Spiritual Mothers

I look down at my hens and chicks and I see a mother.  A mother that is producing offspring.  A mother who has taken in nutrients and energy and grown to the point where she can give to her children.

Hens and chicks remind me of the importance of spiritual mothers.

II Timothy 2 Paul recounts the significance of mothers.

I thank god whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.  As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.  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.  For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of god, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and 

self-control.

There is an impartation that occurs between faith filled mothers and daughters and that faith can and should be fanned into flame.  

Many of us did not have mothers who directed them onto the path of faith however, I was very blessed to have a mother who had an intimate relationship with Jesus and she displayed a sincere faith in God. (My Dad did as well but this post is about mothers)

My mother proceeded through life fully trusting the Lord just for the sheer fact that she had no other choice.  But in the trusting she passed on a legacy of faith and for that I am grateful.

Everyone of us needs spiritual mommas.  They don't have to be our biological mothers and sometimes they aren't even necessarily older than us.

I called a dear friend today that I had confided in about a situation that I have been praying about.  As she spoke I sensed this motherly affection and encouragement coming from her heart.  I was able to just share from my heart's bad attitude and all and she gave good solid godly counsel.  

There were very few women in my life other than my mom and my grandmother.  I spent most of my time with them.  My grandmother was a "dyed in the wool" Catholic and always took time to pray her rosary.   These women modeled lives of prayer, devotion and faith and in so doing I saw the importance of having a relationship with Jesus.

I have had seasons in my life where I longed for and asked for a spiritual momma and it seemed like God was not answering.  About 2 years later, a woman showed up at our church due to devastating circumstances.  Within a short period of time it became evident to me that my prayer had been answered.

It was so interesting to hear of the distinct similarities in our biological father's lives.  I gained great strength and encouragement from her as we would talk and share.  She understood me.  She was willing to sit with me, she was committed to talk through things with me in the Bible.

Titus 2 is a mandate to the older women in the church to teach the younger women.

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine.  They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Our relationships with spiritual mothers are a necessary component for our spiritual growth and maturity.

Lord, help us to be willing to surround ourselves with spiritual mothers.  And Father, I pray that the older women of the church would be willing to give their time to the younger women in order that we would be taught by them how to behave and bring glory to the word and work of God through our pure and respectful lives.