Jim Stauffer

One of the great joys and responsibilities for women is giving birth to new life and rearing those children as they grow and become a vital part of family and community. Even more keenly aware of this responsibility is the woman who has devoted herself to serving the Lord. Bringing up a child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, is a grave, even daunting responsibility.

However, it becomes less challenging when a mother realizes she has the greatest influence of all over her children simply due to relationship and time spent in care for them as infants, toddlers and eventually youths heading for adulthood.

The joy of motherhood is expressed by women in the Bible as honor brought to them by the Lord. Listen to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Remember she was barren and conceived late in life as part of God's plan to bring redemption to mankind through His own Son, Jesus Christ. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." (Luke 1:24-25) Following John's birth his father, Zacharias proudly proclaimed the plan God had for John; "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:76-79)

Six months following the conception of Elizabeth, Mary receives a visit from Gabriel advising her she had been chosen to give birth to the Son of God to be conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Her immediate response was confusion since she was not yet married to Joseph, but with further understanding she realized the honor granted her as the mother of Jesus, the Christ, who would save His people from their sins. Her response to this great honor is spoken in these words. And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. (Luke 1:46-49 ESV)

Not only is it a great joy and honor to achieve motherhood but to fully embrace the responsibility affords one the opportunity for the ultimate achievement. One of the greatest examples of this is the life of Hannah, the mother of Samuel the prophet, judge and priest. She also had been barren and had become depressed and saddened in the knowledge she would not attain to those opportunities. She pled her case to God in prayer and her prayer was eventually approved and promised to be fulfilled by Eli. She prayed with the promise to develop a man for God. And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head." (1 Samuel 1:11 ESV)

I submit to you, as do these biblical examples there is no greater service before the Lord than the mother who can nurture her children in the Lord and train them up in the way they should go (Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6)