We Need Mother's Day

This past Sunday we celebrated the tradition of Mother's Day. This tradition is entirely of human origin. It is not an institution prescribed by God's Word; therefore, it cannot be viewed as morally binding on anyone. And, it would be best that it not be celebrated on the Lord's Day. This day is set apart for the honor of Christ alone and nothing should detract from all attention being fixed upon Him.

However, with that said, there is a need for a day to recognize mothers and for a day to recognize fathers. Several factors create this need. I will address just one.

There are an increasing number of folk who, apparently, are determined to obliterate all distinctions between the sexes and thus between fathers and mothers. Recently I read of a college professor who forbade her class to use the term "mother". The only acceptable term was "parent". She was insisting that sex makes no difference in the way one parents a child, that men and women bring the same qualities to the parenting process. The conclusion therefore is that a child does not need a mother, neither does a child need a father, just a person in their lives to direct them. Ostensibly, two men will do just fine or two women will suffice if you insist that a child needs a two-parent family. This demonstrates the insanity to which people are prepared to go in order to defend their preferences, especially when those preferences contradict moral law and accepted moral practice.

The differences between men and women are a great deal more than physiological and biological. God has specifically designed the woman to fulfill the wonderfully unique roles of wife and mother. Women are capable of many other noble labors, but none are so noble, necessary or so rewarding as wife and mother. Every child needs the wisdom and tenderness and sensitivity and compassion of a mother. Dads bring authority, order, a sense of security and strength to a child's life—all in a context of manly love. These qualities are desperately needed. But no man can provide that wonderful combination of patient understanding and warm tender comfort that a mother provides. Whereas fathers bring an ethos of security to a home, mothers bring an ethos of stability. Children have a profound need of both. If either is willfully denied to a child there will be sad consequences for that child.

God, in His mercy, often supplies special help to single parents who through no desire or fault of their own are left to rear a child alone. However, that help cannot be presumed upon when people wantonly despise God's order and deprive a child of either mother or father out of sinful selfishness.

A day set aside to ponder the marvelous and utterly unique role of mothers is a good thing for our society, especially now. Let all who appreciate the contributions of mothers, not just their own, speak loudly and assertively against the idea that mothers are no different than fathers and are therefore despensible.