After putting her children to bed, mom changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. Then she painted on one of those green facial masks. She was hoping to have a few minutes to herself to relax when she heard the kids in their bedroom. They were getting more and more rambunctious and her patience grew thin. She threw a towel around her wet hair and stormed into their room, and started screaming, warning at them to get back to bed “or else.” Naturally, the children scampered back into their beds and pulled the covers up over their heads to hide from this fury being unleashed on them. As she left the room, the mother heard her three-year-old ask his brother with a trembling voice, “Who was that?”

That may not be the picture of a mom that you were expecting to hear about on Mother’s Day. Throughout our country today people are honoring mothers, which is wonderful. It is good to take the opportunity to thank our moms for all that they do, but I think many get a little carried away. A Christian mother is a good and wonderful and necessary thing, but before we elevate all our moms to sainthood, let’s try to keep things in their proper perspective. Good Christian mothers are a blessing from God, but moms are still sinners, just like everybody else. Your Mom can’t save you from sin and death. Only God can do that. Moms may have a big part in teaching you about Jesus, that He died to pay for your sins and rose again to defeat death for you. But moms are in need of forgiveness and salvation like everyone else. They are in need of the cleansing that only Jesus can provide.

Having said that, let me reiterate that Christian mothers are a tremendous blessing. It is very often the mother who sets the tone for the spirituality of the household. That is why it is fitting that we honor mothers on this day, to give them some special treatment. We should all honor and respect our parents as God-given authorities. We should thank God for the witness to Jesus that they provide, especially as they help us recognize Him as our Savior.