A Tribute to My Mom

As Mother's Day arrives, I want to follow the command of Proverbs 31:28, and publicly praise my own mother, Heather M. Stanton, for all that she has done for me and my siblings. 

For over 20 years she has viewed her calling as a wife and mother as an honorable calling.  She has spent her energy and intellect in seeking to fulfill her responsibilities "heartily as unto the Lord" (Col. 3:23).  Her unceasing efforts may sometimes go unnoticed but they are always invaluable.  May God continue to bless you and richly reward you, Mom!  I love you!!!

Doug Phillips recently wrote an excellent (as usual :) article all about mothers and the gift of biblical motherhood.  The title of this article was: "Only Women Can Be Mothers".  He then proceeds to lay out all the glories God has bestowed on motherhood and the attacks that have been launched against by all those who hate the Scriptures and the One who wrote it.

The paragraph that most convicted me however is a charge to men.  Now, you may be wondering how Mr. Phillips managed to introduce an exhortation to men in an article about motherhood.  Rest assured it did not come from out of left field.  Mr. Phillips explained that this war on motherhood has come not only from women abdicating and despising their biblical role but also because men have also abdicated and abandoned their God-given calling as protectors, providers, and leaders.

Here is what Mr. Phillips had to say to the guys:

"Today’s man has a seared conscience. He no longer thinks of himself as a protector of motherhood, and a defender of womankind. He comforts himself by repeating the mantras of modern feminism, and by assuring himself of how reasonable and enlightened he is — how different he is from his intolerant and oppressive fathers. But in his heart, modern man knows that he has lost something. He has lost his manhood.

To be a man, you must care about women. And you must care about them in the right way. You must care about them as creatures worthy of protection, honor, and love. This means genuinely appreciating them for their uniqueness as women. It means recognizing the preciousness of femininity over glamour, of homemaking over careerism, and of mature motherhood over perpetual youth. But when women are reduced to soldiers, sexual objects, and social competitors, it is not merely the women who lose the identity given to them by the Creator, but the men as well. This is why the attack on motherhood has produced a nation of eunuchs — socially and spiritually impotent men who have little capacity to lead, let alone love women as God intended man to love woman — as mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters."

Guys, I challenge you, on this Mother's Day, to begin reclaiming your role as a man of God and as a son of honor by rising up and blessing your mom today.  Tell her some of the things she has done for you that have meant the most to you or made a big impact on your life.  Give her a hug and a kiss!  And may we all pray with Mr. Phillips that, "the Lord [would] fill our churches with faithful mothers."