Women's Focus Ministries: Sunday Writing... PERFECT MOTHERS... 5/13/18

Good morning!

Today is Mother's Day, a day that is difficult for some, and joyous for others. Today's writing, PERFECT MOTHERS, explores what people think makes a good or perfect mother, and then compares that to what we find in the Bible. So whether you feel your relationship with your mother was good or not, or whether or not you feel you are a good mother, seek what God desires - faithfulness!

Blessings,
Jan and Corinne

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Today's Devotional:

"PERFECT MOTHERS"

Jan Andersen

Everyone has their idea of what the perfect mother would look like. Perhaps one that honors her spouse and raises well-behaved children, keeps a relatively clean house, is organized with all the family activities and obligations, possibly even works outside the home yet attends to all the needs of the household as well. She might even keep all the bills paid on time and balance the household budget well. Maybe she also cooks the greatest meals and bakes the best desserts, protects her children from harm yet encourages them to grow into responsible well-adjusted adults. Some would say she is full of love balanced with appropriate discipline. She helps her children just enough so they have good self-esteem and develop good life skills, but not so much that they become dependent on being helped. She takes care of herself, physically and emotionally, as well as the family so that all are healthy. She is beautiful and well-kept but not vain or self-absorbed. She dresses well and keeps her hair and make-up beautifully but not too extravagantly, and helps her family with the same. She is kind, full of virtue, and sets a good example for those around her. She is also strong and dignified when it is needed. She has a great sense of humor but also speaks wisely when appropriate.

Mothers may strive for excellence in all these things, but no one will ever live up to all of it perfectly. Not even women in the Bible were able to live perfect lives. Take Eve for example - we all know how that turned out! She was deceived by the serpent into sinful action and then convinced her husband to do the same. Even raising her own sons was not perfect, as one murdered the other. Then there was Sarah, wife of Abraham, who convinced her husband to sleep with her servant, Hagar, to bear a child because she didn’t trust God’s promise that she would bear children in her 90’s. Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, also did not trust God to carry out his promises. She deceived Isaac into blessing her 2nd born instead of the 1st born of their twins, Jacob and Esau, which caused a huge rift in the family lines. Even Hannah, who dedicated her son, Samuel, to the Lord, had her faults. She was hurt by what others thought of her instead of taking her pride in who she was in God’s eyes. Even Mary, mother of Jesus, had at least some brief moments of doubt and lack of understanding. In spite of all these imperfections, these faithful women were used for mighty things.

The important thing to remember is that God uses each of us, no matter how imperfect, to do his will here on earth. We are the instruments of his hand. Even when we do the wrong things, God can turn around and use them for his glory if he so chooses. We still strive to be the best Christians that we can be, to thank God for his forgiveness of our faults and failures and for his free gift of salvation, and to reflect Christ’s love to others. Perfect mothers don’t exist. But our perfect loving God does! We are not called to be perfect, but to be faithful to God.

Proverbs 31:30 (ESV) Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Dearest Father in heaven, we thank you for all your blessings that you shower upon us day after day. We especially thank you today for our mothers, or those who have provided mothering support and love to us. We acknowledge that no mother is perfect, but that we can learn from our experiences and be grateful for that knowledge we have gained. Help us to remain faithful and to be good at providing “mothering” to others in our lives as a reflection of your perfect comforting love for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Song:

THIS AMAZING LOVE

Emily Laudeman