All material copyright © CrossRoads Ministries

“Supportive Mothers”

“Speak Words that Point to Christ”

Influential mothers are sensitive to the spiritual needs of their children and they prayerfully seek ways to be supportive. Proverbs 15:4 says, “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life…” One of our modern day Bible translations puts it this way, “Kind words bring life but cruel words crush the spirit.”

There are a lot of things that are going to happen in the lives of your children that will cause them to realize that they do not measure up to other people’s standards. They are going to realize that they have a lot of maturing to do in order to achieve what God has for them down the road. That is when they need to hear words of support from Mom.

I once saw a Peanuts cartoon. A little red-haired girl calls Charlie Brown on the phone and says, “Hey, Chuck, guess what? I am running for Queen of the month of May at our school.” Charlie says, “That is interesting. Lucy has already been chosen Queen of May at our school. She is standing here right now wearing her crown.” Instead congratulating Lucy, the little re-haired girl, tears Lucy down to build herself up and says, “Your school has pretty low standards, Chuck!” As you watch the cartoon play out, you see Charlie Brown looking at Lucy is a sense of compassion and saying, “Lucy, she says Congratulations.”

By no means do I support lying. However, a Christian mother will take to heart the fact that she must surrender to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to be supportive in her speech. Kids can be ruthless and they will hear words from other kids that tear them down. The last thing your child needs to hear when they come home is “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” That’s not true. A broken bone heals faster than a broken spirit. Mothers who are under the control of the Holy Spirit will see failures as opportunities for giving words that can heal. Christian mothers take these times to tell their children who they can be in Christ and to reassure them that every child of God has Holy Spirit gifts that will enable them to do great things with the Lord that will endure forever.

There is no greater feeling than when our children discover their Holy Spirit given gifts and watch the Lord mature the exercise of those gifts.

Mothers, Be Supportive in Your Speech!