In just a matter of days, families in Hong Kong will be celebrating Mother’s Day. We are reminded of this day by the floral bouquets and specially designed cards in the shops, and the special offers we see in bakeries and restaurants. How will you be celebrating it? Or, maybe, you might not be planning to.
Families who are blessed with a kind and caring mother may choose to buy something sweet for Mom, or take her out for a special treat, as Mother’s Day is meant to celebrate Mom and to thank her for all that she does for us. But for those of us whose mothers have been largely absent from our lives growing up, or whose kindness we have not seen, how do we respond to this call to celebrate our mothers?
We might feel entitled not to celebrate Mother’s Day. Yet, God in His fifth commandment to His people says, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” This command came only with a promise, but with no condition whatsoever. Clearly, God desires that we honor our father and our mother because they are.
Perhaps this Mother’s Day, God is calling us to be healed in our broken relationship with our mother; or mother-in-law, grandmother, or even our daughter and son. Just as Jesus, the Son of God, came in person to reconcile us to our Father in heaven when He died on the cross for our sins, He wants us to experience reconciliation within our earthly family too. “Now all those who receive Him are freely forgiven and brought into a personal relationship with God.” (John 1:12)
The grace that our Heavenly Father has given us means that we can love our mothers even when we do not feel loved by them. May we bless our mothers and be the vessel that God can use to show His love and hope to them.
Dear Father, thank You for blessing me with the gift of life. In Your wisdom, You chose Mom to be the vessel and means to fulfill Your will. I know that You do not make mistakes. For Your purpose and plan, You chose my Mom for me, to play her role in molding in me the good as well as the bad. Thank You, Lord, for Your grace is always sufficient for me. Help me to honor Mom as You have commanded, for I know that in so doing, it brings glory to Your name. Amen.
May this year’s Mother’s Day be truly a God-honoring one!
For further reflection on this day, read our Discovery Series booklet, titled “What Do You Do With A Broken Relationship?”
Or listen to this episode from our podcast series “God Hears Her”
– Elisa Morgan
Do you have a broken relationship? If so, what have you done with it? Have you ignored it, attacked the person, manipulated the situation, involved the wrong people, talked too much, forgotten timing and tact, covered up, or discarded it?
These are all the wrong things to do. The right thing to do is to repair it by following the steps modeled by God in Christ: love, humility, suffering, invitation, and forgiveness.
If you are a Christian, the Bible instructs you to follow the example of your heavenly Father (Eph. 5:1). You must take the proper steps to restore peace between you and others. No one has all the answers, but following the biblical procedures and principles can make a difference.
