Mother's Day Challenge to Fathers

My glowing wife.

Men may you give your wives and mothers the best Mother's Day they have ever known this year.  There are two types of mothers in this world: the ones who hate or are indifferent to Mother's Day and the ones who look forward to it every year.  A mother's reaction to Mother's Day is directly related to the response of her family and especially her spouse.  As one who is about to become a father and is excited to celebrate Mother's Day with my wife, I have really being thinking about things I can do to celebrate and encourage her this Mother's Day and for Mother's Days to come.  I want my wife to know she is loved and appreciated starting with this Mother's Day and each consecutive Mother's Day for the rest of her life.

Mother's day southern tradition: a red rose for a live mother and a white rose for a mother passed on.

I thought back to the Mother's Days of my youth.  As I think back to those days, I consider some of the things that made Mother's Day special for my mom.  We always dressed our best on Mother's Day and we wore a red rose as a southern tribute to our mother.   In the south you do not forget mothers on Mother's Day in the church.  As a child, I remember dad taking care of breakfast, letting mom pick her favorite restaurant, and each of us getting her gifts of our love.  Though I can't say that we as children always did a great job honoring my mother on Mother's Day, I can confidently say that my dad did and worked hard to teach us to also.

Mother's day in Appomattox, VA

Looking back at the examples in my own life and through the examples of others in my life, I have learned the significance the husband plays in making a mother feel truly appreciated on Mother's Day.  It is not the mother's job to teach her children to appreciate her but in fact her husband's.  The father is the one who, through his example, teaches his children to appreciate their mother.  This is not something that is accomplished through just one day of the year but through an example that is given every single day of the year.

Mother's day in Williamsburg, VA

Our children are watching us men.  They see every kind or hard word we give to our wives; they see our acts of affection and when we ignore our wives; and they learn how to love or hate their mothers through us.  Proverbs 31:28, "Her children arise and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her."  This only happens if we fulfill the second part of this verse men.  Ephesians 5:25-30 says, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.  In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,  because we are members of his body."     

Glowing again

Men tonight I ask, have you being loving your wife and the mother of your children in a way that sanctifies her, presents her as holy and without blemish, and with a love that is equal to a love for yourself?  If not, I hope you will take time to examine the scripture, ask forgiveness of your wife and children for not loving your wife the way you should, and take the steps to become the husband and father the Bible calls you to be.  It is time we step up and live Courageously in loving our wives and families.  It is time we truly honor our wives on this Mother's Day.

No explanation needed.

For those of you who had father's who never taught you to truly love and respect your mother or had no father at all, I hope you will spend time reading Proverbs 31.  I hope you will not look at Proverbs 31 as a way to identify all the traits your mother may not have but as a way to understand how you are supposed to treat your mother with respect and love.  Ways to do this can be as easy as calling her,  taking her out to eat, or even as simply as just spending time with her.  I hope you will take genuine steps this Mother's day to show your mother you truly love her. 

Happy Mother's day!

Blessings,

Greg

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