Attributes of a Godly Mother for Mother’s Day

Mothers are vital to the development of children, and her children are blessed if she has the attributes of a godly mother.

Blesses Others

I am so blessed to have a wife that is a godly mother. I’ve never seen such a godly wife and mother, so what are the marks of a godly woman? What attributes show her heart is devoted to the Lord? Most of us might point to Proverbs 31 and refer to what is called “The Proverbs 31 Woman.” Many godly women care for others, often more than themselves! Solomon tells us that the godly woman “opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy” (Prov 31: 20). She realizes that she has been blessed so she wants to bless others who are in need. The godly woman knows that “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Prov 30:30). Her “fear” is a deep reverential respect, fear and awe of God, reflected in her obedience to God.

Blesses her Family

Even the unsaved mother cares for her family, but not the same as a godly mother does. The godly mother “looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness” (Prov 30:27). It is very likely that she will get up very early, “while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens” (Prov 30:15). A godly woman has a servant’s heart; always looking to the needs of her family…even to her own neglect. This is truly a mark of a godly woman.

Blesses her Animals (Pets)

Obviously our cares for His creatures for our “heavenly Father feeds them” (Matt 6:26), but so does a godly woman (Prov 40:15). My wife is a supreme example of someone who cares for animals; either for our own or for strays; those who have been abandoned or orphaned. She is not only the “people ambulance” but also the pet ambulance, taking our cats to the vet when necessary and for regular vaccinations. She does not do this from a Bible command but out of a loving heart. God makes it clear that “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel” (Prov 12:10). We may not think sparrows are worth very much because there are typically thousands of them and they’ve very small and insignificant, but our Lord reminds us that “two sparrows [are] sold for a penny…yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father” (Matt 10:29)? God takes notices of what we consider the least of the creatures, but that’s what godly people do. They never abuse, mistreat, frighten or neglect creatures of God, no matter where they come from or whose they are.

Blesses Widows and Orphans

Godly women don’t have to be told to care for those who are unseen or rejected by society and sometimes by the church (the poor, destitute, single mothers, etc.). They might be invisible to most of the world, but they’re highly visible to the godly woman, and of course to God. My wife visits the local nursing home and ministers to these ladies and men. She is loved by them as a daughter because she treats them with dignity and respect. That is yet another mark of a godly woman. She visits the orphans and widows in their loneliness and isolation. God defines “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27), so my wife’s got that down! True religion is a faith with feet on it. It’s “goes” and doesn’t just talk. Knowing that almost 4 in 10 residents never receive visitors, this woman enriches their lives and shares her love of God with residents, visiting family members and with the staff who work there. God is the “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation” (Psalm 68:5), and so are godly woman. I remember this great axiom: “Ninety percent of serving is just showing up!”

Blessing the Afflicted

Naturally a godly women will not mistreat anyone, especially the elderly, the poor and the vulnerable. It’s as if God has written this law on her heart; “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child” (Ex 22:22). By the way, that Law is not part of the Mosaic Law that was done away with by Christ. And we can actually mistreat widows and orphans by simply neglecting them. I wished I could encourage you by telling you that Christians visit their family in nursing homes more than the unsaved do, but that’s not true. It’s about the same percentage for the unsaved, but this is not an area of neglect for the godly woman and mother. Every one of us should “stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD” (Lev 19:32). If you’re sitting down and an elderly person walks into the room, then stand up. This type of respect and honor for the elderly has just about disappeared from our society and even in the church!

Conclusion

To honor our mothers will never go out of style. Honoring parents is still commanded in the New Testament (Eph 6:2) as if it was written by the finger of God (Ex 20:12), and it was (2 Tim 3:16-17). What God has written shall abide forever (Psalm 119: 89; Isaiah 40:6-8; 1 Pet 2:5), meaning it will never expire or need to be updated. God’s Word is settled in heaven.

Here are three things tell us a lot about a person’s character;

How do they treat their mother?

How do they treat children?

How do they treat animals?

Even better, how do they treat strangers or people who are much different from the way they are? A godly woman has no prejudice, and like God, is not partial (Rom 2:11-16). It’s a blessing to have a godly mother who is loving, kind, and gentle, but remember; she is also like a lioness when her children are threatened, and as a lioness she is ever ready to protect her cubs in a split second, so caution to all who bid her children ill.

If you have never trusted in Christ, you cannot be a godly man or woman. Repent today before Jesus comes as your Judge (Rev 20:12-15) rather than your Savior (Rom 10:9-13). And He could come back today…even while you’re reading this and judge you for all time with no chance of repentance (Rev 21:8). This is why the Bible says today is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2).

Here is some related reading for you: 7 Tips for the Christian Mother

Tagged as: Godly Mother, Mother's Bible Verses, Mothers, mothers day