Mothers are a blessing from God and so is motherhood. Through God's grace, women can experience the beauty of being a mother to her children. While there are responsibilities attached to it, motherhood is in its entirety a privilege given.
Being a mother is also close to impossible without the grace of God. The implications of even the littlest things that mothers do can have great influence on their children either for better of for worse. Thankfully, mothers can rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and on the finished work of Christ to enable them to be effective in raising their kids.
Here are five biblical examples of mothers who relied on God's grace and power to raise children that God would later use for greater glory.
Eunice
Eunice was the mother of Timothy, the young man who would later become one of Paul's successors and one of the early church's most effective leaders. Paul speaks highly of Eunice and Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:5 saying, "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well."
Mary
The mother of Jesus, Mary's life was one that exuded a life lived by faith. Made pregnant by the Holy Spirit at the age of 14, she stepped out boldly to speak the truth even if it sounded crazy. Even as Jesus continued on with His ministry in the last three years of his days here on earth, she remained present.
Hannah
In ancient Near East culture, barrenness was one of the most humiliating curses, but Hannah -- who would be the mother of the great prophet Samuel -- did not let that determine her future. Not only did her life prove to be one of fervent prayer, but also one of undivided surrender. She offered Samuel to the work of the Lord because she understood that God had given her her son.
The Widow of Zarephath
We meet this poor widow in 1 Kings 17. She was the widow who fed the prophet Elijah despite only having a little flour left for her and her son. At the command of the Lord, the widow of Zarephath gave a portion of what little she had left even if it meant that she would have less to feed her son. Mothers can learn from this example by choosing to trust God first in every circumstance.
The Syrophoenician Woman's
The Syrophoenician Woman was the gentile who begged Jesus for the healing of her daughter from a demon in Mark 7:24-30. Though denied the first time, she believed that even just the "crumbs" of Jesus's power would be more than enough to see healing happen in her daughter.
