Moms Are Disciple Makers
Monday— So correct me, LORD, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die. Jeremiah 10:24
Billy cowered in the corner of the room. He’d really done it now. His last foster mother would have beaten him black and blue for denting her car door. He hadn’t been in this home long enough to know how this would go down, but he was hiding just in case. He shivered in fear when Mrs. Ames opened the door. “Billy, are you in here? I saw what you did and I know it was an accident. You were being careless, but I’m not angry.” Billy caught his breath. Did she mean it? Her voice was soft and kind. “Please come out and we can talk about it. There will be a consequence to help you learn, but we’ll talk about it first. I’ll never correct you in anger.” Could this be true? So different from his last foster home. Her gentleness took away the fear.
A mother is a child’s first experience with the world. The way children view God is shaped by their first experiences with authority, so God expects parents to represent Him well. While giving birth does not make a woman a worthy representative, a good mother models God’s gentleness. If He gave us what we deserve, none of us would survive. Instead, He poured out His righteous wrath on Jesus so that those saved by His grace receive only gentle consequences. Discipline may not feel gentle at the time, but compared to the gravity of what we’ve done, God’s discipline is merciful. As a loving mother gently corrects her child, God corrects us. He picks us up when we fall, comforts us when we’re afraid, and reminds us of His promises for a better tomorrow. He doesn’t have to be gentle with us, but because He is, we can pass that on to other people.
Challenge: Do you reflect the gentleness of God to those in your care?
Prayer: Lord, you present yourself to us as a Father, but you also have the traits of a loving mother. You watch over us, think of us, protect us, and deal gently with us. Help me extend your gentleness to those around me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Tuesday— The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have good understanding. Ps.111:10
“Don’t swallow your gum. It’ll stick your insides together!” “Why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free?” “You’re gonna put somebody’s eye out!” “Pretty is as pretty does.”
Motherly wisdom. Moms and grandmas give big doses of it whether we want it or not. They taught us that kisses heal scraped knees, they have eyes in the back of their heads, and we must never wear ragged undies in case we’re in a car wreck. But a good mother’s wisdom goes deeper than clichés. Life has taught her a few things and she wants to pass them on. She teaches because she loves. She’s like God in that way. If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, we won’t have wisdom if we don’t honor Him. We can be book smart, street smart, or a smart Aleck, but wisdom only comes from seeking God. Good mothers teach children that foolish actions have consequences. God’s word says the same thing. If we listen to both of them, we avoid a lot of pain and regret. Children who learn to respect Mom’s wisdom are in better position to respect God’s.
Challenge: Heeding wise counsel—from Mom and God—turns us into fountains of wisdom for the next generation.
Prayer: Father, thank you for the people in my life who have helped shape me with their wisdom. May it not go to waste. Help me pursue wisdom that starts with you so that I can share it with those coming after me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Wednesday— For you, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, abounding in faithful love to all who call on you. Psalm 86:5
Dan flipped on the living room light and startled his wife sleeping on the floor beside their little son. “What are you doing here?” he whispered. “It’s 3 o o’clock in the morning.” Marta rubbed her grainy eyes and pointed to their son. “He was too upset to sleep after we punished him,” she murmured. “He asked me to sit with him so I did and…I guess I fell asleep too. We were right to punish him; he has to learn. But I love him so much…” Dan smiled and his eyes misted. “You’re amazing,” he whispered. “I never worry that our kids won’t understand God. You model His patience and forgiveness every day.” He kissed her hair. “Here, scoot over. I’ll take your place. You go back to bed. We’ll talk to him together in the morning.”
Like a patient mother walking the floor with a feverish child, our heavenly Father stays up at night with us. When our broken hearts, broken dreams, or broken bodies keep us awake, He’s right there. We don’t have to apologize for droning on, expressing our fears, or falling back to sleep. He’s patient with us. Psalm 121 reminds us that God never sleeps, so our 3 am chat sessions don’t offend Him. Yes, He’s heard it all before. Yes, we may be crawling back in shame. But His patience doesn’t have a limit. He’ll sit on the floor with us, reminding us of His promises. Even though we deserved the consequences, He’s eager to restore the relationship. As a mother patiently rocks a fussy toddler, God patiently rocks us until our hearts can rest.
Challenge: No matter what the dilemma, God is patient with us like a loving mother with her crying child.
Prayer: Father, I’m so glad you don’t sleep because sometimes I need you in the dead of night. Thank you for being patient with me. Help me learn from my mistakes so you don’t have to keep sitting on the floor with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Thursday— Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous… Psalm 139:14
“You’re supposed to dress like a Roman solider tomorrow?” Mom gasped. “It’s for a grade?” Jason wrinkled his nose and tried to look cute. “Yeah…um, I forgot…sorry.” Mom shut her eyes and counted to ten while Jason held his breath. When Mom opened her eyes, she had that look. “Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do…” She was up half the night, but by the time the school bus came, Jason’s costume could have passed military inspection—except for the carboard shield and spear.
A mom’s ability to create masterpieces out of thin air is a gift from God, the ultimate Creator. He pulled an entire universe out of thin air—oh, and He also made the air. His creativity knows no limits; its evidences are all around us: color, scents, DNA, the human eye... Then He placed some of that creativity in each of us and wants to see it blossom. When we write a song, paint a picture, design a room, or build a house, we are reflecting our Father’s creativity. God also created some pretty bizarre-looking things (the platypus?), so we shouldn’t let fear or embarrassment keep us from developing our own brands. When children watch their parents experiment with creativity, they’re inspired to try it too. More important than the cardboard armor, Jason will remember his mother’s ingenuity, her ability to make something good out of nothing. She reflected the creativity of God.
Final Thought: Don’t let fear of failure or embarrassment keep you from developing the creativity God gave you.
Prayer: Father, thank you for being so creative and for putting some of that creativity in me. Forgive me for wasting it. Help me uncover some passions you’ve placed in my heart and develop them as much as I can. I want to create like you do. Amen.
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Friday— If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5
Most of us had a mom, an aunt, or a grandma who exemplified generosity. Every meal at her house was an invitation to gluttony. “Here, don’t you want some more green beans? Did you like the roast? Have some more. Take some of that pie home with you.” Mealtimes, she wouldn’t sit with the rest of us but kept popping up, shoving delicacies on us until we felt ashamed for not having another helping. Good mothers are generous with their children and that generosity reflects God’s generosity toward us. It would have been enough that He filled this planet with a million delights for our enjoyment, but He didn’t stop there. He went beyond merely providing for our earthly needs; He has also provided for our eternal ones.
Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” We tend to be chintzy when we pray, as though God has a limited supply of blessings and we fear taking more than our share. That kind of praying reflects a poor image of God. In reality, He is a loving Father who dotes on His kids. He invites our requests, even the bizarre ones, and says “yes” to as many of them as we can handle. When our lives honor Him, He delights to honor us. We need only look around to see His generosity. As a loving mother fills her children’s lives with good things, so our heavenly Father does the same. Mom’s resources may have been limited, but God’s are not. So ask away!
Final Thought: Like a generous mother, God loves to pour blessings on us. Are you thanking Him for them?
Prayer: Father, thank you for your generosity. Thank you for placing people in my life who were also generous with me. Sometimes I’m afraid to ask for all I want, but you are a generous Father and you tell me to. So here goes…
