Why Do We Choose To Honor Our Mothers?

by Olga Hermans

 

 

Do you know the origin of Mother’s Day? Let me tell you the short version: In the United States, Mother’s Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother’s Day meetings in Boston, Mass every year.

 

In 1907 Anna Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother’s Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother’s Day on the second anniversary of her mother’s death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year, Mother’s Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.

Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to ministers, executives, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother’s Day. It was successful as by 1911 Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother’s Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May. He established the day as a time for “public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” By then it had become customary to wear white carnations to honor departed mothers and red to honor the living, a custom that continues to this day.

Let’s see what the Bible says how we should honor our mothers.

We all know the story of Genesis where we can read that God created the heavens, the earth, and every living thing in it. Then he created man and put him in the garden. After God created the animals, he saw that man was alone and needed a companion; a helpmate. Therefore, he created woman.

Adam called his wife’s name Eve because she was the mother of all living humans. The Amplified Bible says that Eve’s name means “lifespring,” because she was the mother of all the living. Beautiful name, isn’t it? Women have the ability to bring forth life. Of course, we can’t bring it forth by ourselves, we need the man – but most of all we need God. Because he stamps the approval on it and puts the breath of life into that little body that we are conceiving. It is such a miracle!

We know as mothers that we’re not perfect all the time. We make mistakes. However, as children, we can’t hold those mistakes against our parents. Parents are human and they will make mistakes. God tells us clearly to honor your father and your mother.

We have to realize that they’re human. And they will make mistakes. But, notwithstanding any of that, God tells us in Exodus 20:12, “to honor your father and your mother”.

The promise tells us that we will live a long life when we honor our parents. If you don’t honor them, you cut the connection to long life. The Bible does not say honor if you think they deserve it. He says honor your father and your mother.

There are moments that we think we know more than they do and we like to do it our way and fall on our face and then try to hide it from everybody.

Mothers have a special anointing from God to be a mother. That anointing starts to flow when we honor her.

Often times, we run into people who are so angry with their parents. Then they wonder why things aren’t going right for them. You’re only hurting yourself, because your life is connected to how you honor your mother.

You honor her in how you live. You honor her in how you pay attention to the instructions that she gives you. You have to honor her because God commanded you to honor her.

Now, “honor,” in the dictionary means “to show special esteem or respect. To show profound respect mingled with love and devotion.” She is an authority figure and it is a commandment from God to love her, to respect her, to show her honor, to esteem her, to see her as valuable. She gave you the opportunity to be here and experience the blessings of God on your life.

I lost my mother when I was 21 years of age; two years before that, I lost my father. This was an incredibly confusing time for me. My whole family was in shock; nobody could have imagined that that would happen to us or saw it coming. All of us were in so much pain that we could hardly communicate.

As I have grown older now and I have my own children, I think back at the moments that I began to respect the wisdom that came from my mother. I have a desire to share that with other people that I see that need that in their lives. My mom was not perfect. I am not perfect, I am not a perfect mother, but I do my best, because I know that is all God requires of me.

I have so much more to say; will you come back tomorrow to read the second part? You will not regret it, I promise you. However, let’s prepare for mothers’ day, prepare our heart to do something special for the one who brought you forth into this earth; your mother. It will be one of the best choices you have ever made.

Make a choice today to make it a great Mothers’ Day . 

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