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Where did Mother’s Day come from? While naysayers have tried to identify this holiday with past pagan rituals, the truth is Mother’s Day began as a day to honor good Christian moms. Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) is credited with bringing in the celebration of Mother’s day with the first observance at a church service held on May 10, 1908. The idea itself did not take long to be spread to churches all over.
Our mothers are worthy of honor! God has given us instruction on how we are to treat our parents. We find this command in Exodus 20:12: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” The word “honor” means to show re-spect, to reverence, even to hold in awe. What this means to us is that, no matter what our age (since this is a timeless command), we are to hold our mothers in high esteem. The truth is, we honor God by honoring our mothers.
To all the mothers present today and all who have passed from this life, we say a word of appreciation. Thank you for bringing up your children with good values. Especially thank you for doing your best to bring them up in the Lord!
Larry Fitzgerald
Abilene, TX