...teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
Titus 2:3-5 (NIV)
With Mother's day celebrated in many countries around the world this Sunday, I want to wish all the mothers and grandmothers on team a very blessed and happy Mother's Day. I know these verses from Titus might seem a strange choice with respect to Mother's Day or even controversial to some, but I shared them as a reminder of the importance of godly women ministering to and learning from each other.
You see, although many people will celebrate Mother's day on Sunday, there are some who will be mourning because their beloved mother is no longer with them. Others may find this a hard day because they do not have a good relationship with their mother, or because they have been unable to become a mother as they so desperately wish to be.
To those of you who find Mother's day a difficult day, I am sorry for your hurt and pray that God would give you peace and comfort. And for all of the women on team, I would like to prompt you to think about the relationship you have with other women in your church community.
Are you an older woman who could be a godly example to the younger women (and let me point out that "older" and "younger" are all relative)? Are you a younger woman who would love to have the support and wise advice of older women at church? I would like to encourage the women in our CAST team (and the men too, even though this post is aimed specifically at the women!) to make the time to meet up with fellow believers on a regular basis.
It doesn't have to be every week, but just think of the encouragement which could be had if Christian women met together regularly to pray and study God's word together. Perhaps there is someone you can think of right now who you could ask to meet with you to pray for each other. Perhaps there is a new Christian at church who could benefit from doing a simple Bible study with you, say once a month. In this way, those who may not have godly mothers to learn from, can have godly women at church to set an example for them. And those who cannot be mothers themselves, can still guide and encourage a younger generation of believers. So this Mother's day, I pray that you would all be encouraged by and be an encouragement to other believers.
Deb - dspdavey/Domum Vindemia
Comments (4)
Very sensitive look at this annual holiday and how it might impact women in the various situations they might find themselves in. Thank you for your encouragement from the Word.
Thank you for such a beautiful post! Also thank you for including my yarn bowl on today's finds. My Mother is with the Lord now and I celebrate Mother's Day with her in spirit and thank God for having such a wonderful Mother who served the Lord and taught me to serve the Lord. This is a time I can reflect on the many warm memories I have of my Mom and also look forward to the day I will meet with her again! I agree that we need to be an active member in a local church body and I belong to a women's Bible study group that is so special and I have learned so much. Another way I have grown closer in my relationship with God and learned to share with other is having been on a Walk to Emmaus. God is so so GOOD
Great post Deb
Thank you for the wise words and for sharing my silk scarf! We have been encouraged lately at church to find people who are younger than us who we can teach and older than us who we can learn from.
I enjoy two mother's days every year! One of my sons lives in Singapore so I have a UK and a Singapore mothers day :)