[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Friday, May 10, 2013

[Paul]

Hello all of you on this beautiful Friday afternoon, at least that is what it's like here in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.  I hope and pray that, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, that your day is going well and that it's not too hot for you wherever in this world you happen to live.

As I think I stated yesterday, we're going to shift gears topicwise, and here we go.  For the next week at least, we're going to focus on the subject of mothers, and I hope that you ladies out there who are mothers will appreciate these articles I found in various places, and that those of us who are single or who don't have children will also appreciate them.

Let's begin with an article originally written probably back in 2004 originally for RBC Ministries' Discovery Digest by an author whose name is not given.  The title of this piece is "The Influence of a Christian Mother" and is rendered as follows:

It has been said, "The hand that rocks the cradles rules the world."

That certainly is a beautiful expression of a lovely sentiment--but it's a lot more than that! That is because it states a very important truth:  the influence of a mother in the home is immeasurable.

In saying that, I'm not downgrading or minimizing the importance or the obligation of the father.  He is the head of the house.

Too often in today's society, however, the father is gone most of the time, earning a living.  And that's important if the children are to have proper food, clothing, and shelter.  But that takes him away from the family during his working hours.  Then, when he does arrive home in the evening, he is often too tired to give his children the loving attention and patience they deserve.

It is therefore the mother who has that day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute contact with the youngsters during their formative years.  And, let's face it, children are greatly influenced by the one who dresses them, feeds them, and instructs them.  The one who brings comfort when things go wrong is bound to have a lot to do with the way they interpret life.

Yes, by her example--by the language she uses and the way she reacts to the strains, stresses and problems of life--what the mother communicates to her little ones determines how they are going to react when they  are faced with similar situations in life.

I see it as a tremendous privilege to serve the Lord and a family in that capacity.  But, I repeat, being a mother is also an awesome responsibility.  The many hours Mom is alone with the children and her constant example give them a legacy they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

I would pause to emphasize, however, that this does not relieve the husband and father of his obligation.  He should never allow Mom to carry the entire load of childbearing.  He cannot shirk his responsibility to lead, to love, to discipline his children.  He should spend time with them and be of assistance in every way he can.

Even so, we must face the facts as they are.  Generally speaking, in our society it is the mother who has the most daily contact with her youngsters.  And this occurs at the most impressionable years of their lives.  Therefore, I am convinced that the mother must be a woman of the Word--one who knows it and loves it and lives it as best she can before her children.

Of such a woman it will be said, "Her children rise up and call her blessed:  her husband also, and he praiseth her" (Proverbs 31:28).

I hope that you ladies out there who are or were mothers agree with the sentiments expressed in this article.  If you read between the lines, you probably gathered that our author is or was a mother.

And now until tomorrow when, Lord willing another daily thought article concerning mothers will be presented, may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually, collectively and including mothers, in these last days in which we live.  I include mothers here because today's mom can herself be influenced by outside sources in such an insidious and subtle way which can, in turn, be passed onto her children.  Do I have a witness here? Your Christian friend and brother, Paul