Several years ago, someone suggested I do a sermon titled, “Don’t Mess With Mama!” I couldn’t resist finding a way to bring the phrase to Scriptural depth.What I found in the process was the way many women in the Bible became “spiritual mothers” to those with whom they had no biological connection. It made me contemplate on my own life and ministry. I recalled many spiritual mothers of my own, including my junior high religion teacher, the woman who first introduced me to Jesus, and my first apostle. I also thought of the many spiritual children I’ve taught over the years, encouraging them to live lives of faith in a crazy world. While our world is preoccupied with biological parentage, God raises up women in the role of spiritual mother.
Deborah
The first reference we have to a spiritual mother in Scripture is Deborah.
“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned;
travelers took to winding paths.
Villagers in Israel would not fight;
they held back until I, Deborah, arose,
until I arose, a mother in Israel.” (Judges 5:6-7, NIV)
We have no record of Deborah having biological children. What we do have is a telling story of the way Israel lived in disorder and destruction until she arose to lead the nation in every sense. Not only was she a judge and military leader, she was also a prophetess.
Naomi
We often focus on Ruth’s experience when studying the Bible book after its namesake. Truth be told, Naomi’s role is just as relevant as Ruth’s. Naomi was Ruth’s Jewish mother-in-law through her deceased husband. When given the choice to return to her birth family and remarry or travel to Israel with Naomi, Ruth chose to go with her. Through a labor of love, the two women survived through hardship and grief.
One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”
“I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. (Ruth 3:1-6, NIV)
However, if it wasn’t for Naomi, Ruth would have never married Boaz. It was through Naomi’s careful guidance and insight that the two finally came together, establishing one family and a lasting biological legacy. Naomi might not have been Ruth’s biological mother, but her keen insights produced a spiritual lineage down the generations, right to Jesus Christ.
Priscilla
Priscilla is a New Testament figure who doesn’t get enough attention. Buried among the stories of early church greats such as the Apostles Peter and Paul, Priscilla holds her own among spiritual mothers.
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. (Acts 18:24-26, NIV)
The fact that Priscilla is mentioned first (before her husband) indicates she may have held a higher spiritual position in church.
Lois and Eunice
Many in church forget the powerful role a solid woman of God can play in the life of a believer at any stage of spiritual development. We can see such evidence for spiritual mothers in the life of Timothy, Lois and Eunice.
I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. (2 Timothy 1:5, NIV)
While these women in Timothy’s life were biological in relation, they also served as spiritual mothers for him. Their work transferred a divine deposit into Timothy’s life. It is undeniable that without this deposit, Timothy’s life would have missed a crucial spiritual element.
How can you serve as a spiritual mother?
We can offer a divine deposit through serving as spiritual mothers to those around us. We don’t have to freeze up or think we have nothing to offer. There’s always something to offer! Here are some suggestions to offering that spiritual deposit in the lives of others:
- Take the time to teach Sunday school or a class at your church.
- Volunteer in your neighborhood or in an after-school program.
- Offer a friend a listening ear (people of all ages need that spiritual deposit!).
- Live your faith; don’t make being a Christian something you reserve for Sundays!
- Send out some “thinking of you cards” just because.
- Share a meal, a snack, or even coffee with someone who needs encouragement.
- Encourage those around you to be all they can be in Christ.
- Talk to someone about Jesus and what He is doing in your life.
- Lead a Bible study or hold one in your home.
The great deposit of spiritual mothers
The spiritual deposit we leave is greater than anything in this world. While there is no question that being a biological parent is an awesome thing, it’s also an awesome thing to give something to someone that transcends this life and passes into eternity. I know that the spiritual mothers mentioned above: Deborah, Naomi, Priscilla, and Lois and Eunice never had any regrets as they saw the fruit of their spiritual motherhood in the lives of those they touched. We, too will have no regrets as we encourage and edify others to be all God has for them to be. This Mother’s Day, don’t forget the spiritual mothers in your life!
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