Wrinkled baby feet and carriages adorn cards dedicated to “new moms.” Friends and family members send these greetings to stuff the mailboxes of bleary-eyed mommas. The envelopes pile on the counter, for the most significant part of a mother’s life wasn’t delivered by post.
The most significant aspect of mothering doesn’t come in print, either. Greeting cards, dictionaries, and biology texts fail to define the spirit of motherhood. Giving birth or adopting fall short as qualifying requirements or guarantees for the noble role. A true mother nurtures the spirit of another. To become such a leader, it is she who must be reborn.
Surrender to Christ plunges her into the baptism of the Holy Spirit’s anointing. A newborn mother arises with supernatural gifts. Whether she has cradled an infant, guided adult children, or has no biological offspring, her family now expands to the edges of God’s Kingdom. Empowered and inspired by the indwelling Lord, her spirit reaches out to nurture the faith of others.
Nurturing spirits combine their gifts to nurture, guide, and protect the Lord’s darlings. Children in the family of God have a network of mothers to speak important truths into their hearts.
“You are unique and precious.”
“God crafted delightful things into your personality, and they’re worth celebrating.”
“I love and care about you.”
“God cherishes you even more than I do. And that’s saying a lot.”
“You have worth and purpose.”
A new mother’s work is never done. A season of mentoring one disciple ends, but others need guidance. While sleeplessness exhausts a biological mom, newborn mothers rest in the Father’s arms. When she feels her energy draining, the Lord will renew her strength. Though her service persists for years, she retains a beautiful glow in His eyes. Life continues to wriggle its way from within her to the expectant world around her.
Though my sons now tower over me, I aspire to remain a newborn mother for the rest of my life. Whether you’ve cradled an infant or held a brokenhearted child of God, you can accept the nurturing role in Christ’s family.
“speaking the truth in love,we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” – Ephesians 4:15-16
“whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” – Galatians 6:8-10
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families” – Psalm 68:5-6