Mothering

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.

Philippians 4:8

I once heard a pastor say that most of the world’s troubles would be resolved if every mother would hold their children closely and tell them they are loved.

Well, that certainly would be a good thing. But that isn’t the resolution for the world’s problems. The only hope for people is to realize the great love of God and give Him their hearts.

There are children who have had abusive or neglectful mothers, and yet many of them have found God’s love sufficient to help them thrive and live joyful lives.

King David penned a Psalm that tells us how this can be.

Though my father and my mother should forsake me, yet the Lord will gather me up.

Psalm 27:10 (GNV)

But the best start in life for any child is to be blessed with an imperfect but godly mom.

Take a closer look at the key verse, Philippians 4:8.

• True
• Honorable
• Just
• Pure
• Lovely
• Commendable

Children with moms who personify God’s character most often have those qualities in abundance. Just think of the confidence that each of those attributes must inspire in children.

Now that is not to say that any mother is perfect. In fact, most of us know our failures in parenting, and are grieved by any harm we have caused.

But most children of godly mothers know their mom will always tell them the truth. They know that she will keep her word and be fair and just when dealing with them. These children are blessed to see the purity of such a mom, which in turn makes her lovely from the inside out. These children are proud for others to know she is their mom.

Don’t you want to be a mom like that? Well, you can be.

This lifestyle doesn’t just happen. The best of mothers struggle every day against temptation and sin. But for those who let God order their steps and are committed to Him, find these attributes will naturally develop throughout the years.

Mothering is quite a task. It can be brutally hard. Even moms who devote their lives to God may still have children who reject them, or worse, they may reject God. But every woman who sets her heart on Jesus knows the challenges don’t diminish the joy of following God’s plan wholeheartedly.

Being more like our Lord helps us be better for our children, others, and for God. So, let’s consider the qualities of the Holy Spirit that should shine in every godly woman’s life.

“…make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 1:5-8

Share the Good News in your world!

Isaiah 52:7

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.