By Jesse Hollington
As wonderful as May is for its spring flowers, it’s also the month we celebrate the most beautiful flowers in our lives: our mothers. As followers of Christ, we’re called not only to honour our own moms but also all mothers within the larger body of believers. After all, these are the women who shoulder much of the responsibility of training up the next generation in the way they should go.
For Christian moms today, it can be challenging to juggle the everyday responsibilities of motherhood while maintaining a Christ-centered influence on their kids. I spoke with several moms in my local church to find out how they do it, and while there’s no doubt they feel the weight of their calling, they all agreed they aren’t doing it by themselves; Godly motherhood requires the help of the Holy Spirit.
Keeping their kids on track can be difficult, but these moms agreed that it’s vital to stay on top of what’s happening in our culture while remaining grounded in God’s word. This lets them have intentional conversations with their kids about what’s happening around them and put that into a biblical perspective.
Kate, a mother of three kids nearing adolescence, noted that it’s important “not to shy away from topics that might be sensitive, especially for teens facing difficult topics like identity and sexuality.” Marianne, who has two younger boys, added that keeping herself grounded in God’s word means that “no matter what the world is telling them, I can instruct them in the truth of God’s unchanging word.”
The moms also agreed it’s essential to lead by example. Paula, who also has two young sons, admitted that if she had to do it over again, she would have tried to model a stronger relationship with Christ by devoting more time to prayer and Bible reading around her children.
Kate echoed that thought, adding that it’s also good to illustrate the love of Christ by showing grace when they make mistakes, being able to forgive, and admitting mistakes and saying you’re sorry to your children, even when they’re little. In the end, Kate offers this advice for struggling moms: “Don’t feel like you need to be super mom. Rely on God.”
