3 Character Traits a Virtuous Mother Makes Her Own
Virtuous mothers cannot be overvalued.
Philippians 4 says: Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of a good report – if there is any virtue and if there is any praise – think on these things.
Moms are a source of honor, goodness, and loveliness. As in all things pure and virtuous, we are encouraged to think upon such things.
As we reflect on Mother’s Day and the virtue of a mother, here are some of the delights a mother offers:
(1) Mothers are a source of honor
Mothers should receive honor. Likewise, moms give honor. Mothers are not only honorable, but they give honor, often a lot more than husbands do, unfortunately.
Honor comes in different formats, but one of the big ways that I’ve seen honor given from a mother is through the compassionate and empathetic heart they have their children. There is that God-given connection that creates that bond that helps nurture the spirit in ways others can’t. When a mother is compassionate to her children, it restores the honor that has been lost, either through embarrassment at something they did wrong, when someone did something to them, or the pain of a physical or spiritual hurt. Mothers have this way of raising up their children like no one else.
We would all be wise to model that type of honor-giving. When there is a hurt, address it. When there is discipline that must be done, be quick to restore the dignity of a child. We can never do enough encouraging of our children because we live in a world where love is getting to be a tougher and tougher commodity. People trade love for selfishness so much nowadays, that it’s become almost its own stock exchange. Honor and dignity must be a value that starts with us.
But mothers should also be given honor. They sacrifice and sacrifice some more. Many never know how much their mother sacrificed for them, and that’s just the way a mother wants it to be. So, we should not be afraid to show honor to a mother near us.
(2) Mothers are a source of goodness
Goodness is one of those character traits that is part of the definition of a true mother. Mothers are simply a fountain of goodness for those under their care. A spiritually rich mother knows that goodness must be at the heart of who she is.
Goodness doesn’t mean that she always buys the latest and best toys, or always has a fresh batch of cookies waiting (although that one doesn’t hurt), but goodness is knowing how and when to do the right thing on a consistent basis. We all have the times when goodness doesn’t seem to be there, but kids are quick to see the inherent goodness in their mother, and so they will return to her, knowing that they will receive grace. Goodness is making sure that goodness is passed on to the next generation. A mother will inspire her children to want to have that quality and share it with their children some day.
We would all do good to make goodness the norm for those around us.
(3) Mothers are a source of loveliness
Loveliness doesn’t necessarily have to be a character trait. But, you either have it or you don’t. People will either instantly define you as having it, or they will have to make justifications as to why you should be defined that way.
A good mother embraces loveliness, the instinct to hold herself to a higher standard of conduct and grace, so that she shares a message of warmth and encouragement. You can tell by being in someone’s presence for just a few minutes whether they embody loveliness, or they embrace a lack of tact and manners. A good mother will instill her loveliness into her children, making sure that they embrace what is right and holy, and not let themselves be led down the path of unrighteousness. It is a consistent cause for which she is willing to fight so that her family is appreciated and not scorned. Mothers are at the heart of these things for their families. Where loveliness in a mother goes, so goes the image of the family.
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Mothers face many daunting challenges and we must be willing to support the difficulty of the calling. When you see honor, goodness, and loveliness in a mother, there you will find a strong support system for a family. When a mother brings that before God, He can do great things for the world. What if every mother chose to embrace honor, goodness, and loveliness, always? What would we have less of in this world? What would we have more of? As Philippians says: let us think on these things. Amen.
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