Mother's Day Thoughts
Mother’s Day is upon us. This Sunday, we will honor those ladies who have been such a part of our lives – wives, moms, daughters, sisters, teachers, and others who influenced us in a positive way by investing time and energy into us.
For some, these special days may not always bring good thoughts, past or present. Some folks grow up in homes where love was or is rarely shown, where we feel beat down more than encouraged. But even if that be the case, there are a couple of things that can help us still, in some way, show honor to those moms who seemed detached from us as we grew up in the same house.
But first, let’s focus on those ladies who impacted us in such great ways. I had a great mom. She was invested in her kids. When she went home to be with the Lord in 1989, I lost someone who I personally had seen grow in her walk with God over the last years of her life.
She volunteered at her church, and it was a delight to see God at work in my mom’s life. I have also been blessed with a godly, gracious mother-in-law (no jokes added) who has always accepted me as part of the family.
I have been blessed with an amazing wife. Sherry is incredible. A loving mom to her children and a woman of God, she is the perfect complement for my life. I love her dearly.
But this is not just a tribute to a few key ladies in my life. Everyone reading this has a lady or ladies in their life that have contributed to where we are today, in a positive way.
We all have encountered, or have the privilege of knowing right now, a woman who is spoken of in Proverbs 31. I would encourage us to take time to read vss. 10-31 of this chapter of the Bible and see how many descriptions fit these special ladies in our lives, these women of God.
Titus 2:3-5 also gives us traits of women who influence others. They are kind, loving, living out the Word of God. They guard what they say and are steady in their character.
Again, we all have these types of ladies who have influenced us for the kingdom of God at some point in our lives. These Godly influencers are easy to honor and remember.
But what if, as we approach Mother’s Day, we come from a situation that does not match up with Proverbs 31 or Titus 2? We are told in the Bible to honor our parents (Ephesians 6:2-3), a repeat of one of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:12).
If we, today, have a relationship with God, we can honor our parents, even if the circumstances were not the best or are not the best in our life. Here are just a few thoughts on how we can do that, and you can come up with several more, no doubt.
First, and this may seem strange, but we can honor them by thanking them for bringing us into the world. If we know Christ as Lord and Savior, that opportunity to experience new life in Christ is because we are here. I think in difficult situations, we can still say “thank you” to our moms for giving life to us.
Second, we can honor them by showing them grace, mercy, and if needed, forgiveness. This does not mean that if we are in a difficult situation that we allow ourselves to be a doormat. What it does mean is that we rise above the circumstances and live Jesus. By doing this, we honor our parents and those ladies in our lives by saying that we love and care about them enough that we want them to have what we have – a relationship with our gracious, loving heavenly Father. This may seem tough to do, but we can with God’s help show them our Lord.
Third, if we can, help them in some way. Though difficult, we can still take the high road. This does not mean we have to give our entire life to the person and go through difficulties, but at least be there if they need help, without being torn down in the situation.
With those thoughts in mind, let’s get back to the ladies who have shined in our life, pointing us to Christ and helping us become what God wants us to be. A big “thank you” to them. To my lovely wife, Sherry, “thank you.” To my mother-in-law, Ruby Brown, “thank you.” To my mom who is enjoying life with God in heaven, a “thank you.”
To the ladies who God used in my life, and in yours, a big thanks. Hey ladies, have a great Mother’s Day.