A scarlet cord dropped from a window, laughter outside a tent, tears bathing a desperate prayer. These moments in time mark women who chose to follow God. As I read about the mothers in Dr. Henry Morris III’s feature article this month, I thought about how we remember each of these women from single events in their lives (“Important Mothers in Scripture”).
Eve physically walked in the Garden with her Creator—something none of us have been privileged to do—and yet, we remember her for the sinful choice that impacted humanity and the rest of creation. Rahab invited the spies of Israel into her house, demonstrating her decision to follow the God of Israel. Hannah trusted God and urgently prayed at the tabernacle gate, unconcerned about what others thought of her. Abigail boldly did the right thing for her household, knowing she would face the wrath of a harsh husband. These mothers not only touched their children’s lives, they impacted their world.
As mothers today, we are here for God’s special purposes. While we can’t pass down stories to our children about walking in the Garden of Eden with our Creator, we have countless opportunities to influence their precious lives. Mothers hold a unique position to directly impact the children God places in their care for a brief time.
I remember hearing my grandmother and my mother say, “First things first.” Meaning, put the important things ahead of the rest. Address the most significant issues before moving on to other matters. This holds true in teaching our children about creation. It’s easier to teach our children about creation if they know their Creator before we delve into the details of dinosaurs and DNA.
Mothers hold their children’s hands when they are young, and there’s no better time to lead them to the throne of God. We do that by showing them what Christ is like as we sit in our homes and walk through life with them (see Deuteronomy 6:7-9). When we pour out God’s love to them and demonstrate Christ-like behavior when no one else sees, they will want to know more about our Creator—that’s when they’ll be receptive to God’s Word. If we demonstrate grace within our homes, they’ll want to know God’s greater grace. Then we can effectively teach them the truths of the Bible, starting with how He created us to be like Him: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27).
We remember the Shunammite woman by her love for her child. Dr. Morris says, “Love—particularly motherly love—does not have a monetary or cultural boundary….Things, or the lack thereof, do not replace the mother’s heart cry.” We see persevering love and an intense faith in God in this woman, the mother who did not panic in the face of tragedy.
Do you wonder what moments your children will remember? Will it be an event like Eve experienced when she chose to sin and grieve the Creator of the universe? Or will it be an act of boldness in life-threatening circumstances? Or desperate, tearful prayers? Will your children think about how you depended on your gracious Provider? As we see in the Bible, God used faithful mothers and struggling mothers alike. Each day is an opportunity to point to the Creator as you build lasting memories for your children, moment by moment.
* Jayme Durant is Director of Communications at the Institute for Creation Research.
