MOTHERS: ELEMENTS OF LOVE

“When we speak of a love received from our spouse, children, or sentimental things in our life, nothing surpasses the feeling generated by what we received from a mother’s love.” Jeff Johnson May 2008

On Mothers Day many of us have mixed emotions. Some of us have mothers who have passed on, some may have mothers where strained relationships exist, many of us have mothers we love and cherish (I can raise my hand here), and some of us have ‘mothers’ without blood ties. When we mention a mother’s love, the majority of us understand how special this love is compared to any other type of love. This special love, given to us by JESUS, has distinct elements which can give us a lesson on love during this mother’s day.

The first element of a mother’s love is it is full of comfort and compassion. GOD offers an explanation this element in Isaiah 66: 13, “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” Compassion is the intrinsic ability to have a sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it. A mother to has a 6^th sense about her children and the ability to find just the right words, to touch and comfort perfectly, and a genuine way to allow us to feel loved deeply is part of a mothers love. The devotion mothers have towards their children is the same devotion Jesus has for us. HE is there waiting to comfort us, to alleviate our pain and sorrow, and to provide relief from distress. Without asking, Jesus, like a mother, knows when HIS children are in need of HIS care and comfort.

The second element is a mother’s love transcends all boundaries. To transcend is to rise above or go beyond the limits of something and to triumph over the negative or restrictive aspects. It also means to go above and beyond a normal call of duty rising above and extending notably beyond ordinary limits. Having a mothers love in your life is very important; so important GOD provided ‘like’ mothers to be in our lives. In Romans 16^: 13, we read, “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too." In Matthew 12: 50, JESUS taught, ⁵⁰"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." My belief is Jesus knew some issues would exist whereby biological mothers (and other family members too) would not be available in our lives, thus HE provided a mothers love to transcend through other people.

The third and last element I will cover is a mother passes her faith to her children so even eternal life is provided as a choice through example. We read in 2 Timothy 1: 5, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” Today, churches are filled with mothers in over whelming numbers praying for their children.

Today is a day when we can see an example of how Jesus cared for HIS mother and copy it. Near death he spoke these words recorded in John 19 :26, When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," ²⁷and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”

Care to our mothers and widows are a responsibility we all share. Take heed and expand the elements of a mothers love in your life. Be a FORWARD STEPPER into a new depth of love and service. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff