Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Breaking News:

Mother: A Priceless Jewel!

By Ernest Onuoha
06 March 2016   |   1:17 am
TODAY, as we celebrate the mothering Sunday, attention is drawn to this rare gift of God to humanity, our mothers. They are important in all ramifications of life.

Ernest-Onuoha“A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls. The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil”, (Proverb 31:11-12).

Today, as we celebrate the mothering Sunday, attention is drawn to this rare gift of God to humanity, our mothers. They are important in all ramifications of life. They attend to their children; take care of their husbands, always industrious and never lazy in the affairs of the home. Therefore, it is to this type of mothers that the writer of proverbs eulogised: capable, intelligent, and virtuous, more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls. To him, therefore, mothers are a jewel and should be treated so.

It follows, therefore, that any family that is lucky to have such a priceless Jewel would be sure that things would go well. Because she is conscious that the family is the nucleus of society and so societal peace, progress and development should be uppermost in her heart. Her contributions would be felt from her home and then in the wider society. What does she do for the overall wellbeing of her home and society?

First, she devotes her time to the care, attention and good upbringing of her children. Yes, she is conscious of the biblical fact that: “A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish [stubborn] son [who refuses to learn] is a grief to his mother”, (Prov. 10:1). Understandably, mothers who perform their role well, never live to regret it. Such mothers on this occasion of mothering Sunday are well appreciated by the volume of gifts that are splashed on them by their children and well-wishers, who feel that she did a good work in their lives. We envy such mothers and pray that God will preserve them in the work they are entrusted with in society.

Second is the role they play in their husbands’ lives, as they live together in the home. They are always supportive of their husbands’ dreams and aspirations. Today, we have great women, who support and still support their husbands to ensure that they perform their roles in the family and to them such expression could be attached: “behind a successful man, there is a performing woman”. In biblical times, you may give kudos to such women as Sarah to Abraham and Abigail to her foolish husband, Nabal among others. Remember, their husbands’ success was theirs and they went out of their way to ensure that such was the case.

Thirdly, such mothers are the economic advisers and managers in the home. Of course, they are always industrious, looking out for ways and means of running the home through a prudential approach. They are never lazy or lying in bed, when they should be in the field working. They provide flasks for food and blanket for winter. Such women are highly praised, when their husbands sit at the city gate with others. Why? Because they ensure that their families never go hungry and these they do by working round the clock to support their families. They are not like Jobs wife, who would wish that her husband should curse God and die, Job 2: 9. They live simple and not too expensive lives, as they have good economic sense.

Therefore, it is such quintessential mothers that the Church of God, particularly in the Anglican Communion worldwide, is remembering today in a special service. They have contributed and will continue to contribute to the wellbeing of the home and by extension the society and the Church in particular, to God’s glory. Such Jewels of mothers deserve our attention, prayer, support and commendation for the great responsibility God has entrusted to them. They cannot fail and should not fail because of what they stand for in the home and the wider society.

Consequently, we earnestly pray that God should preserve all our mothers because no matter how we look at it, we can but incontrovertibly say mothers are priceless Jewel. Happy mothering Sunday!!!
Ven. Ernest Onuoha
Rector, Ibru International Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State.
www.ibrucentre.org

0 Comments