The Mother's Union

Most people would agree that being a mother is the hardest job. If this is so, then shouldn't we form a union of some sort? Miners, airline pilots, and automobile workers have unions. Why don't we? We've got the toughest jobs around. We're on call 24/7. We could demand days off or at least get some special benefits, like monthly pedicures.

The problem is, what would we do if our demands were not met? I guess we could go on strike but the fallout would be catastrophic. Let's face it, the world can't function without mom.

The Bible puts a lot of importance on the role of mothers, particularly mothers raising sons. There are numerous examples in scripture of mothers inspiring their sons to follow after God. These men went on to do amazing feats that had eternal impact.

Yes, raising boys is tough. It's not for the faint of heart. To make great men takes boldness and courage. We live in a world where men are in crisis. They are abandoning their commitments to family and marriage. Men are abdicating their roles as leaders in their communities and even their country.

Proverbs 22:6 speaks to us, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." In this verse, "train up" is translated as "to dedicate". Sons need their moms to be dedicated to this most important of jobs. The world works hard to distract us from our primary calling. The world lures us into high levels of busyness and stress that would call us away from our dedication to our sons.

Of course, all of us would say we are dedicated. We feed their bellies. We clothe their backs. We drive them all over kingdom come to their various activities. Is this what Proverbs is talking about? I don't think so. The kind of dedication God calls us to goes far deeper than physical provisions.

The moment you deliver that sweet baby boy, you receive a charge from the Lord to raise that son according to God's ways. There is a crisis in America today because parents have misplaced their dedication. Too many are dedicated to raising sons in the ways of money, power, and self. What about a dedication to raising sons for true greatness? Servant leadership? What about responsibility, integrity, courage? This takes more dedication than the world would have you take on.

I love this quote from Rick Johnson, author of That's My Son, 'The power of a mother's influence is like a steady river carving canyons through the landscape of history. The legacy you leave as the teacher and nurturer of the next generation of men is valuable beyond description.'

Yes, our job is the toughest and the most meaningful. We tuck in the future of the world every night. The question I ask you is: are you ready to accept your divine calling and join a union of mothers dedicated to raising a great generation of strong men? There is a profound call on your life if you are raising a son. Let's form a union of mothers who are dedicated to raising our sons in the image of God and when they are grown they will not depart from it.

Then we can go get that pedicure!