Mother's Day, God's Way

"Honor your father and mother..." ~ Ephesians 6:2

“Her children stand and bless her.  Her husband also praises her: There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!  Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.”   ~ Proverbs 31:28-30

Deep in our hearts we all desire for our children to honor us.  Not only for a personal sense of a job well done, but because Scripture very plainly exhorts children to honor their parents.  Yet, many times, even in the church, we see families struggling when it comes to this area.  Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that our kids are constantly bombarded with messages, through the media, that make parents appear as bumbling fools.  So, how can we, as Moms, raise children that first and foremost honor the Lord and subsequently honor us?

I believe the answer to this question lies in Proverbs 31:30:  “...a woman who fears the Lord...”  As moms, we have the awesome responsibility and privilege of setting the tone in our homes.  Have you ever noticed that if you’re having a bad day, your children will have a bad day too?  When my kids were in school, this wasn’t necessarily true, but with homeschooling, I’ve found it to be an indisputable fact.  However, the opposite is true as well.  When I’ve spent time with the Lord at the beginning of the day, I find that I will be more apt to walk in the Spirit and display His fruits in my attitude and choices.  In other words, when I model a fear of the Lord through godly behavior, my children notice and it encourages them to honor the Lord in their own lives.

In fact, modeling a fear of the Lord is one of the greatest things we can do for our children.  It’s imperative for them to see us in the Word and seeking His face on a daily basis.  Carrying a Bible on Sunday and mealtime prayers just simply aren't enough.  Kids need to see a mom who’s fully dependent on the Lord for everything.    

As my children have gotten older, I’ve allowed transparency in our relationship.  If I’m struggling with something, very often, I’ll clue them in and we’ll pray through the situation together.  I can tell my kids all day long that they need to trust in the Lord, but when they witness me honoring Him in a difficult circumstance, they get it.  It’s in those lightbulb moments, that I see my kids make God honoring choices in their lives too.  And if they honor Him, they in turn honor me and my husband.    

The only way we can become a Proverbs 31 woman, who is praised by her husband and blessed by her kids, is to have the fear of the Lord in our lives.  As we honor Him in our decisions and lifestyles, our children will surely follow.  In other words, if we want our children to bless us, they first need to see us bless Him. 

On this Mother’s Day, we can be thankful for this passage in Proverbs, because it reminds us that as we reverence the Lord, He transforms us into the virtuous women that our families need.  To me, that's good news! 

1. Take time this Mother’s Day to individually tell each one of your children why you are so thankful the Lord gave them to you.
2. Make time to tell your husband why you thank the Lord for him and how much he means to your family.