Who is a Mother?

By Bill Brandstatter       Motherhood is very beautiful. William Goldsmith Brown once stated, “The sweetest sounds to mortals given are heard in mother, home, and heaven.” Abe Lincoln said, “All that I am, or can be, I owe to my angel mother.”     Society, however, has changed the concept of motherhood. Now we hear terms like: “two mommies,” and “my baby’s momma” to describe situations that are different from God’s original intentions for motherhood. Let us look at who is a mother from the Biblical perspective.     A mother is not just a woman who has offspring. That is the dictionary definition. It is, however, not totally accurate. A mother is one whose chief aim is “watch over the ways of her household.” (Prov. 31:27; Titus 2:4-5) A woman needs to consider the responsibility of being a mother before she ever has children. Unfortunately, many young women, in a moment of lust and momentary pleasure, create children and do not consider the cost.     A mother is not a female who has a paper from the government saying she is a mother. This is the situation with same-sex couples. God never intended same-sex couples to be parents. The first example of parents is Adam and Eve. The Bible tells us “He created male and female.” (Gen. 5:2) That is God’s original married couple. From that couple came Cain and Abel. (Gen. 4:1, 2) That was God’s original father and mother.     The ideal situation of motherhood involves a man and woman who are married. That couple has children. The woman is a mother and the man is a father. This is God’s ideal. Keeping the home and guiding it is non-negotiable for a Christian woman. (Titus 2:2-5; 1 Tim. 5:14) Children of a worthy woman rise up and call her blessed. (Prov. 31:28) Paul, in describing the woman’s place in God’s plan, writes in 1 Tim. 2:15, “She will be saved in childbearing.” It should be a joy to be a mother. (John 16:21) A woman’s highest calling is to be a mother. “Children are a heritage from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward.” (Psa. 127:3)

- Bill Brandstatter preaches for the Marion Church of Christ in Marion, IL. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://marionchurchofchrist.com/