The Impact of a Godly Mother
Deut. 6:1-7 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
That last sentence is our family’s theme verse, and the basis for our home educating style – Life Schooling. Let’s look at two Godly mothers from the Bible and observe how they made the biggest impact on their child(ren).
Jochebed, Moses’ Mother (we know her name from Num. 26:59)
Exodus 2:1-10 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him 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. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
In the space between verses 9 and 10 was Moses’ early childhood with his mother caring for him and teaching him. There are no further details, but somehow in these several fleeting years, Jochebed instilled in Moses such a faith in the true God that he never forgot who he was and to Whom he belonged. The New Testament explains more about how even though he was raised and trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and no doubt their many gods and their religion, when he was grown he stood up for his “brothers,” the children of Israel and chose to side with them, giving up riches, fame, and the name he could have had as Pharaoh’s son.
Acts 7:20-25 At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, 21 and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.
Hebrews 11:23-28 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
Interestingly, Moses wrote Psalm 90 which is about how short our lives are and how quickly time passes. He instructs us with the famous verse “Teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.” We are not told this explicitly, but it is obvious from the fruit of Moses’ faithful life that Jochebed used every bit of the short time she had to raise her son, teaching him diligently and talking of God and His Laws throughout everything they did in life, just as the Deuteronomy verse tells us to do. Maybe she was motivated by knowing his life easily could have been shorter yet except for her bravery and God’s grace. We don’t know how much time we have with our children, but from those mothers who have been there before us, we can be assured it will go too fast and seem too short. (Can you imagine having to give up your child to be raised by someone else after pouring into him all the love and training about God you could and just hoping that he would not forget his mother’s teachings? Prov. 1:8)
Make the most of the TIME God has given us with our children.
Have you chosen to stay home and focus on raising your children? Have you chosen to homeschool, which gives you as much time as you could possibly have to teach your children instead of giving much of that time away (often to the Godless government school)? Do we have a lifestyle that is not tied to our smartphone, internet connection or TV, giving our kids a mother who is fully PRESENT?
Eunice, Timothy’s Mother (& Lois, Timothy’s Grandmother)
2 Timothy 1:5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
Acts 16:1-3a Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him
2 Timothy 3:14-15 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Paul’s words to Timothy: 1 Timothy 4:11-16 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Philippians 2:19-22 I [Paul] hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.
1 cor 4:17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.
1 Thess 3:2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith
These verses show what kind of a man Timothy was. He played a big role in spreading the Gospel with Paul and others and founding the early churches. The fact that Timothy believed in Christ is credited to his mother who was a believing Jew. Interestingly it is noted his father was a Greek (Gentile), but doesn’t specify whether he believed as well, but we know for sure Eunice and his grandma taught Timothy about God. As with Moses, the fruit of his life is testament to his mother’s (and grandmother’s) faithful raising of him. He was to live as an example even though he was young, and was to teach others. He was a compassionate, others-focused, caring man. He was a missionary who helped multiply the Gospel many times over. Many early Christians came to faith or were strengthened and encouraged in their faith through Timothy. And Timothy’s sincere faith, the Bible tells us, was from a faith-filled mother.
The most important thing we can teach our children is to instill in them faith in Jesus Christ.
I’m so encouraged when I visit friends’ homes and see Bible verses that they have up that the kids are learning or that the parents are committing to memory! Do we talk about God? Are things from His Word woven throughout our days just like Deuteronomy instructs? Is our kids’ schooling and academic education based on the Bible? Do we take them to church and things like Awana? You are assuring that in the important season of life that is childhood they will be familiar with the wisdom for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, just as Eunice instilled this in Timothy!
“What is a godly mother? A godly mother is one who loves the Lord her God with all her heart, soul, mind and strength and then passionately, consistently and unrelentingly teaches her child to do the same.” Elizabeth George
The mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom. – Henry Ward Beecher
“All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her. – George Washington
“I learnt more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians in England.” John Wesley
“My mother was the source from which I derived the guiding principles of my life.” John Wesley
“Never could it be possible for any man to estimate what he owes to a godly mother.” Charles H. Spurgeon
“No man is poor who has a Godly mother.” – Abraham Lincoln
“You are as much serving God in looking after your own children, training them up in God’s fear, minding the house, and making your household a church for God as you would be if you had been called to lead an army to battle for the Lord of hosts.” Charles H. Spurgeon
May we be Godly mothers who use the time we have with our children to instill in them faith in Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Lord, help me to be like Jochebed making the most of the time I have with my child(ren), and like Eunice, instilling in them faith in Jesus Christ. And I pray that they will choose You and not forsake their mother’s teaching (Proverbs 1:8).
