Mothers of Merit
Some children appear to think being a mother is a cushy job. It involves standing on Mt. Sinai waving a spatula shouting, “Thou shalt not!”
The importance of the role was indicated in a three frame cartoon. One frame showed a depiction of the nation’s Capitol, the next the White House. The third showed a mother in a rocking chair reading to her child. The caption read: “Choose the real seat of power in America.”
In speaking of mothers I know not everyone has had an ideal mother. Resentment often lasts into adulthood as a consequence of a mother having failed in her role. Perhaps you had such a mother. You want to have loving thoughts regarding her, but what happened doesn’t result in such warm encouraging thoughts. It is OK not to like some of the things you mom did. However, you need to be mature enough to dislike the things she did and separate them in your thinking from what she was. Love her even though you don’t like what she did.
In our “Me-ism” society a “I want it all now” complex has developed. As a result some young women rush into motherhood before marriage. Don’t! The mother depicted in the Proverb is self-disciplined and willing to practice delayed-gratification.
I know when that statement is made there are some who didn’t. The Bible never condones such and the Christian community must never sanction such. However, once it has happened the young person needs the Lord, His church, and His people as never before. The church must be supporting and encouraging once the mistake has occurred. The young couple may well be suffering from a repressed moral-failure complex and not know what it is. They need to deal with their own emotions and be accepting of the fact they are accepted though their conduct is unacceptable.
Diligent and devoted moms are miraculous providers.
Playwright Victor Hugo captures the essence of motherhood in one of his plays in which a ship’s captain of a bygone era gives a starving mother and her two children a slice of bread. She tears it in two and gives a half to each child.
A deckhand standing by asks the captain, “Is it because she is not hungry?”
The captain replies, “No, it is because she is a mother.”
Don’t just respect mothers, respect motherhood. Young couples should respect it enough to preserve it until they enter into roles designed to best provide for a child: husband and wife.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Proverbs 20: 12) If it is incumbent on the child to honor the father and mother it is their responsibility to be honorable.