Dignity and Strength Are Her Clothing - A Mother's Day Message

Original material by Janice M. Fritsch with updates from Eileen L. Plemmons

All Scripture is from the New Living Translation

Ah, Mother’s Day!

All over the world, during Mother’s Day, multitudes will gather in churches, homes, and restaurants to celebrate mothers. Millions of dollars will be spent on cards and gifts of every kind. Some will make a call, some may be visiting grave sites, and decorating them.

Others despise these thoughts altogether and go on with their day.

Recognizing and honoring birth mothers, step-mothers, mothers-in-law, grandmothers, and spiritual mothers is appropriate.

Yet, do we stop there? Do we consider what the LORD says about honoring mothers?

Exodus 20:12 begins with “Honor thy father and thy mother,” and Ephesians 6:2 & 3 tells us this is the first commandment with promises! “Honor your father and mother. This is the first commandment with a promise. If you honor your father and mother, things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

There’s a spiritual and physical consequence to honoring or dishonoring our parents or caregivers. Additionally, we’re to give honor to mothers daily. God acknowledges the importance of honoring mothers.

Look at John 19, verses 26 & 27; “When Jesus saw His mother standing there beside the disciple He loved, He said to her, ‘Dear woman, here is your son.’ And He said to this disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from then on, this disciple took her into his home.”

From that day forward, John honored Mary, the mother of Jesus, as his own mother.

In the book of Ruth, we see the ultimate example of honoring a mother-in-law.

Chapter 1 opens with the line, “In the day when the judges ruled” (Ruth 1:1). This reminds us of the dark and difficult days from the book of Judges. We find an Israelite family in Bethlehem—Elimelech, Naomi, and their 2 sons, Mahlon and Kilyon—struggling to survive through a famine.

In search of food, they move into the land of Moab, Israel’s ancient enemy. There, the father, Elimelech, dies, and the sons marry Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. The sons soon follow after their father and die as well, leaving only Naomi and her daughters-in-law.

With no reason to stay, Naomi tells them that she’s moving back home. She knows the life of an unmarried, foreign widow in Israel is going to be hard, so she compels them to stay behind.

Orpah agrees, but Ruth shows remarkable loyalty.

Let’s read Ruth 1:15 – 17; “Look,” Naomi said to her, ‘your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.’ But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!’”

Isn’t that beautiful? What a commitment!

My husband and I used this Scripture as part of our wedding vows.

Ruth, who was determined to stay with Naomi and honor her in every way through kindness, loyalty, valuing, and caring, was rewarded with a long life, another husband after her first husband died, and the Messiah coming from her lineage!

What are we honoring on Mother’s Day?

Mothers are the child bearers, usually the primary caregivers, and have an extraordinary effect on children.

It’s especially true if she’s the solo parent. Fathers are usually not as available as mothers for many different reasons.

The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1 verse 5 shows what an impact mothers and grandmothers can have on a child’s life – It reads; “I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice and I know that same faith continues strong in you.”

This is a fulfillment of Deuteronomy 6, verses 6 & 7 where God says; “And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”

In addition to honoring grandmothers, mothers, and mothers-in-law, spiritual mothers can be honored.

Many adults yearn for a connection with a “mother figure” in their lives. Spiritual mothers often fill this gap, teaching things the younger women didn’t learned in childhood.

When I was single and a new Christian, I came across Proverbs 31. I took these words seriously and tried, to the best of my ability, to live them out.

Listen to what the Word of God says in Proverbs 31, verses 25 – 31; “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her saying; ‘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. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.”

WOW!

Don’t you want that to be said about you?

If you’ve listened to my testimonies on YouTube, you may know that I never had children of my own. My career choice was teaching, and when I was single, I was on a mission each summer, somewhere in the world, telling people about Jesus.

My husband and I married later in life and decided not to start a family at that age. During my single years, I lived by Isaiah 54 verses 1 – 5, and now they have come to pass!

Listen to what God says through the prophet Isaiah: “Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband, says the Lord. Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities. Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood. For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is His name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the Earth!”

You can’t get better than that!

There was a time when I was younger and single that my friends were getting married and having children. 

It was a difficult time for me, and I understand the “shame” or being apologetic for my singleness and having no children. But now I have more “children”, spiritually speaking, than I believe I could have had with natural children to care for.

This is another form of “motherhood”, being a spiritual mentor.

Promises and curses are attached to honoring or dishonoring parents.

In Matthew 15, verse 4 Jesus is quoting from Exodus 20 verse 12, 21 verse 15, Leviticus 20 verse 9, Deuteronomy 5 verse 16, Proverbs 15 verse 20 and Proverbs 20 verse 20 when He said; “Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’”

OUCH!

Jesus made it clear: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5 verse 17).

Therefore, if we wish to live a prosperous, long life, we must find a way to honor our parents despite their imperfections and our disinterest in doing so.

In situations where wounding or abuse has taken place, this can only be accomplished with the help of God’s Holy Spirit, through the LORD Jesus Christ.

God knows everything and He knows everybody. Now hear me on this: God does not cause OR allow wounding or abusing of another human being. Not physically or mentally, this is a lie from the devil.

God is love in the purest sense of the word. 

Those kinds of evil acts are from hell and are prompted by devils or demonic powers.

ONLY the love of God, through Jesus Christ, and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, can free us from pain, anger, disappointment, and/or bitterness toward the people who should have been caring for us.

People have choices as to who they will serve and follow. Choosing the devil over God always hurts the one making that choice and the people closest to them.

Please, take time now to repent of these real feelings you may have.

Understand it’s not God’s fault for He is love.

Forgive the imperfect people who hurt you.

God wants to make you free from these past hurts.

Where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is freedom.

AND Whom the Son (S-O-N) sets free, is free indeed.

Experience freedom by asking the LORD Jesus Christ to help you forgive, and He will do it!

I bless you, my readers, to enjoy celebrating this special time we call “Mother’s Day.”