Mother's Day and the Love of God

Isaiah 66:13 As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you;
And you will be comforted

In the gospels, Jesus teaches us to pray saying, "our Father," but as the above verse illustrates, God is also likened to a mother in the Bible. This often occurs when God's more tender side is being described, like above where Isaiah is telling Israel how God desires to comfort them, the way a mother comforts her child.

God's fatherly side is much more awe-inspiring than his tender side. The fatherly side is the side that protects and defends his people, the side that goes to war against his people's enemies. The fatherly side is the side that encourages his child to stand up and walk it off if he gets injured. The fatherly side is the side that judges and the side we often fear to turn to because, let's face it, our own fathers were a little rough and gave us that tough love.

But the motherly side is different. When we think about our own mothers, they were the one's we often went to because they were softer and more gentle with us. We would turn to them first because we knew that dad may not be so kind when we told him something.

God's fatherly side is often emphasized, but how much is his motherly side preached? We hear hints of God's tenderness in the Bible, but it is not often preached. For instance, Jesus says in Matthew:

Matthew 23:37 How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

God's desire, like the mother of a teenager, is always to cover us under her protective wings to comfort us and take care of us, when all we want to do is run away. When a father is usually the one to show tough love, the mother is the one always to show unconditional love towards her children. Where the father's response to a rebellious child is often anger and sometimes even abandonment, the mother's response is always one of heartache and tears wanting to make it all better and even to bring reconciliation between father and child.

When we talk about God's unconditional love, it is her motherly side we are referring to that loves us no matter what we do or who we are. It is God the Mother who accepts us as we are no matter what. We know that we can turn to God the Mother, and she will never leave us nor forsake us. We can rest in her tender arms and know that nothing can touch us there.

As I think about my own mother, and how in a moment's panic, no matter what the crisis, I always turn to her first and know that she will have the answer, and that she is always able to comfort me. I know that no matter what goes on in my life, my mother will always be there for me and will never turn me away.

God's motherly side shows her tenderness and care for her people. God's motherly side condescends to be at our level so we are not afraid to approach her. God's motherly side holds and hugs us when we are upset because she knows we are hurting. God's motherly side is the all forgiving, all loving, all merciful side that forgives all sins. God's motherly side is the side we never have to be afraid to turn to.

This is the kind of person the above verses are describing when they describe God as a mother. We can turn to God during any crisis in our lives, we can tell God anything and be who we are around her, and God the Mother will wrap us in her tender and loving arms, and comfort us, and accept us.

It is difficult at times for us to remember God in this way. I think we often liken God to a critical father we had, or a legalistic pastor, skewing our perception and preventing us from seeing this motherly God who loves us so much. We may make mistakes sometimes, we may not always live to the standard we think God has created for us. But God the Mother loves us regardless. To God the Mother, every mistake is overlooked, every misdeed is covered and hidden by her. Maybe from time to time, when you think God the Father is displeased with you, or feel that you have committed a gross error, remember God the Mother and know her love and acceptance for you. I hope you know God the Mother like you know God the Father, and I hope you know God in this way, as a loving, caring, and accepting God. Happy mother's day.
Blessings,
-Brandon