My mom passed away unexpectedly over 10 years ago, and Mother's Day always brings mixed emotions. On the one hand, I have a great deal of joy remembering what a great Mother she was and the wonderful mother my wife is. On the other hand, I still feel a bit of sorrow at not being able to honor my mom personally with cards, flowers, gifts and other tokens that symbolize the great love and respect I have for her.
Nevertheless, as I thought about it, I realized through reading Proverbs 31, that there were some substantial ways that I could honor my mom for all the days of my life that go beyond the token efforts of cards, candy and flowers. In Proverbs 31, King Lemuel (aka Solomon) receives valuable instruction from his mother on how to live his life with integrity and goodness. His mother gives him advice in the areas of relationships, economics, compassion, justice and leadership. These life lessons are capped with a call to fear the Lord above all. Ephesians 6:1 tells children to obey their parents in the Lord, for it is the right thing to do. There is no statute of limitations on godly instruction which can be applied effectively for a lifetime, not just one's childhood.
Therefore, the wise words of Proverbs 31 provide each one of us with a template for living in a manner that allows us to honor our moms long after they have departed this life and long after our hair has turned grey. Are you honoring your mom today? Micah 6:8 lays out the template in terms that are easy to understand:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Live by these words and honor your mom today! Until next time,
Sam.
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