Sometime ago, a US-based company placed a classified ad for a Director of Operations position and posted it online and in newspapers. Though 2.7 million saw the ad, only 24 people inquired. The interviews were conducted via webcam, where the interviewer details the requirements and benefits:
135+ hours each week
No breaks
Preferred degrees: Medicine/ finance/ culinary arts
No vacations/ workload increases during the holidays
No pay
The applicants responded to this job with adjectives such as "insane" and "inhumane." The interviewer then shared that there are billions who currently hold this position: Moms. Truly they are the unsung heroines’ who quietly go about their God-given responsibilities without seeking or looking for any public applause.
Anna Jarvis that US born, epoch-making social activist (of early 20th century) instrumental for making the Mother’s day a reality was one of the 13 children, born to Granville and Ann Jarvis. It has to be said that while like all of us, she saw her mother bringing up her siblings “over the sweat of her brow”, unlike most of us she was inspired to do something monumentally great to publicly recognize the selfless toil all the mothers’ subject themselves to whilst rearing up their children. Now, thanks to her unstinted efforts of mobilizing public opinion (read movement) to have a Day in honor of the Mothers’ in USA that her country started celebrating every second Sunday in the month of May (from 1914 onwards to be more precise) as the Mother’s day. With the Globalization waxing, it would be only a matter of time before this “festival” would go “viral” for good...soon...and today globally (barring few Nations) the second Sunday of May is dedicated to that special person in our lives who mirrors the Creator’s love (who Himself is love-I John 4:8) more than anybody else. When we see what exactly constitutes love Biblically in 1 Cor 13:4-6 “Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out...” who donning human flesh comes to your mind immediately? Is it not your mother? Absolutely for she would always believe in you, bear everything for you, hope the very best for you and also endure anything for you (I Cor 13:7)!!!
In this message, Yours truly has endeavoured to bring out the some of the truths so as to show, how the Mother’s love is in a way a microcosm of the Almighty’s love and what serious responsibilities come the way of a privileged Christian mother...
Soothe...
“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you;” Isa 66:13
A reassuring smile, a quizzical concerned look, a loving hug which only a mother can give and a frantic kid knows he is in the presence of the one who would go to any extent to relieve his stress. Friends it is in our DNA to know to discern who would stand by us, come what may. Their very presence would soothe frayed nerves.
There we are, encircled sometimes by problems, some of which are of our own making and some for which, we may not be responsible but whatever... we always have our God of all comfort comforting us through em’ all by His comforting presence, which a believer alone is privileged to experience (John 14:15-18/2 Cor 1:3-4/Acts 9:31). Here is this Writer, who has “lost” (albeit only temporarily) his Mom only a week back (at the time of writing this article) and can cite a 100 reasons for breaking down and plunging into depression (even as he remembers her umpteen acts of sacrificial love in his life) but is being made to stand upright only by the inimitable comfort His Creator and Redeemer alone can give.
Security...
“...How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings...”- Luke 13:34
Providing protection to her children, whatever be the cost is but one of the many manifestations of a Mother’s agape love. Here I would like to recount a deeply touching story involving a mother bird which figures in the biography of that inimitable Sadhu...Sundar Singh. It is said once the forest through which the Sadhu was travelling was engulfed suddenly in flames. As he himself was on the run, he overheard the frantic cries of a mother bird circling desperately over its nest full of nestlings, as the fire spread to the tree where the nest was. He saw that as the fire reached the nest, the mother bird with its fully-developed wings instead of using it for flying away from danger, settled down on the nest and covered its nestlings with them preferring to perish in the flames along with its young ones’.
We are His Creation...after we were permanently marred by the sin of our first parent’s, there was no other way, He could save us from His own just wrath against sin other than by coming down in human body and dying in our stead (Rom 5:8-10). What excruciating physical, emotional and spiritual agony, the Saviour had to endure to accomplish this can never be properly measured or fathomed!!! Oh let not our hearts ever become cold and stale forgetting what it cost our Saviour to save us!!! Truth be told, if anyone (God forbid) lands up in hell, it would be because of his own hard-heartedness in declining the gracious offer of Salvation through the Cross.
Yet another aspect of security is that there is always that “ring of fire” around every Christian which no enemy can pierce (Exo 19:4), as long as the former is obedient to His
Supply...
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.-1 Tim 6:17
Will a mother ever deprive her children of the best? Ditto with our Creator and Sustainer of our lives too (Deu 8:18/Matt 7:11/James 1:17)!!! Count on Him, to give you what ALL you need, not what all you want because what all you desire may not be eventually be good for you. In the matter of asking Dear Friends, it would serve us well to use our God-given discretion and ask only what all figures under the category of “perfect will” of God (Rom 8:26-27) and not His “permissive will” (The travelling Israelites en-route to Canaan leaned this truth tragically at a tremendous cost-Psalm 106:15).
Now for some serious responsibilities which come calling the way of a Christian mother...
School...
“...and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”- 1 Tim 3:15
Oh how incumbent, it is upon a Christian mother who has personally tasted God’s redemptive love to teach her children through life and lip from their young age onwards all about the “goodness” of God’s character, so that the tiny ones’ learn to trust Him to solve their “problems” (may appear minor to us but they are “major” in their sight), so that one day (when the age of accountability arrives) they would eventually realize their “fallen” condition (the biggest problem) and look unto the Saviour for deliverance.
Eunice the mother of Timothy (2 Tim 1:5) doubtless planted in her young son’s heart “seeds” of the “Messianic” prophecies recorded in the only available Scripture of that era (Genesis to Malachi) so much so when the Gospel laced with the Messianic prophecies was preached in their native city of Lystra, his heart responded positively to it. Likewise, closer to our time ...Susanna Wesley’s meticulous grooming of her sons’ in the matters of Scripture would lead one day eventually not only to the salvation experience of her John (who had previously rushed into the Pastoral Ministry without the born-again experience, failing therein predictably) but would also trigger what is now known in Christian folklore as the “Methodist reformation”!!!
Supplicate...
Women received back their dead by resurrection...Heb 11:35
Christian mothers’ are privileged not only to bring their precious offspring into this World of the physical realm but are charged with the responsibility of fervently praying for their salvation in order their precious children are “born into the Heavenly realm”. That is the spiritual meaning of the above-captioned Scripture verse. Yes, when a child is born the name of the child is recorded in the hospital and eventually in the concerned Government’s records but a Christian mother needs to pray without ceasing for her child’s salvation too in order her child’s name is also recorded in Lamb’s Book of life (Luke 10:20/Rev 20:12) which is of much greater import. Now should I need to remind the devout mothers’ that “a man born once, dies twice but the one born twice dies only once and if the Rapture takes place during his life-time, he is “exempted” from even from that one death”!!!
Oh how many wonderful accounts, we have come across of interceding mothers like Eliza Spurgeon who prayed passionately for the “re-birth” of her son Charles who was so head-strong in his young age but after being given a “new life in Christ” (John 3:3/2 Cor 5:17) was transformed into not only a responsible Christian but went on to be heralded as the “Prince of preachers”.
So Dear brethren, let’s cherish our mothers’ and thank God for them in this side of Eternity even as we thankfully recollect how sincerely they went about their God-given responsibilities sincerely and in case, they have “gone to a better World”, let’s rejoice in the “Blessed hope” of being reunited that we all have (1 Thess 4:13-18)!!!
Action: Call your mother, tell her how much you love and admire her. She is forever waiting to hear from you. If she is already in her eternal home, share her picture and your loving words to her.
GOD BLESS YOU.
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