Pastor John D Jakes

Consider this praise from the Apostle Paul:

2 Timothy 1:5-6 ⁵  For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. ⁶ For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

As Paul was beginning what is our final preserved letter from him in the New Testament, he wanted to tell Timothy how proud he was of his chasing after Jesus. He encourages Timothy not by telling Timothy how much he owes Paul. He encourages Timothy by pointing to the women in his life that laid the foundation for Paul to build upon. Their witness and faithfulness is not forgotten or overlooked. It is emphasized!

As we celebrate Mother’s Day in the U.S., it is important to be reminded the essential role women play in our walk with God. Preachers get so much credit, but it is the women in our lives that do the majority of the ground work. Our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, and cousins live and testify everyday the grace of Jesus. Those women can be literal family or our spiritual family (or both). Yet, we feel their presence, we see their example, and we experience their commitment in the trenches of life.

No, they aren’t perfect (sorry Mom!). However, they show us one of the most important parts of walking in grace through faith: perseverance! Every Godly woman practices perseverance. If she yelled at her kids on Monday, she gets up on Tuesday to attempt to live with more patience. If she made her husband feel small on Wednesday, she gets up on Thursday to try to show him how precious he is to her. If she inadvertently hurts someone at work, she brings them a gift and seeks reconciliation. We don’t see perfection in the Godly woman (no matter how much she wants it). We see commitment. We see forgiveness. We see perseverance. We see what it means to live by faith.

Women – although the world yells at you to be perfect (perfect hair, perfect weight, perfect kids, perfect house), please understand that the gift you truly give us is even more spectacular: you don’t give up! Please keep showing us how to get up and keep chasing after Jesus. You show us that following Him faithfully doesn’t demand perfection. If it did, we would all be sunk! No, you show us that He forgives. You show us that what He asks of us is perseverance. Don’t give up. Seeing you, we won’t give up either!

A Prayer for Moms on Mother’s Day by M.S. Lowndes

May you know the love of God,
More and more each day
And know how much He values you
In every little way
Today, we want to let you know,
We appreciate what you do
And we want you to know that we
Are thinking now of you.
~M.S.Lowndes