A High Calling Ordained by God: Mama, Mom, Mommy, Mother

Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her.

--Proverbs 31:28, (NKJV)

In recent times, it seems that the definition of motherhood has morphed into whoever keeps the kids, drops them at school, takes them to soccer practice, and cooks dinner, without regard to birthing status, direct family relationship, or gender. Is that what society wants us to believe? Maybe.

How does our Heavenly Father look at motherhood? We can see His clear instructions to the Israelites in the Old Testament, Exodus 20:12 (NKJV) - "Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you." When children are raised in loving and well-ordered households, they learn to demonstrate obedience and respect to both parents, mother and father. In return, our Heavenly Father blesses them with long life and favor. And in God's divine plan, the family and ultimately society, succeed with mother at the heart of the home.

In Proverbs 23:25 (NKJV), the Bible tells us: "Let your father and your mother be glad and let her who bore you REJOICE." This Proverb again admonishes children to obey and respect mother and father by living a godly lifestyle. They learn to obey by watching and following healthy examples of manhood and womanhood in the home.

In Proverbs 23:26 (NKJV), the Bible tells us this about these special women, the loving "mother figures" in our lives: "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness."

We see additional examples of lifestyles that honor God, family, and motherhood in churches, schools, community activities, sports leagues, and even non-profit agencies. In these groups, children and youth learn about respect, unity, and maturity outside the traditional family unit. For single parent families, adoptive parents, or grandparents raising grandchildren, a "mother figure" or maternal mentor substitute in a community-based group often bridges the gap between child and absent parent.

Scripture reminds us in Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) that we all have a responsibility in the greater community to "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." When the community does not support parents or fails to get involved with children and youth, we see lawlessness among teens, increased violence, sexual immorality, addictions and abuse.

Maybe motherhood, in the broader sense, is unconditional love for those younger ones in your sphere of influence.

As I prepared to write this devotional, I wondered about the impact of media, television, and TV moms upon several generations of children. Are TV mothers portraying true examples of motherhood in our culture?

Since the 1960s, actresses have been in front of us in seemingly endless family situation comedy programming. We can look at a random sampling from characters like the "old school" June Cleaver to Carol Brady of The Brady Bunch, Edith Bunker, Florida Evans, and Sophia Petrillo in Maude, to name a few. Each mom had a lengthy presence on TV.

Things have changed a bit from the pristine June Cleaver days where June vacuums the house in heels while sporting a pearl necklace. June's family and household appear perfect. In sharp contrast, we see Edith Bunker, a soft-spoken, loving wife and mother, who appears to suffer quietly as Archie, her husband, calls her "Dingbat" and constantly criticizes her. No rest or respect for Edith, and her household remains in angry turmoil. TV moms?

What about that one-eyed electronic monster in front of us? What have we learned? Screens are everywhere - TVs, computers, laptops, tablets and phones.

What does our Heavenly Father want us to know about these things?

I turned to Scripture for the answer. Holy Spirit pointed me to the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:22-23, (NKJV) - "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" The pictures and information that we take in through our eyes transform our spirit.

Say that again. What we frequently look at and see will transform us.

If we take into our eyes, chaos, confusion, abuse, disrespect, and turmoil, then idols and sin can easily establish a resting place in our souls. I believe that we know deep down that this state of being is not God's best plan for us. In my opinion, we have reduced, misaligned, or removed the blessing of motherhood through man-made idols and sin like marital separation, divorce, career performance, competition and comparison, materialism, substance use and sexual immorality. Have we replaced God, family, and especially the beauty of motherhood with sinful things that do not belong before our eyes? In some cases, yes.

BUT we have hope! When we keep our eyes on our Heavenly Father, He hears our prayers and responds with lovingkindness, peace, forgiveness, and restoration. In Isaiah 40:31, (NKJV), we read "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

Hope and strength and eyes on our Heavenly Father - the essence of Motherhood.

In honor of Mother's Day, let us rejoice and give thanks for the mothers and grandmothers and aunts and other women who have poured into families everywhere.

And for those women who are not believers, or who have been wounded by life's challenges, let us pray that they will seek our Heavenly Father and be found by Him. Let our Heavenly Father place them on the path of His righteousness on this Mother's Day, to walk with Him in peace, favor, and lovingkindness forevermore.