stories and singing hymns to them.
- SERVE them.
§
When you serve someone, it means putting that person’s needs ahead of
your own, even when you are tired or would rather be doing something else.
§
Jesus is the greatest example of what it means to serve others.
ü
He healed the sick – Mark 1:34
ü
He fed the crowds of people – Matthew 14:13-18
ü
He washed the disciples’ feet – John 13:5
§
Colossians 3:17 says: “And whatever you do, whether in word or
deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through Him..”
- TAKE THEM TO CHURCH.
- Sunday School is
a great place for your children to learn more about Jesus. It’s also a
great place for them to interact with others their age in a Christian
environment.
- Attending church
also places us in an environment to grow spiritually by studying God’s
word and hearing others teach His word. The more you know about God, the
better equipped you are to teach your children.
- Being with other believers in worship is also a great encouragement. The fellowship you will have with other mothers at church will be a good reminder that there are women who face the same joys and trials of parenting as you do. And you might find an older mother willing to give you some wise and godly advice about raising children.
- PRAY for them.
§
Your prayers for your children are the greatest gifts you can give
them. 1 Thess. 5:17 says: “Pray
without ceasing”. You can pray all day long for them – when you are
feeding them, dressing them, bathing them, playing with them, putting them to
sleep.
§
Prayer also helps you to stay in a right relationship with the Heavenly
Father. He will enable you through the Holy Spirit to be a godly mother to your
children.
If
God has blessed you with children, then you have a high calling indeed!
Proverbs 31:30
“Charm is
deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a
woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
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