Mother’s Day 2025

Motherhood

When we talk about Mother’s Day it is often framed around gentleness. The softness, the tenderness, and delicateness of Motherhood. This is all true and it is good. But today for a few brief minutes I want to talk about the other aspect of motherhood. The part of the feminine nature that for some reason is sometimes overlooked and sometime stifled.

The passion, the fury, the power of a mother. To be clear when I talk about motherhood, I am talking about women who have biological children, stepchildren, foster children, spiritual children, and even those who just love like a mom to all.

The history of Mother’s Day is not one of passivity. It began as a group of women gathering together to bring unity. It was first women whose sons fought on different sides of the civil war. These women were fighting for peace.

Later it was women fighting against war movements. Mother’s day was about celebrating and calling women to their roles as fighters.

The 1870 Mother’s Day Proclamation from Julia Ward Howe starts:

Arise, then... women of this day!

Arise, all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of tears! Say firmly: We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We, women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.

Arise Women of this day.

I think that call is no less needed today, arise women of this day.

In the Bible there are two women that come to mind for me this Mother’s Day. Hanna and Deborah. Hanna is found in 1 Samuel at the temple praying for a child. Fighting tears and barrenness. God granted her request, and she then dedicated the boy Samuel to the service of God.

1 Samuel 2:19 CSB

Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.

She would come to see him once a year bringing him a new robe. she did not only fight for him when she wanted him but also through tears and prayers every year.

Deborah in the book of Judges is called a mother of Israel. Deborah was a judge in Israel not because there was a lack of men. The Word tells us that she was judging Israel because God appointed her to judge.

Judges 4:4 CSB

Deborah, a prophetess and the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

She was a leader in Israel. She was the settler of disputes and the one to hear from God.

Judges 4:6 CSB

She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn’t the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, deploy the troops on Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the Naphtalites and Zebulunites?

She is called a mother in Israel.

Judges 5:7 CSB

Villages were deserted, they were deserted in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.

Hanna fought with tears, prayers, and giving her child to the things of God.

Deborah led in difficulty and frustrating times. Seeking God for her nation that she tenderly loved as a mother.

So again I say, Arise women of this day.

Let them be examples, them serve as examples of motherhood. Women are called to arise and fight the good fight.

Women fight in a different way then men. Women fight with a passion and a vigor that is unquenchable. They fight with a ferociousness that is unparalleled. A women is able to continue the fight for a long time, their emotions burning hot and raging. When you think she has settled she is merely bidding her time. Cross her children, insult her husband, and see what you get.

There is a reason we say there is no fury like a woman scorn.

Arise women of this day.

Pray for your children, fight for those under your care. Do not give up, do not give in, do not settle, do not quit.

Kim Walker Smith has a song called mama, it starts,

I'm the one who sings their lullabies I'm the one who wipes the tears they cry I'm bible-readin' Jesus-preachin' On the in and outside But God help you if you ever cross the line

As women you are called to fight. Cry if you need to, weep when necessary, but fight.

Motherhood is the hardest hood a woman can find herself in and in this day we need godly mothers who are willing, who are brave enough, who are tough enough, who are strong enough to stand up and fight.

Micah 6:8 NLT

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

This is your call moms. This is not passive, this is not going to happen on its own. This is not wishful thinking. This is what you are called to lead others into.

Will you fight? Will you arise?