Another Mother's Day, Another Day To Exalt Christ

Tomorrow, we'll celebrate another Mother's Day. For some, it'll be a day in which we have the opportunity to honor our mothers who love the Lord and taught us to do the same. For others, it'll be a day when we miss our mothers who are no longer with us, but have entered eternity with Christ, or grievously, without Christ. And for others, this Mother's Day will be a day where we're tempted to send cards filled with untruthful, feel-good sentiments and share posts on social media that describe a godly mother we never had/have. Regardless of what kind of mother we had/have, we're called by God to love and honor her...biblically (read: Celebrating A Different Kind of Mother to find out how to practically obey this biblical mandate).

Some, like me and my husband, were raised by mothers who worked hard to put a roof over our heads and food on the table. But sadly, they are either professing unbelievers, or professing believers who live as the world and not as Christ. However, we're still grateful to the Lord for choosing these mothers for us because it was right and fitting in His sight to do so...even though they brought us much pain and heartache. Pain and heartache are not altogether evil, especially if they draw us nearer and dearer to the Lord Jesus—where we belong (Ps 119:67-68).

Therefore, every birthday and Mother's Day, my husband and I have to choose to either flatter our mothers with cards and sentiments filled with lies, ruminating about the kind of mother they never were then, or are now; or we can lovingly share what is true—that we love them with all our hearts and earnestly pray for their reconciliation with our God and Father through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We've chosen to do the latter because speaking the truth in love is what's most loving and honoring to the Lord, and most loving and honoring to our mothers; regardless of the results (Gal 1:10). After all, it is not honoring to any parent to have a child who lies (Prov 26:28)?

With all the diverse upbringings, Mother's Day can be filled with delight, or filled with strong temptations to look like everyone else and boast that we have godly, loving, and encouraging mothers; even if we don't. We can compare our gifts with others and give extravagantly only to outdo our friends, or we can give heartfelt gifts; which honor the Lord, therefore, honors our mothers (2 Cor 9:7).

This day is also filled with temptations to pretend we were, or are presently, the godly mothers we never were then, or are now. Whether we are, or are not the mother's the Lord commands us to be, many delight and seek to be honored, exalted, and well-spoken of. But I don't...anymore. As I've grown in my love and gratitude for what my Father has done for me in Christ Jesus, I've become more aware of the wickedness within me. And I no longer delight in feign words of adulation, undue praise, nor being exalted. My greatest joy for my children is to see them walk with the Lord (3 John 1:4), in the light of God's truth, in every aspect of their lives (Jn 3:21).

It's not that it's wrong for my children or any child to honor and give praise to mothers who have (but not perfectly) trained and diligently pursued to be a Proverbs 31:10-31, Ephesians 5:22-24, 1 Timothy 2:9-13, Titus 2:3-5 and 1 Peter 3:1-6 woman. But it is better that Christ be exalted and honored on this day or any day. I prefer for my children to always lift up the name of Jesus, and praise Him continuously because He alone can give them eternal life. I can't. And He alone can love them perfectly. I can't do that either. But I can choose to faithfully point my sons to Jesus rather than to myself, so that they may bask in the grace and mercy of God my Savior.

As we celebrate Mother's Day, let us celebrate it like we should celebrate every day—as a gracious and kind gift from God Almighty. Celebrate it as another day to worship the Lord Jesus in the splendor of holiness. Choose to use this day as another opportunity to talk about how awesome God is rather than talk about or listen to how awesome you are, because you aren't...and neither am I. God alone is awesome because God alone inspires an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration and fear. We do not.

Us mothers may be kind, we may be wise, we may even be godly, but we are not awesome. That attribute is given to and reserved for the one and only true God; so let's give Him His due praise, rather than try to receive it ourselves or wrongly extend it to others. And let us teach our children to speak truthfully about us, rather than allow them to speak of godly characteristics we do not presently possess, but should aspire to acquire one day, through daily dying to self and abiding richly in the Word of God—that is, Christ Jesus the Lord (Col 3:16).

"Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!...But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation say continually, 'Great is the LORD!'...What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people."