A Mother's Heart

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

Throughout history, when the world became filled with evil, God sent a child. But before the child, God chose a mother. God created mothers with a special bond with their children. During the pregnancy, a mother bonds with her child and develops chemical and physical responses that last a lifetime. God designed this relationship and has used the unique nature of a mother's love to change the course of history. So God chose Mary, a young woman who obediently followed God's choosing and direction, both of which changed her life and ours forever.

The bond of a mother with her newborn is almost instantaneous. One particular study found that 90% of new moms could identify their newborns by scent alone within ten minutes of cuddling time with those babies. After sixty minutes of bonding time, 100% of mothers could identify their newborns by smell alone ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3691966/ ).

God gave mothers a special kind of love for children. A mother has a heart for her children. She aggressively fights to protect, tenderly strives to nourish and lovingly cuddles to nurture her babies. God designed a mother's heart with unique and life-changing gifts for her children.

Mothers have a protective heart. In Exodus 2:1-10, we read how Moses' mother hid her baby from the evil edict of Pharoah, which demanded the slaughter of Hebrew babies. She creatively made an ark in which to place her son and hide him along the river bank. Few people could conceive of such a plan or effectively implement such an idea. However, this mother had an unquenchable desire to protect her chosen child. Similarly, Pharoah's daughter instinctively saved the babe from her father's maniacal plans. Because of the protective nature of these women, God used Moses to change the course of history for His chosen people and lead them out of bondage to the Promised Land.

Likewise, mothers watch over the souls of their children. They prepare a way of safety for their children to live. Just as a grizzly bear mother can protect her cubs from male grizzlies twice her size, mothers possess great strength and fortitude while protecting their young. Mothers have a sacred responsibility to protect their babies. No wonder no matter how old children become, they are always their mother's baby.

Mothers have an obedient heart. They are willing to sacrifice personal welfare for the sake of their children. So in I Samuel 1:9-28, Hannah prayed earnestly for a child and promised God she would give the baby back to God in return for the blessing of experiencing motherhood. Deep within her soul, she knew she should bear a son. But, what Hannah did not realize, God needed a special son for the years ahead to lead His chosen people from the transition of Judges to the Davidic monarchy.

Hannah's heart was so heavy in prayer; she did not realize just how bizarre her praying looked to others. She poured out her soul in humility before God; much like Christ in Philippians 2:7, Christ "made himself of no reputation" literally means he poured out or emptied himself to take the form of a servant. She came in prayer with a humble heart, went away in peace, and became a woman God prospered.

God burdened Hannah's heart with the desperation of the tumultuous times that lay ahead. The willing sacrifice she made reveals the dire circumstance of her time; yet, few if any other people recognized the urgency of the hour. Nevertheless, Hannah obeyed God, who blessed her with children and prospered a nation because of her sacrifice.

Mothers have a wise heart. So in Proverbs 31, King Lemuel publishes "the prophecy that his mother taught him." This proverb guides a young man on what to look for in a young bride. The descriptive words provide detailed characteristics and behaviors to find in a prospective bride. No doubt, Lemuel's mother wanted the best possible wife for her son. However, she also gave him practical advice on avoiding pitfalls as a leader and cautions him to avoid personal mistakes that could derail his monarchy.

A mother who humbly dedicates her children to God will offer spiritual wisdom to them to guide them closer to God. Just as baby ducklings follow their mother wherever she goes, a mother leads her children in the paths of righteousness.

Reverend Billy Graham told a young and rebellious Franklin Graham that his parents knew he had a choice to make. They said Franklin could choose to rebel against their wishes and choose a life apart from Christ, but they reminded him that they were praying for him and hoped he would choose to follow Christ. Giving children the opportunity to follow Christ for themselves is the best gift you can give them. The example of a godly life should prepare the way. And the opportunity should be shown for the child to enter into the way God has prepared.

Susannah Wesley was the 25th of 25 children. She was the mother of John (her fifteenth child) and Charles Wesley (her eighteenth) and called the "Mother of Methodism;" her dedication and sacrifice put the "method" in Methodism. She bore 19 children, with nine dying as infants. Only eight were alive when she died. Her Sunday school class had over 200 people in attendance. Susannah homeschooled all of her children and taught them the classics along with Greek and Latin. Much of the child-rearing was done by herself as her husband traveled frequently. Twice her home was burned with fire, and her children separated to live with other families. But her desire to give them to God and impart unto them godly wisdom preserved them so they could accomplish great things for God. Today, John Wesley is considered to be one of the top 50 Britons to have ever lived.

"And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Luke 1:28

Finally, Mothers possess a loving heart. Mary experienced a special honor through God's grace. Just as God favored Eve with being the mother of humanity, God bestowed His blessing upon Mary as the mother of God's only Son. Mary understood the precious nature of her calling and cherished her memories of this special time in her life. Just as Christ was the embodiment of God's love for humanity, God chose Mary to love and nurture His only begotten Son. 

Jesus humbly obeyed the wishes of his mother. Possibly, Christ performed miracles for Mary years before He turned the water into wine, the healings, and the feeding of the multitude with the loaves and fishes. Before Jesus ministered unto humanity, he ministered to the needs of his mother. This ministering comes from a heart of love. Christ loved his mother.

"Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home." John 19:27

One of Christ's final acts on the cross was to care for His mother. He knew His time on earth was coming to an end. Soon, He would rise again and ascend into heaven. Yet, He provided for Mary's needs on the darkest day of their lives together. So, rather than waiting until after the resurrection, Christ tasked the Apostle John to care for His mother. Although the suffering of the beating and crucifixion were unbearable, Jesus thought of His mother just before He died.

The Apostle John always refers to Mary not by name but by title: "the mother of Jesus." Thus, John demonstrates the importance of Mary within history and her special relationship with Christ.  

Mary would always possess the joy of Jesus' birth, the marvel of Jesus' life, the pain and horror of Christ's death, and the triumph of Christ's resurrection and ascension. No doubt, when she tasted the pain of death, she was reunited with not only her Savior but also her Son.

A mother's love is unconditional. Every child is a part of her heart; they capture her heart and never relinquish it.

When a mother passes her love for her child to that child, she demonstrates God's unconditional love for us. Through our mother's love, we can learn to love too. One of the greatest privileges a mother can have is to love unconditionally.  

"We love him, because he first loved us." I John 4:19

Through parenting, God allows us to experience His relationship with us.

Just like a conversion experience, once you hold your child in your arms, you will never be the same again. Though you can remember your life before parenthood, you cannot imagine life without your children. Life is new again.

Like a finely crafted jewel, a mother's heart has many facets. The experiences of life are passed down to the next generation by the loving embrace of motherhood. It is to be celebrated and lived out through adversity and accomplishments, joy and sorrow. Being a mother has no expiration date; instead, it is a state of being: you are a mother. Embracing that role in life is the greatest accomplishment achievable.

When on your deathbed, you will not look back at awards, degrees, or medals won. Instead, you will want to look into the eyes of those you love. A mother's love for her child is a perfect bond; a mother's heart for her children is a testament of God's heart for us.