Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie
May 2017 copyright
Mom’s job is to teach children to walk with God, for he is with them always
My mother was a 5’2, blue-eyed lady that taught me many things. She taught me everything from “say please and thank you” and “don’t forget to wear your lipstick” to “ you better shape up or ship out” and there was always, “get happy just like you got sad.”
She loved to dress up and was frequently seen wearing high heels even though she was a stay at home mom.
Mary Belle loved people and would talk to anyone that would listen. She was a genuine lady and tried her best to teach me how to be a lady…I’m still learning.
The best things my mom taught me were about walking with God. She loved the Lord and it was evident by the many times I would see her studying her Bible, listening to worship music and by the life she led.
She was a woman that loved God with all her heart and she was a praying woman. I am forever grateful for all the prayers she prayed for me and all the wise counsel she gave me.
My mom had a passion to tell people about Jesus and was a children’s church leader at Grace Bible Chapel for years. She led countless kids to the Lord throughout her years of ministry. She taught me how to share the gospel and to reach out to share the love of Jesus with other.
She left his earth four years ago but not before she was able to leave me a great legacy.
Mary Belle was not a perfect mom and I did not always agree with her but she was a good mother.
Perhaps you are reflecting on your own mother this weekend. Good memories, bad memories, funny ones - God word is very specific on how to treat our parents.
Ephesians 6:2 says, “ Honor your father and mother - which is the first commandment with a promise - that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy a long life on the earth.” (NIV).
I found eight times in scripture where God tells us to honor our father and mother, which indicates that it is pretty important to the heart of God.
Deuteronomy 27:16 tells us, “Cursed is the man who dishonors his father or his mother.” (NIV) We can actually bring difficulty upon ourselves when we dishonor our parents.
So what does that mean to us today? You do not have to like everything your mom did or did not do, but you do have to honor the God given position she has in your life. If nothing else, you can be grateful your mom carried you in her womb and gave birth to you.
Ask God to show you things you can be thankful for concerning your mom, the things she did do right. Otherwise, as the scripture says, it will not go well with you in your life. Honoring our mother is not just a suggestion but a commandment with a promise. When we honor our mom, we receive a blessing!
My late husband did a great job of training our kids to honor me as their mother. Each Mother’s Day, he would take them shopping to buy something for me, had them make me a card - because cards mean a lot to me - and would get them up early to make me breakfast in bed.
Fathers, I challenge you to teach your children to honor their mom. It is your responsibility.
Maybe your mom had some problems and hurt you in some ways emotionally or physically- or both.
I have counseled many people that have bitterness and resentment towards their mother. Unfortunately, those thoughts and feelings hold the person, not the mother, in bondage.
If your mom has hurt you, let you down, not been there for you, made wrong choices, do yourself a favor and forgive her this Mother’s Day. Forgiveness truly is a gift you give to yourself as much as to her. You do not have to tell her you forgive her, rather, it can just be a conversation between you and God.
Perhaps your biological mom is not around any longer and there is another woman in your life that is like a mom. When my mom got Parkinson's Disease and dementia, there was another woman that became my “other mother” as I call her. I am forever grateful for her guidance, love and presence in my life.
There are many women that have never given birth that have found ways in which to serve as mothers to others. Never underestimate the value of being a presence in someones life and do not forget to thank those that have been like a mom to you. They are God’s gift to you.
I have many people that call me “Mom” that I did not give birth to, but for whom I’ve tried to be there for them in their lives. I know God has put me in their lives to invest in them.
If you are a young mom, I want to encourage you to enjoy - find the joy - in every stage of mothering. I raised three children and sometimes the days seemed like they would never end. Someone always needed something from me and often times I struggled to balance work, each child’s needs, discipline, training and teaching them about how to walk with God.
There were times I would laugh and say to my friends, “where do I turn in my mother button?” My children are now 36, 31, and 27 and those long mothering days are over and it is such a joy to see the fruit of my labor in their lives today.
Training your children to walk with God is one of the most important things you can do for your child because you will not always be with them but God will.
I challenge you to make teaching them scripture, teaching them to pray, and teaching them how to walk with God a priority. There is no grater joy than to see your grown kids walk with God and teach their own children - your grandchildren about Jesus.
Motherhood is not easy but it is worth it. One of the scriptures that kept me going and that I would pray over myself during the long days of mothering was Proverbs 31:25 It says, “She is clothed with strength and dignity and she can laugh at the days to come.”
I pray this for each mother this Mother’s Day and pray this Mother’s Day will be a healing time for all.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie is a native of the Hill Country. She is passionate about helping others to discover their value and worth. You can contact her at kathleenmaxwell1@gmail.com or visit her blog at www.themaxwellminutes.blogspot.com
