5 Mothers to Learn from in the Bible

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well" (Psalm 139:13-14).

Mother’s Day is just a couple weeks away, and if you are reading this, then you, like me, have a mother to thank. God used your mother as an instrument to craft you and make you into a son or daughter. He used her to bring you into this world so that you could in turn, bring glory to God. In your mother’s womb, God knitted you together. This is such a beautiful picture of God’s heart and His involvement in the very details of our lives. 

Our mothers deserve so much. They deserve our hearts, our love, and our appreciation. Whether you had a great experience in your upbringing, or you came up in a broken home, God chose your mother to play a vital role in your life and bring you into this world. You are no accident. God’s choice in your mom was no accident. God is Sovereign. Our trust in that truth can bring healing and hope to our lives.

I know as parents we say that our children are gifts from God. In a similar respect, let’s see our mothers as God’s gift to us. They nurtured us. Cared for us. Fed us. Clothed us. Changed us. Bathed us. Held us in our best moments. Held us in our darkest. When we could do nothing, they did everything. Our mothers are truly gifts from God. 

Looking at the Scriptures, we can find so many examples of the forming relationships between a mother and her child. Let’s take the following five examples and see how every person, male or female, can learn from the example provided by the mother:

Hannah

We can emulate Hannah’s faith and dedication of her most prized possession (Samuel) to the Lord.

"For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD" (1 Samuel 1:27-28).

Jochebed

We can learn from Jochebed’s love for Moses and the lengths she was willing to go to protect the helpless (Moses).

"When [Jochebed] could hide [Moses] no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank" (Exodus 2:3)

Elizabeth

We can learn from Elizabeth’s commitment to the LORD to remain faithful and live in obedience to God all the days of our lives.

"And [Zechariah and Elizabeth] were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years" (Luke 1:6-7).

Mary

We can learn from Mary to bow our knees and our heart to God and submit to His call and cherish His will for our lives.

Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word…And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”…But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Luke 1:38,46-47, 2:19).

Sarah

We can learn from Sarah to believe God to be faithful to His Word even in times when the world would tell us to give up.

"By faith, Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised" (Hebrews 11:11)

God has given mothers as gifts to cherish and learn from. On Mother's Day, let’s join together and celebrate our mothers for their God-given role in helping us to become the man or woman we are today. 

Publication date: April 26, 2016