Mother's Day

A story of beauty and strength for Mother's Day

When we open the pages of Scripture looking for mothers, we find something more. We find women whose stories are woven into the very fabric of redemption history. We come expecting to read about maternal love and nurturing hearts—and we do—but we also encounter women of profound strength, surprising courage, and world-shaping faith.

From the first breath of Eve in the garden to the whispered prayers of Hannah, from the fierce protection of Jochebed to the bold intercession of Esther, the Bible doesn’t just tell stories about mothers—it tells stories of women whose lives shaped nations and whose faith helped anchor the people of God. And then, of course, there is Mary—the young woman who became the mother of our Savior. Her story doesn’t begin with power, but with surrender: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38, ESV). In her, and through her, we see the holy partnership of grace and obedience that runs through the lives of so many biblical women.

It’s as if the Bible doesn’t draw a line between “great women” and “mothers”—it binds them together. Strength and beauty. Wisdom and sacrifice. Faith and fierce love. These are not contradictions; they are the legacy of biblical womanhood. And they are still God's gift to the world today.

The mother’s voice behind the king’s wisdom

Perhaps no passage in Scripture captures the heart of this legacy more beautifully than Proverbs 31. For many, it is simply remembered as the chapter that describes “the virtuous woman.” But it opens in a surprising place: with a mother’s voice speaking wisdom into the life of her son.

“The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him” (Proverbs 31:1, NIV). We don’t know who King Lemuel was. His name means “devoted to God,” and he doesn’t appear anywhere else in Scripture. Some scholars have speculated that Lemuel was a pseudonym for Solomon, and that the mother offering such wisdom may have been Bathsheba. But whoever he was, what we do know is this: the last chapter of Proverbs begins with the voice of a woman shaping the moral and spiritual framework of a king.

Before we meet the woman of noble character, we meet the woman who raised a man to value such a woman. It’s a striking reminder that godly mothers don’t just nurture life—they shape legacies.

A woman of valor, wrapped in dignity and strength

Beginning in verse 10, Proverbs 31 shifts into one of the most beloved passages of wisdom literature. It’s not a lecture or a law. It’s traditional Hebrew poetry—as if to say, here is the beauty of a life lived well. It’s been called many things: “The Virtuous Woman,” “The Wife of Noble Character,” “The Woman of Valor.” In Jewish tradition, this passage is often sung aloud by a husband at the Friday evening Shabbat meal, as a public tribute to the strength and dignity of the women in his home.

And what strength it is. This woman is not a footnote in her family’s story. She is the backbone. She plants, purchases, teaches, manages, plans, gives, protects, and provides. She is both tender and formidable, both graceful and gutsy. She runs her household with wisdom and steadies it with faith. Her children rise and call her blessed. Her husband praises her in the city gates. And the text tells us why: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:30, NIV).

This is no mere domestic ideal. This is God’s portrait of womanhood. And it’s meant to be celebrated.

A legacy that rewrites the old assumptions

It’s worth remembering the context. The ancient world was patriarchal to its core. Women were rarely named, much less praised. And yet, here at the close of the book of Proverbs—a book that at times sharply criticizes foolish or quarrelsome women—we find a poetic crescendo that exalts a woman as the embodiment of wisdom itself.

This woman is no ornament. She is a partner, a protector, a provider, and a pillar of faith. Her work isn’t confined to the kitchen or the nursery. She trades in the marketplace. She invests in vineyards. She instructs with kindness and stretches out her hands to the poor. Her strength is not in defiance of her family, but for their flourishing. She brings honor to her home—and her home honors her.

Proverbs 31 doesn’t reduce women to roles. It reveals God’s design for their glory.

Submission and strength are not opposites

One of the most misunderstood words in the Bible is “submission.” It has too often been wielded as a weapon, twisted to justify the silencing or subjugation of women. But the woman of Proverbs 31 submits to no such caricature. She is no servant of man-made power structures. She submits to God—and it is out of that submission that her strength flows.

True submission in the biblical sense is always about trust in God, not diminishment by others. It is mutual, reverent, and rooted in love. The woman of Proverbs 31 doesn’t wait to be told what to do. She acts with initiative, vision, and holy ambition. Her submission is to the calling of God on her life—and the fruit of that submission is evident in every line of the poem.

This is the kind of woman the world needs. And this is the kind of woman the Word celebrates.

God’s gifts come wrapped in women like these

Not every woman is a mother. Not every mother is married. But every godly woman who walks in faith, lives with purpose, and honors the Lord with her life is part of this legacy. Whether she is leading a family, building a business, caring for a parent, or mentoring a young soul in the faith, the woman of God reflects something sacred.

She reflects the heart of the One who made her.

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, let us not reduce it to sentiment. Let us lift up the women in our lives who have carried burdens in silence, prayed in the shadows, taught us by their example, and stood when others sat down. Let us honor the mothers, yes—but also the daughters, the widows, the teachers, the prayer warriors, the counselors, and the friends.

God’s greatest gift to man wasn’t just a helper. It was a woman. A woman full of grace and grit. A woman who could carry life in her womb and wisdom in her words. A woman made in the image of God, called to reveal His glory in a world that too often forgets what real strength looks like.

Today, we remember her. We bless her. And we thank God for her.

Article by ChristianSoldier21 / Substack

Image

A personal note from the author

As this first Mother's Day since my mom passed away approached, I struggled with what to write about her. Then, mercifully, the Lord turned my thoughts from what to write about her to what she would want me to write for this Mother's Day. Then the answer became clear—she would want me to write about the kind of woman that she aspired to be throughout her life.

I miss you, Mom. Happy Mother's Day.