Ep.1073: Is Motherhood Still Vital?
Appreciating the deep and abiding values of motherhood
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CHAPTERS
Theme Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:5
There is probably no role we as humans play that is more taken for granted than that of being a mother. From carrying the unborn to feeding and protecting the newborn to nurturing the toddler to teaching the child, she quietly continues. From understanding the adolescent to challenging the young adult to supporting the independent adult to caring for the grandchildren, a mom simply goes about the business of building and enhancing life. She rarely if ever gets time off, does not get paid and often does not receive much in the way of gratitude. Yet she perseveres, driven by the deep and scarcely understood motivation of selfless, protective and cultivating love. It is time to stop, observe and appreciate the love, power and influence of moms!
We always seem to portray the classic motherhood picture as one of love and forgiveness. This is a true representation but barely scratches the surface regarding the depth of character needed to support such things. In our recent podcast we listed 12 qualities of a Christian mother (referenced from a third party), opening a treasure trove of insight. These qualities are not only based in the reality of daily needs when parenting but are also based in scriptural principle to equip anyone - be they a mother or not - as a sound nurturer.
The first of these qualities is to possess a keen sense of discernment. Simply stated, to discern is to be able to judge well. There is far more to this than one would initially think. Judging well means not only seeing what is happening but perceiving the surrounding circumstances and putting the whole matter into a manageable perspective. This is often something a mother is faced with multiple times in a day. Think of the intuitiveness one would want to have while raising an adolescent. On top of patience, a positive attitude and thick skin, a mother relies on insight. Does the description “she has eyes in the back of her head” sound familiar?
Alongside the observations of current motherhood advice we have the sage inspiration of Scripture. There are many mothers spoken of in the Bible. Often their stories seem to be “by the way” additions to some larger narrative. If we take the time and give attention to these sideline details we will find some remarkable examples of child rearing bravery, faith, insight and hope.
Check out our May 13, 2019 podcast, “Is Motherhood Still Vital?” to put this all together. We walk through the 12 qualities (only one of which we touched on here) attaching a real current Christian mom’s experience to each. We also examine the stories of five biblical moms who are rarely referenced to learn of practical ancient wisdom. When we combine current mothering experiences with scriptural history and example, we inevitably find lessons and direction that apply in all circumstances. Motherhood IS vital. Let's appreciate and support it more fully!
Excellent discussion on the value of mothers! Good, sound advice from the voices of experience that were helpful to me, even as a grandmother. Thank you.
Hi, Camille – we certainly appreciate this nice feedback. It was a fun podcast to research with all the various moms willing to share their voices to help others. – Christian Questions