Modern Feminism has robbed many families today of the true portrait of Motherhood as shown in the Bible. The biblical picture of the family and the roles of father and mother probably seem, to many, today to be antiquated or Victorian, but this relationship is greatly needed in our modern culture where so many are adrift. The great apostle Paul writing to Timothy his "...son in the faith" (1 Timothy 1:2), wrote concerning his mother and grandmother, "When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also" (2 Timothy 1:5) as he commended them for the training of these two women that caused Timothy to have that "unfeigned faith."

 Without question, mothers exert great influence over a child, particularly in their early, formative years. For example, in recent years studies have even shown that breast-fed babies have higher IQs, and are more stable emotionally! Although observation and experience show plainly that in general women are physically weaker than men, they are not inferior and should not be abused or looked down upon because of this. The apostle Peter wrote "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered" (1 Peter 3:7, see also Galatians 3:26-29). When God created Eve as a "help meet" (Genesis 2:18-20), she was created from Adam's body, so as to be "one flesh" not only in the sexual sense in marriage, but also to be the companion that completes the ideal family. There are many differences between male and female, and rather than viewing these as antagonistic, as many of the feminists do today, we should view them as complementary to one another.

 Motherhood in God's Family fills a great need in that the two (male and female) furnish the attributes that are needed to properly raise balanced children. Mothers are more emotionally suited for comforting children and she, working with her husband, can properly fill in the needs that are lacking in him. One of the great scriptures emphasizing the need for the nuclear family with a mother and father is found in Malachi 2:14-15. Notice, "Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth against whom thou hast dealt treacherously yet is she thy companion and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed.Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth" (emphasis mine, ER). Not only does this passage speak to the stability and permanency of marriage, it shows that the result is a godly person! When we de-emphasize the importance of Motherhood, and advocate that all mothers simply bundle up their children and drop them in daycare and re-enter the workforce, we minimize the footprint of genuine Motherhood and its influence in our culture today! Rather than denigrating the women that love and care for their families, we should celebrate and honor those who love and nurture their children, because they are building an enduring legacy! When we see the violence, lawlessness and lack of regard for others that permeates our own nation and neighborhoods, we are reaping the consequences children that are undisciplined, unsupervised and have not enjoyed the care, love and influence of a loving, caring Mother!

 Ed Rodgers, Forney TX