"Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverb 22:6 - AMP)

"Happy Mother's Day!" to you great and awesome women who have fulfilled God's very first commandment: "Be fruitful and multiply."

As we honor those formed from the feminine/maternal side of God's heart--who carried us in the womb, nurtured us, fed us, walked the floor with us through feverish nights, clothed us, taught us, corrected us, worried over us, prayed for us, and loved us unconditionally--we command a collective blessing on all of you, offering up thanks and praise for your contribution to our lives and to the world! Mothers, Grandmothers, Great-Grandmothers, Step-Mothers, Mothers-In-Law, and women who have been supernaturally placed in our lives as Mother-Figures ("Treat the older women as mothers..." - 1 Timothy 5:2)...you're all important, and we celebrate you today!

Creativity's finest moment was when the Creator created creators. Instead of making all the people who would ever live on this planet at once (which He certainly could have done), He started with one man and one woman, giving human beings the ability to make more human beings! The Law of Genesis is re-enacted every time the miracle of birth takes place.

Of course, birth is just the beginning--mothering goes on and on, even, on some level, after the children "rise up and call her blessed." But babies don't come with instructions, parenting is basically on-the-job training, and each child arrives with his or her own individual personality and needs, so there really is no perfect standard of what is a "good" mother, other than the obvious.

To be sure, our heavenly Father is the ultimate model of parenting, and we have seen other great examples of what we believe to be good mothers. But, in reality, even the best mother is only a steward of her child's life--she doesn't own them--and, in the big picture, she must seek God's will for her children, even above her own hopes and desires for them.

Usually, when Proverb 22:6 is quoted, it is used to express the idea that if you raise children the right way, you will set the course for their whole life. The Amplified Bible more accurately captures the true essence of that verse, as in "Train up a child in the way HE should go..." in the way that is "in keeping with HIS individual gift or bent...." The "right way" is unique to each child. Part of a mother's responsibility is to instill morals, values and spiritual heritage into her children, but the Proverb is really talking about helping a child become the best version of who he/she is meant to be...to guide them on their personal journey toward their personal destiny...to give them both roots and wings.

So, at the end of the day, the best thing a mother can do for her children is what moms do best...just to love them...because love never fails!

Bishop Jim Swilley is the founder and senior pastor of Church In The Now, located in Conyers, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. For more information about Bishop Swilley, visit www.churchinthenow.org or his personal blog at www.bloginthenow.blogspot.com. *Bishop Swilley is a 2009 StreamingFaith.com Guest Columnist.

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