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Faith of Our Mothers
Lives In Us |
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Article by Tom Gilbert
— © May, 2009
Mothers have the toughest job.
We all know it, even if we rarely acknowledge it.
The very act of giving birth is painful and incredible
and overwhelmingly emotional. If you've witnessed
it you know it is true. But that is only the beginning.
Mothers nurture and care for us from the time we
are tiny and helpless. They feed, clothe and clean
us — and they continue to nurture us and care
for us long after we are grown. Mothers never stop
mothering, and those who do so with a faith in God
and a deep reliance on Christian tradition are a
great blessing to their children.
 Kids
can be challenging. I had a bit of a rebellious
streak growing up. Mom worried about this teenage
son. Later in college and into my thirties I still
had trials and was finding my way spiritually. I
discovered later in life that through it all, and
the anxiety she felt, she never stopped praying,
hoping and trusting that I would eventually find
the right path. Those prayers must have had an effect
because my spiritual life has certainly changed.
Her example and her inspirational faith are with
me still, three years after she died from pancreatic
cancer.
The Bible is full of stories about women of great
faith, mothers who served the Lord and guided their
children, often in difficult situations. In the
book of Ruth we read about Naomi. She lived in Moab
with her husband and two sons, having left Bethlehem
because of a famine. Her husband died, and eventually
so did her two sons. They had married Moab woman.
Naomi told those women that she was returning to
Bethlehem, but that they should go back to their
people. Ruth refused to leave her and was faithful
to her mother-in-law, agreeing to help her and to
also worship God and obey his rules.
Other woman of great faith included Hannah, Sarah
and Elizabeth. Each of them was barren for much
of their lives, but God eventually gave them sons.
Sarah was the wife of Abraham, considered the "father
of our faith". She was reportedly over 100
years old when she gave birth to Isaac who later
fathered Jacob. Jacob was the father of the twelve
tribes of Israel. You can read the story in Genesis
17 and 18. Hannah was the mother of Samuel. She
dedicated him to the Lord and he became a great
prophet. And Elizabeth was a faithful woman but
never had children until late in life when she bore
a son. That son was John the Baptist, the great
prophet who prepared the way for the Messiah. He
was even a cousin of Jesus.
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Motherhood From God
There are many other women mentioned in the Bible
that are inspiring examples of motherhood. They
faced trials and tribulations, just like most people.
They developed a relationship with God and their
faith is an example to us.
Mary, Mother of Jesus, is perhaps our greatest example
of a faithful mother. God sent the angel Gabriel
to her to announce his intention for her to bear
in her womb the Christ child. In Luke 1:38 she gives
the answer that is the standard of faith, "I
am the Lord's servant; May it be to me as you have
said." She stood by her son while he suffered
and died on the cross. And she was surely a part
of the early church. Many people today revere her
as the Mother of God. It is not worship - it is
reverence. She is a mother who cares for us and
is a great example and inspiration to millions.
Some mothers choose a path of religious life; their
"children" are the poor and disadvantaged
they minister to. None may be more noteworthy than
Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She spent her life caring
for others and putting the needs of the needy before
her own.
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| Tom Gilbert
is a writer and spiritual seeker who edits and maintains
the Living the Solution web site. You may reprint
this article as long as you give credit and a link
back to www.livingthesolution.com |
Scripture taken from
the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright
© 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.
All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by
permission of International Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are
registered trademarks of International Bible Society.
Use of either trademark for the offering of goods
or services requires the prior written consent of
International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from
the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright
©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA. All rights
reserved.
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LUKE
1:35-38
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The angel answered,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and
the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the holy one to be born will be called the
Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going
to have a child in her old age, and she who was
said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing
is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's
servant," Mary answered. "May it be
to me as you have said." Then the angel left
her.
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