161-10 Reasons to Love Your Mom

The spiritual condition of America, politics, culture, and current events, analyzed through the lens of Scripture. Welcome to the Alex McFarland Show. All that I am, all that I hope to be, I owe to my angel mother. These are famous words by Abraham Lincoln about his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, who died when he was just nine years old. But with that quote, all that I am, or all that I hope to be, I owe to my angel mother. Alex McFarland here, welcoming you to the program, and I'm going to give today 10 Reasons to Love Your Mom.

Now, as I record this, or perhaps as you hear this, it's either near or on Mother's Day. And mothers are one of the most prominent themes of history. Motherhood and family, of course, are very prominent themes in Scripture. And I want to talk about reasons to be very intentional and very prayerful and proactive and consistent in loving the mother that God has given you. You know, the Bible says in Proverbs 1, verses 8 and 9, Listen, my son, to your father's instruction.

Now listen to this. Do not neglect your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful wreath on your head and beads for your neck. So much I could say about what the Bible says are the value of mothers and how we should yield to their teaching and example. But let's talk about this, and then I've got reasons that I think that we should be very grateful to God for our moms. You know, one of the most prominent themes in classical art, and really all of art, have been paintings of mothers and children. And art historians have noted that really throughout history, and certainly during the medieval period and the Renaissance, people paint mothers. And maybe it's because of also they paint a lot of pictures of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. But I want to talk about this. I did some research.

I think it's very fascinating. One of Van Gogh's, Vincent Van Gogh's most famous paintings is Peasant Woman with Child on Her Lap. It's very precious, and it reminds me of the first time I made a trip to Africa, and Angie and I were in the bush country for 21 days. And I remember these African families in utter, utter poverty, but how the mothers would sit and hold their children on their lap. And I remember we were in a Zambian village, and it was just a grass hut, if you could even call it that, that a husband, wife, and some little children were living in. And they had a fire, and they were cooking maize, corn. And I noted it didn't matter where we were, the mothers would always eat last. The mothers would make sure the children were fed, and the men, and if there were anything left, then and only then would the mother eat.

It's very touching. But this one particular, I can see it right now, the dirt, there was about a 15 foot circle of dirt around this grass hut. And it was early in the morning, and the mother was cooking corn on the fire to feed the children. And she took a branch off a tree, and was basically brushing the dirt.

You and I might think of sweeping the floor. And before the children sat down to eat, and this is outdoors, this is as impoverished a scene as I've ever looked upon. But before the children sat down to eat, she took this tree limb and swept the dirt, and the lines in the dirt were all straight. And it's just this innate, intuitive instinct of a mother to set the table for her precious children. And it's very touching to think about it now. A mother. And whoever you are, if you're a human being, you had or have a mother. Now Van Gogh painted Peasant Woman with Child on her lap. And it reminds me of this. Even in rank poverty, a mother holds her child, protects her child, loves her child.

Let me tell you a little bit about this. Painted in March of 1885, Van Gogh painted Peasant Woman with Child because he was influenced by another French painter, Jean-Francois Millay. And Millay had begun to paint peasants, largely as a reaction against the industrial revolution that was turning the French countryside from moss-roofed cottages and farms into factories and dirty cities with poverty. And Millay had painted a picture of a peasant woman in a humble little one-room house, a peasant woman giving a piece of homemade buttered bread to her daughter. And the little girl is gratefully receiving this piece of bread, and the mother has one hand on the little girl's back, and one hand pointing. And you look at this, and by the way it's called The Charity, it's what this painting is called, of the mother-daughter scene, and the little girl is getting a piece of hot buttered bread to enjoy.

But the mother is also encouraging the girl to share the rest of it with an old man just outside the cottage door. And Van Gogh was greatly moved by this, and Van Gogh said that there is something holy about the peasants, something sacred. And in another letter there was another artist named Rapard, if I'm pronouncing that correctly, and Van Gogh and Rapard were corresponding in letters. And these artists were very mindful of the impact that 19th century industrialization was having on the French landscape and the lives of people.

And they began to paint the peasants and celebrate the mothers. And Van Gogh wrote in a letter, and I quote, he says, I look with more than a little sadness on the factories, railways, agricultural developments that are leaving the landscape infinitely less picturesque. The farms, the cottages are gone for factories, even taverns, railroads, poverty, and even Van Gogh lamented the breakdown of the family and really the kids growing up and not being around the table with family and with mothers. Now why am I sharing all that? Because I think even in our own age we have lost, to a degree, lost the value of family and the love of motherhood and the love, certainly with the abortion culture that we've inherited since 1973, and childlessness, and sociologists are telling us that the birth rate is way too low.

And really, these are not Christian preachers, but sociologists and demographers are almost pleading with American young people. Please have children. Recover an ethic of family. Now when we come back, I'm going to talk about why, whether she is living or dead, you should thank God for your mother, because life is all about family.

And at this Mother's Day of 2025, let's celebrate that God-ordained reality, the family, and that precious gift from heaven, a mother. Stay tuned. More after this. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this.

Hi, Alex McFarland here. You know, I was at a college speaking, and I guess we ministers get too wordy. Somebody said, can you describe Christianity in only two words? And instantly this came to me, and I said it, loving substitution.

And students raised their hands and they said, what does that mean, loving substitution? Here's the thing, because Jesus Christ loves you, he was our substitute on Calvary's cross. The appropriate measure of God's wrath that you and I deserved was put onto Jesus. You don't have to die and suffer for your sins because he was the substitute who died for you. So if you call out to Christ, he will save you. He will forgive you.

I urge you to do that today, because Jesus Christ has a plan for your life, and it begins with you putting your faith in him. Thank you for listening. Thank you for your support. Learn more about this at AlexMcFarland.com.

He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to The Alex McFarland Show. Welcome back to the program. We're talking about motherhood and mothers, and I want to be on record. I thank God for my mother.

She's in heaven. My mom passed away in 2014, but she was a Christian. And she held my feet to the fire, and she fussed at me at least once a day, just on principle it seemed like. And I deserved it. And my mom was a schoolteacher. You know, I thank God that my sister and I both, before we were ever in first grade, mom had taught us how to read. And I really think that has shaped me to this day.

But then I also was doubly blessed. I had a very godly, very wonderful mother-in-law. And she's mother, named Ann Lowe. She's in heaven. She passed away two years ago. And I was very close to my mother-in-law. And if you've ever supported our ministry, many years ago, 20 years ago, Angie's mom would help us do thank you notes for supporters.

And setting up the book table. There was a day when I had not written a book yet, but I was selling other people's books, like Josh McDowell. And then the ministry began to grow, and both of our moms were a huge part in Angie and I getting launched, getting married. Angie finished nursing school.

I finished seminary. But from childhood to the day they left this world, we were the beneficiaries of our mothers. Now, I want to talk about family, and I'm going to give you ten reasons that you really need to thank God for your mother and love your mother.

But maybe you protest. And maybe you say what a lot of people say to me. They'll say, But Alex, my mom was not good to us. My mom was not godly. Alright, let me give you basically four categories.

You're in one of these four categories. And look, if your mom was a great mom, well thank God for this. Maybe your mom was not so great a person, and you feel like she hurt you in some ways. Well, pray for her, and ask God to help you love her unconditionally.

And remember, God and others have shown you grace. Well, maybe your mom is no longer living, and you miss her. And to think about your mom really hurts. Well then, honor her memory by being the best person that you can be. And impart to others the love she showed you. Well, is your mom no longer living, but maybe you're still angry with her over things long past. Well, pray to God for you to heal and move on.

Because look, good, not so good, at our best and at our worst. We're all the recipients of God's grace and God's unconditional love. And I'm going to elaborate on this in just a moment. But here's the thing about loving when we don't feel like the other person deserves love. Certainly, this life really offers no greater opportunity for worship, humility, growth, and really transcendent joy. No greater context for thorough sanctification to occur than in the family. So maximize on all this, and be intentional about loving your mother. God, it was just genius, I could say, but really just God's divine wisdom, to put each of us in this wonderful context called family. You know, the Bible uses family in so many ways.

The Bible talks about the family of earth, the human race. But there are husband, wife, father, mother, children, procreation. Every human being hearing this, every person alive, is a result of a father-mother relationship. Now, ideally, by God's design, there is marriage.

There are parents with those children. And we know there are many out-of-wedlock births. Sadly today, it's a small majority, but the majority of kids born in America right now do not live under the same roof with their biological mother and father. And so many of our societal ills are due to the breakdown of the family.

But whether your heart leaps for joy at the memory of your mom, or the reality, or whether you feel like you're a victim, or maybe your mother is gone and it's just painful to look back and remember. Listen, like Paul, I am what I am by the grace of God. We are where we are.

God knows it. And the best thing we can do is to trust God with our unanswered questions, lean into God for healing from our hurts, but obey God in His call to love others. So here are ten reasons to love your mother. Number one, because God's Word tells us to. The Ten Commandments honor your father and mother, that your days may be long on the land the Lord your God has given you. And that's Exodus 21-17, you'll find the Ten Commandments. We are to love and respect our parents. And really, I know this from 30 years plus of working with youth, when there is not acknowledgement of parental authority.

It's very unlikely that there's much respect for any other authority. Number one, we should love our mother because the Bible tells us to. Secondly, we should love our mother because, listen, God worked through your mom to give you that most important of all properties, life. Now, okay, you were born, you exist, you're alive. So philosophers have long taught that the most important property of any person or object is the characteristic or property of existence. In other words, you could imagine some grandiose thing or place or person, but if it's only imaginary, there's no substance to it. And so the academic term is ontos, O-N-T-O-S, or being, B-E-I-N-G. Ontology is the study of being.

And philosophers would say the most important property, the most crucial attribute, is life, or being, or ontos. And you should love your mother because God worked through your mother to bring you into the world. Your mom gave you life.

And don't be like the child I was counseling. I was in the Midwest counseling a family, and a boy said, Well, I didn't ask to be born. Well, that's true, because you couldn't. You were not here prior to your conception. But Almighty God deemed that you would be alive. And life is such a great gift, and we should thank the agent through whom God worked to give us life. Maybe you've taken the cards you've been dealt and made the most out of your circumstances, and that's good. Maybe you've accomplished great things in this world.

But none of your accomplishments or any of your journey would have even been possible if you didn't first have life. And you can thank your dear mother for that life. Well, stay tuned. We're going to take a break.

We'll be right back with reasons 3 through 10 of why you should, yes, love your mother. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this. Christian author and speaker Alex McFarland is an advocate for Christian apologetics, teaching in more than 2200 churches around the world, schools and college campuses. Alex is driven by a desire to help people grow in relationship with God. He arms his audiences with the tools they need to defend their faith, while also empowering the unchurched to find out the truth for themselves. In the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism, Alex is a sound voice who speaks timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. With 18 published books to his name, it's no surprise that CNN, Fox, The Wall Street Journal and other media outlets have described Alex as a religion and culture expert. To learn more about Alex and to book him as a speaker at your next event, visit alexmcfarland.com.

Or you can contact us directly by emailing booking at alexmcfarland.com. He's been called trusted, truthful and timely. Welcome back to The Alex McFarland Show. Welcome back to the program.

Alex McFarland here. And before we resume our look at Reasons to Love Our Mother, I want to say a big thank you to all who supported or who attended our recent conference with Dinesh D'Souza. And it's part of our Summer Speaker Series that we call Conversations That Matter. Now coming up June 15, just a few weeks away, Gary Chapman, the man who wrote The Five Love Languages, which is a fantastic book. And I say this, Gary Chapman has probably saved more marriages than any other Christian speaker or author. He'll be there June 15 with us. The website is Conversations That Matter.

The best way to get to that is probably alexmcfarland.com slash conversations. Also, I want to remind you to please pray for our summer youth camps at the website equipretreat.org. And if you would be so kind, folks, as to prayerfully, donate online at alexmcfarland.com. Every month, people are accepting Christ.

Young people are learning how to defend their Christian faith. This is about saving our nation, and your financial support and your prayers are much appreciated. Well, on this Mother's Day week, we're talking about reasons to love your mother. And the third reason I would give is this. Love your mother because you are indebted to her. You have no idea what your mom sacrificed to raise you. Now maybe you know a little bit of this, and if you're a parent, you no doubt have subordinated many of your own resources and dreams in order to lovingly raise your own family. But your mom did that for you, too. I talk with people that like to point out all that they think their parents did wrong.

But only God knows how much your mom changed her plans so she could change your diapers. Moms go without sleep so her children can get their needed rest. And we're all indebted to our moms. And grateful acknowledgment of the debt we owe our mothers is a sacred thing, really. Proverbs 31, 31 says, Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

You ought to be very vocal in your gratitude for your mother. Number four, love your mom. Because love and respect are character traits that God expects each of us to grow in. And this should begin in the home. So respect and character should begin with those closest to us. You may show great deference to friends or co-workers, but love and respect, being among those closest to us, we should exhibit this.

And so love should begin with those closest to you, your parents right there in the home, and your siblings as well. And number five, you should love your mother because people are watching. For good or for ill, you are a role model.

You really are. And people, especially young people and children around you, they are picking up the traits, the words, the behavioral habits that we grown-ups role model before their watching eyes. And we should honor our loved ones, especially our parents. And of course, God is watching. And the Bible tells us in Matthew 25, if we do it as unto others, it's as if we've done it for Christ. I really think when family members denigrate each other, and especially, and I've heard many children just speak so horribly of their parents, God hears that.

And it's dishonoring to fellow human beings, it's dishonoring to the parents that God in his sovereignty put over us, it's dishonoring to God himself. Number six, you should love your mother because if you truly love your mom, as God expects, you will invariably grow in the Holy Spirit. Because to fully love, you'll have to have the Holy Spirit's help. And if you think loving is not easy, well so be it. But God will help you love. And we will grow in our love of God as we allow him to work through us so that we can love others.

Number seven, you should love your mother and show grace and be obedient and be kind. Because it will fill you with joy. It really will. And see, that's one of the beautiful things about Christian sanctification. In many ways, it is its own reward.

I mean, try it. Rather than return evil for evil, rather than being snippy, or giving an eye roll, discover the joy of loving, even when you feel like the person doesn't deserve it. Elizabeth Elliott, the great missionary leader, she wrote a book called Discipline, the Glad Surrender. Talking about yielding ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and how ultimately, in the long run, it brings us joy. Number eight, love your mother. Because in giving our love and service to others, like our parents, it is as if we're offering it to Christ himself. You know, I mentioned Matthew 25, and I also think about Philippians, that says, you know, do it as unto the Lord and not unto men. Honestly, folks, for one thing, it's just such a blessing to have family in a world where so many millions of people do not.

And I assure you, please trust me here, once they pass, you give heaven and earth to have one more simple cup of coffee with that parent who you can't spend any more time with. But here's the thing, that we grow and we learn to love as Jesus loved. So if you feel like you're being called upon to show love and service to those that aren't grateful and don't care, well, remember, that's an opportunity to be like Jesus, because the Bible says that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. If you are loving to people that aren't appreciative, that's a little smidgen of what it feels like to be like Jesus. Number nine, love your mother.

Number nine, and one day you will look back with no regrets. I want to tell you, as a pastor, I've counseled a lot of people, just counseled a man who buried his wife not long ago, and weeping, he said, I said so many mean things I wish I could take back. So God forgives, but look, you don't want to one day look back with regret and say, this thing gnawed at you, why didn't I say those words of kindness?

Why didn't I help out like I could have? And you don't want to one day stand before God with regret. God clearly said, honor your father and mother. Think about the way that Deuteronomy 5 16 renders it. Honor your father and mother exactly as the Lord your God requires. Deuteronomy 5 16. You don't want to face God one day, and God says, had told you to love your family, why didn't you? Finally, number 10, love your mother, because, listen, the way you love contributes to Christ's great commission.

It really does. Loving, being a part of a family, having the blessing of God, working together, passing the Christian faith on to those around us, namely our own children and relatives. All of this is part of our life being tangibly used to further Christ's great commission. So maybe today it would be a good day to pick up the phone and share love while you have the opportunity.

Do a little fence-mending with some relationships that need nurture. And think gratefully before God all of the meals cooked, the special treats prepared, the skint knees kissed and bandaged, the prayers prayed, the diapers changed, the night that a mother's arms held you and said, don't be afraid, it was only a dream, you're going to be alright. We're so indebted to our moms. Proverbs 31 28 and 29 says, her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her. Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. Who's the best mom in the world? Your mom.

Look for those traits, thank God for them, and let your mother know that you love her. You may also reach us by calling 1-877-YES-GOD1. That's 1-877-YES-GOD1. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you again on the next edition of the Alex McFarland Show.