Motherhood
is one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity. A loving, committed mother is an
indispensable person in our development. Just imagine a world without mothers.
It would be a sterile place indeed. Mothers in still powerful social and
nurturing characteristics in each generation; It is principally from their
mothers that children learn the virtues of sacrifice, sharing, valuing others,
compassion, community and a host of other interpersonal values and skills that
enable humans to live together in peace.
Biologically,
women are designed for self-sacrifice. When pregnant, a woman's body focuses
its primary attention to nurturing that new, growing life developing within
her. Her body will automatically prioritize the needs of her unborn baby. And
this inherent gift for self-sacrifice isn't only biological. After her children
are born, a mother will continue to sacrifice herself for the needs of her
children. She will do whatever she can to assure her children have what they
need.
Mothers
are also designed by God to nurture. There is just no greater nurturing power
on the planet than a mother. When the apostle Paul was describing his love for
the church at Thessalonica, he used the metaphor of a mother’s love to describe
how deeply he cared for the Thessalonians. He reminded them that he was like a “gentle”
mother who “tenderly cares for her own children” (1 Thessalonians 2:7). When
God described His love for Israel, He did so with a motherhood metaphor. He
told Israel that He would comfort them like a mother comforts her children
(Isaiah 66:13).
The book
of Proverbs speaks of the beautiful, indispensable role that women play in
God’s creation, where the Scriptures said, “many
daughters have done nobly; but you excel them all.” “Charm is deceitful and
beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her
the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates” (Proverbs
31:28-31) that describes a portrait of a godly woman.
The best
of all that God designed a woman to be is expressed in motherhood. Not one of
us came into this world without a mother. And in these days of abortion
on-demand, motherhood is a conscious, deliberate decision by a woman to enter
into that noble, God-like act of loving self-sacrifice to participate with the
God of all creation to bring a new life into the world into you.
Have a
blessed Mother’s Day today!
(Written
by Barrett Duke – Baptist Press, 1st May 2015 for 10th May 2020)
Profile
Background:
Barrett
Duke is vice president for public policy and research for the Southern Baptist
Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
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