Happy Other's Day

Mother’s Day has passed. The flower shops, card companies, and restaurants are still counting their profits.

If you are a mom, I hope you felt appreciated and valued last Sunday. More importantly, I trust you get appreciation and gratitude on a regular basis. And if you are a lady who has lost a child or has a prodigal, I hope you find comfort in the fact that your significance is in Christ.

I know you will never give up and will not stop praying. I have heard people say that every day should be Mother’s Day and I don’t disagree with that.

It is hard to believe that my mom has been with the Lord for over 9 years now. I still think of her often and look forward to a grand reunion someday.

I come up with ideas or thoughts and wonder if anyone else in the world has ever considered them before.

It doesn’t take me long to come to my senses and realize that chances are nothing that I think is original really is. But as I preached in my church last Sunday, I took a new angle that I had not thought of before.

I considered common characteristics and actions of mothers. I thought about how God wired a good mother and what makes them tick. Most would characterize mothers as being loving above all else.

The way in which they focus on their families displays love and sacrifice that men are certainly capable of but may have to think about a little harder how to accomplish it and may need to make more of an effort.

As I thought of other character traits and choices of mothers, I realized that it all centers on others. Then I decided to look up Bible verses that contain the word other or one another. There are quite a few of them.

While we may agree that every day should be Mother’s Day, a lot of us don’t have our mothers on this earth anymore. But one thing we know is that our mother would want us to treat others in a way that honors God.

Let’s consider some of these verses that we can all agree mothers who love the Lord are typically good at. We would be wise to imitate the directives found in God’s word. Below is just a sampling. I would encourage you to look for other others verses that also apply.

Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Godly mothers are known for letting their light shine for others to see. Mothers are known for their service and good works. God is glorified when we witness for him and do things for others. We live in a dark world and Christians should desire to shine their light before others.

Most people know the golden rule. Some may not realize it is found in scripture. So, in everything do to others what you would have them do to you (Matthew 7:12). Mothers tend to be masters of the golden rule.

They understand that whatever is said and done should be something they would want said or done to or for them. We would all be wise to think before we act and ask ourselves if the roles were reversed, how would we feel.

Jesus knew the value of basic human kindness and caring for others. There aren’t many rules in life as encompassing and important as the golden one.

As I mentioned earlier, those who had or have a good mother would probably say the top characteristic of a mom is her love. Love is action; and moms know how to take action from the moment they give birth until the day they die.

As we think of how we treat others, we should ask if we are truly ones who sacrifice and do what’s best for others. Do we love as Jesus loved us? As I have loved you, love one another (John 13:34).

Sometimes people will talk about mothers and their devotion to their children and family. It is probably not something a person considers before becoming a parent, but one quickly learns that we must be devoted to our children.

So too are we to be devoted to one another and put others ahead of ourselves. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:10).Here we find the word love again.

When we truly love, devotion becomes more natural and perhaps easier. As much as a mother may like a day off, they rarely get one. As Christians we are always on duty as we look at the needs around us and seek to show love and devotion. We are to honor others even when we don’t feel honored.

Whether a mother has a toddler, teenager, or adult child, there are times when they are not happy with their choices and behaviors. Many mothers have had a broken heart over rebellion and sin. And yet a mother tends to put up with a lot because of the love for their children.

Accept one another then, just as Christ accepted you (Romans 15:7). While we may be troubled by what people do and say, we recognize that we too are sinners. Christ accepts us just as we are, though he expects us to make changes when we are his children. We can accept others without condoning their sin.

Another verse that well describes most mothers is challenging. Be completely humble and gentle; Be patient, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2). The Bible encourages us to be humble a lot.

While it may seem natural for most mothers to be humble, the average person tends to struggle with it. Not only are we to be humble, but also gentle and patient.

There are many opportunities where we must bear with other people even though we may not want to or feel that they deserve it. But when we are really concerned about being a blessing and caring for others we will humble ourselves, be gentle and patient with them.

Jesus is our example of forgiveness. Mothers often forgive even though they may not be able to forget. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:32). God’s kindness leads us to repentance. He is a compassionate God and demonstrated his love and forgiveness through sending Jesus to die on the cross. Who are we who have been forgiven to deny others forgiveness?

I trust that these verses have caused you to think about how you interact with others. Make your mother proud. No matter your age, gender, or maturity level, everyone can try to make each day others day.