Happy Mother's Day

Many of our faves here at BibChr are mothers. Happy Mother's Day to all of you. God bless you who raise your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. You serve them best by walking with God, teaching them the Word, and loving their fathers by showing respect.

Godly mothers have moved history. Augustine traced his salvation to the mediate cause of his mother Monica's prayers. Timothy had both a godly mother and grandmother to model faith and ground him in the Word from infancy (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14-15). The great J. Gresham Machen said he learned the faith at his mother's knee. God bless you as you do the same for your children.

Husbands, today's a great day to do Proverbs 31:28-31.

Children, take it from someone who hasn't had a mother to love on this day for several years: take the opportunity while you still have it. She carried you, nourished you, bore you, loved you, cleaned you, stayed up nights with you, taught you, worried over you, opened up opportunities to you, formed your character, and loves you still.

This is a big theme in Scripture (cf. Proverbs 15:20; 19:26; 20:20; 23:22, 25; 28:24; 30:11, 17, for starters).

I'm blessed with a wife who is a phenomenal mother to all four of our children. No one knows better than I how she's breathed and lived and (at least emotionally) bled for them, how her heart is devoted to them. All four of them, before they drew their first breaths, were objects of her amazing mind, thinking and planning how to give them a richly-furnished life. We homeschool because of her vision (to which I converted), which provided the older two with early, solid and deep platforms to do amazing things. Because of that they've been exposed to an amazing array of educational and social experiences.

I remember Valerie staying up all night making clothes for my dear and only daughter, and for my oldest son, pouring her heart and soul into them devotedly day after day, all year long. They have her to thank for so much good in their lives.

Be sure you say your thanks today, too — you who still can.

It is difficult to think of much that is more contemptible or repulsive than a treacherous, cold-hearted, smug, ungrateful child, who has positively returned treachery and vile ingratitude for such depth of selfless devotion.

It is common for men to regard such ingratitude with contempt. But that attitude is dwarfed by the similar judgment of God (Exodus 20:12; Proverbs 15:20; 19:26; 28:24; 30:17). Such a creature should never imagine that he or she has the smile of God, the holy God who put the obligation (not merely not to dishonor, but) to honor father and mother at the very foundation of His social laws.

Among Jesus' last words, despite the unimaginable agonies of the Cross, were His arrangements to be sure that His human mother was cared for (John 19:26-27). How can one claim to follow Him, while showing cold contempt for his own godly mother?

"Thanks" should be a daily practice, for children and husbands. But this day marks a special opportunity. Take it!