MOTHERS: The Port & The Source
Happy Mother’s Day to my mom, Doris Monk, and all the mom’s out there, whether by your blood or His! What do I mean by that? Some women have been blessed to give birth to children. I put adoptive moms in the category of birth moms. They chose a child and basically say in their hearts “you are now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” and those kids become so much a part of them, that there is no difference between them and the children who are related by blood.
Other women, like me, have found the joys of motherhood through the ways of the spirit. As believers, we have chosen to embrace God’s gift of being a mom by being spiritual moms to those who have become related to us by the shed blood of the Lamb.
In the Greek, mother is meter (may’-tare). In addition to meaning “mother”, that word is also defined as “the source of something”. Makes sense when you think of it in terms of a woman giving birth. As a spiritual mom, I am choosing to think of it in another way. Mom’s raise their children and send them out into the world, hoping they reflect the values she raised them with. She becomes the source of their morality, and in many cases, the blame if that morality is missing. How many movies / tv shows have we seen where a man’s mother is praised based on his success with words like, “your mother did something right” or “your mom did a good job” or “your mom raised you well”? We have also seen the opposite. When kids don’t turn into the best adults, even if they were “raised right”, moms get a lot of the blame, and even take that blame on themselves.
I absolutely love the definition of spiritual moms being “the source of something”. Some may think those afternoon meetings at Starbucks, late night phone calls, and constant cycles around the same mountain of trouble with that young person didn’t mean much, but I believe those moments are priceless. That’s where the power of mom is activated! You may not see it or feel it, but it’s in that wisdom, correction, and encouragement you are dropping that their success on the mission field, in the pulpit, on the streets evangelizing, or in the market place is determined. Can they be successful without a spiritual mom? Sure. Will they be more successful having had one? YES!!! Your wisdom gave them direction, your correction showed them the limitations of wrong thinking and wrong actions, and your encouragement gave them the ability to cry out with confidence, “I am one of the the people that know their God, and I shall prove myself strong and shall do exploits for Him!” (Daniel 11:32)
In Hebrew, mother is ‘em. It means exactly what you think it means. It also applies to Deborah’s relationship to the people of Israel. Deborah was a prophet, a judge, a wife, and I’m pretty sure the only female military leader the Bible speaks of. For those spiritual moms who don’t think much of themselves and the importance of their role in the life of their spiritual children, think of Deborah. That’s what the Lord thinks of you! He gives you the ability to “see” for your children as you raise them, lead them in the plans and purpose of God for them until they can lead themselves, and reveal the plans of the enemy so that they can choose the right path.
That word ‘em is also defined as “the point of departure or division”. The picture of spiritual moms being a “safe port” immediately came to mind!
The legal definition of “a safe port” is “A port will not be safe unless, in the relevant period of time the particular ship can reach it, use it and return from it without, in the absence of some abnormal occurrence, being exposed to danger which cannot be avoided by good navigation and seamanship.
In other words, a safe port is only safe when the ship can use it safely, without exposure to danger that cannot be avoided by good navigation and seamanship. Spiritual moms, you are the place of teaching. The source where our children learn to skillfully navigate the rough waters of life before being sent into the world, into their chosen profession, into their ministry calling etc. They might be able to depart without you, but they won’t do it as well! There are so many people launching their ships from unsafe ports, where the danger doesn’t even have to be abnormal to take them out. Just regular, everyday dangers and problems trip them up, delay them, or keep them stranded indefinitely. They need you!
Did you know that through prayer and intercession, you can be a spiritual mom as well? I have kids that don’t even know I exist. People that I take one look at (on the streets, in stores, on TV, etc) and know they are mine to bring to God. They don’t know the prayers of Momma K are the source of their strength and courage to embrace Jesus. I’m sure many of you can say the same! Can you imagine how beautiful our Heavenly meeting will be with those strangers in the flesh, but children of our hearts?!
If you are a woman without kids, I would encourage you to find some. There are billions of people in this world who need a point of departure from a good port, people who need a source of strength to see and acknowledge Jesus. That person could be you! Perhaps you’ve already had your kids and you’ve been an empty nester for a while. A mother’s nest should never be empty! That’s my opinion, obviously, but I’m sticking to it. Remember, there are billions of people out there! If each one of us reached just one, the impact to the Kingdom of God on earth would be mind-blowing! Remember Genesis 3:15 when God was speaking to the snake in the Garden: “And I will place great hostility between you and the woman, and between her seed and yours. He will crush your head as you crush his heel.” (TPT) Jesus may have been wounded by the snake, but HE GAVE A DEATH BLOW to satan by the power of His cross and resurrection. Spiritual moms, let’s keep the blows going through our children! Satan is defeated, but his plans feel so alive and powerful sometimes; especially to our spiritual kids. We can be their port of victory, sending them into the world with the knowledge that his attacks are that of an already defeated, desperate, devil who is trying to trick them into thinking he has the power to actually win. We can be their source of knowledge into the ways of victorious living!
Notice the picture at the top of this blog. Rough waters leading to sharp rocks and a cliff face. That’s how life can be for many people. As spiritual moms, we can “make their feet like hinds feet”, able to handle the rough terrain that the rough waters of life lead them to. If you’ve never taken advantage of this opportunity to be a mom, whether you think it’s because your time has passed or whether you think your time never came, I hope this word encourages you. Be a mom! It doesn’t have to be a child (meaning under 18). Some of my spiritual children are WAY OLDER THAN ME, in the natural, but babies in the spirit or not even born yet in the spirit!
Who has the Lord highlighted as yours? If He hasn’t yet, tell Him you’re ready now, and He will! Happy Mother’s Day!