An Ode to Moms

Moms…we all have one. Everyone came from a mom, some of us are married to a mom, some of us still talk frequently to a mom, and some of you are a mom, but I would argue all of us underappreciate them in some way.

In the most basic sense, our world would literally cease to exist without moms, but aside from populating the earth, there are emotional, mental, and spiritual needs that our moms provide that we can all benefit from a reminder.

THE EMOTIONAL MOM

Despite how the shifting sands of cultural roles continue to move, we can see plainly that men and women are different and when that moves into a family…mothers and fathers are different. I am a proud dad of four kids and there is no question that my wife and I provide different needs for our kids. I body slam my two boys onto (mostly) soft surfaces, while they seem to run to her when they get body slammed into a (not-so) soft surface.

In our nature we have something that pushes us to run to our moms for comfort and in their nature, they want to open their arms and embrace us. This is no accident, this is how God designed us and while all of our relationships with our moms are different, it is undeniable that you have been emotionally shaped by them. And when that God-created nature pairs with God’s wisdom we see godly moms like those described in Proverbs 31:26 where “loving instruction is on her tongue.”

 Here’s where I appreciate our godly moms so much that they give instruction to turn us into the people we need to become, but do so in a “loving” way. If I am honest, I have instructions for my kids, for my church, and for those I'm mentoring, but my default is not always a loving delivery. Our culture at large, our local communities, and our personal lives NEED moms who give us the instruction we do not always want to hear, but also with the love we so desperately crave.

So, what does this practically look like in 2024?

Moms who are unafraid to correct things that are wrong while lovingly directing to the right path. We have such an emotionally distraught generation who see their self-worth tied to fictitious views on social media, unrealistic standards online, and unmet expectations from society. More than ever we need to appreciate all the moms who stand in the gap to care for the emotional health of their kids while simultaneously grappling with their own.

Non-moms: Thank the moms in your life for their loving instruction

Moms: Keep giving that loving instruction and know that you are making a difference

THE MENTAL MOM

I consider myself a pretty smart person: I was a straight-A student my whole life, I have a Master’s Degree, I consistently read books, listen to podcasts, manage large teams, and write and deliver a sermon every week. Despite that somewhat high use of my brain, I simply cannot comprehend the organizational structure of my kids’ rooms. Where are certain clothes? Where do these toys go? Do these clothes fit? Are these weather-appropriate? Do these clothes match? Are these church, school, or any occasion clothes? How do I do my daughter’s hair? All of these seem like trivial questions with basic answers (give me slack with 4 kids), but my educated brain goes to mush pretty quickly when I try to keep it in order. But, not my wife.

We’ve gone through different stages from her working full-time, to completely stay-at-home, to now her working part-time, but in every one of those stages there is an ability to look over our household that I just do not have. I am comforted when I come to scripture and see God may play a part in that gifting. The look of a godly woman continues in Proverbs 31:27 with how “She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle.”

This idea may seem dated in our world today of the modern man and modern woman, but scripture is timeless for a reason. Is this saying that all moms have to stay home and just look after the household? Absolutely not! Read the rest of Proverbs 31 and the godly woman, wife, and mother does a bit of everything! What I believe is so relevant in our time now is recognizing that in a world of mental exhaustion, especially by younger generations, we need to look to the godly moms who hold so much of it together. From managing family calendars with kids in the home to remembering birthdays and special events when those kids grow up to everything in between. Moms have an innate ability to multi-task at an alarming speed while watching over their kids and managing the mental capacity of life that could so easily overwhelm any of us.

Non-moms: Thank the moms in your life for their continual attention and care for our lives

Moms: Keep our families, our communities, and our world afloat with your continual attention and care

THE SPIRITUAL MOM

I’ve heard more stories than I can count of people coming back to God as an adult because of the model that was given to them by their mom. I’ve had so many conversations with moms and grandmas who faithfully pray for their kids to seek Jesus. The Bible calls for a husband to be the spiritual leader in the house (Father’s Day blog preview?), but both parents are vital to modeling and fostering the spiritual growth of the family.

We are told about the spiritual importance of a godly mom in Proverbs 31:30 as “a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.” We see moms who need to fear God meaning they take the bible seriously, they attempt to live it out, and they trust in Jesus to provide. When they start to model that life then we are told they will be praised. Why is this so relevant to our world today?

The church needs moms who are bold in living out their walk for Jesus, who will set a model for their kids to follow, who will plant spiritual seeds in their lives to be harvested later, and who will impact generations of faith they will never see. This is a job that is often thankless and requires patience to see results that may never come in our lifetime. But, the Bible tells us these godly moms who model this spiritual journey towards Christ will be praised. This praise may come in that family, may come in their church, may come in their community, but we can guarantee it will come at the end of those mom’s life when they hear “well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).

Non-moms: Thank the moms in your life for the spiritual model they displayed for you to follow

Moms: Keep modeling that faith, and keep praying for your kids because you may not see the seeds that are being sown

Moms, we love you. We wouldn’t be here without you (literally!), but we also wouldn’t want to be here without you. You provide different emotional, mental, and spiritual needs that our dads don’t and we just want to say thank you and Happy Mother’s Day!