With Mother’s Day fast approaching, pausing to reflect on what God’s Word says about moms is a great exercise. Whether you just want to find a little encouragement for your mom or you need something to put in this year’s card, this list of Mother's Day Bible verses is the perfect overview of what scripture says about the women we all know and love who have filled a motherly role in our lives.
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Mother's Day Bible Verses to Encourage & Inspire
The fifth commandment, found in Exodus 20, is “Honor your father and your mother.” This command is repeated throughout the Bible, with scriptures emphasizing its importance:
Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV)
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise — ‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’”
Mothers are one of the first examples of love in our lives. Scripture about mothers show the great unconditional love they have for their children.
In this Bible verse about mothers, we are told exactly why honoring your father and mother is important — it will help you have a long and fulfilling life. One of God's first requests for us as His children is to honor our parents. If we wish to abide by His laws, we must also abide our parents, including our mothers.
Leviticus 19:3 (NIV)
Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.
God also proclaims that honoring your parents is key to obedience — just like keeping the Sabbath day holy. Keeping these commandments together highlights their importance.
Our parents are also our first example of the commandments. The instructions in this Bible verse also helps direct how we an follow the lead of our parents to keep the Sabbath.
Matthew 15:4-6 (NIV)
For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
In this passage, Jesus criticizes how easily the Pharisees have dismissed their duty to their parents by merely claiming that their resources were God’s. He emphasizes that tradition is no excuse to ignore the commandment to honor your mother.
A great example of a son showing great love to his mother is, in fact, Jesus. Jesus honored Mary in everything He did, including when she asked Him for a favor at the wedding at Cana (John 2). He instilled the tradition of honoring our mother with His own example.
A Mother’s Teaching & Influence
Many Bible verses about mothers focus on listening to your parents’ instructions. This means that moms should focus on teaching their children — and likewise, children should take note of their mother’s wisdom, as scripture places a lot of weight on a mother’s influence.
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
Your childhood lessons tend to stick with you throughout your life. This Mother’s Day, tell your mom what childhood lessons still affect you today. Mothers often want to know what legacy their influence sticks with their children over the years.
In "Like Arrows," Charlie and Alice learn parenting by trial and error. When they are able to make Christ the foundation of their parenting, their younger children are better for it. Their children learn how to rely on God and keep Him as their strength through their life's trials.
Proverbs 1:8-9 (NIV)
“Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.”
King Solomon compares a mother’s teaching to a beautiful piece of jewelry — noticeable and beautiful. Scriptures on mothers tell us how important they are as an integral part of the family. We should treat them as valuable as a beautiful piece of jewelry.
Remember this Mother's Day to tell your mother how appreciative you are for her care and lessons she's taught over the years. Just being recognized for her hard work is a gift to any mother.
Titus 2:3-5 (NIV)
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.”
This passage reminds us that a mother’s lessons impact not only her own children, but others around her as well. Is there a woman you know who isn’t your mother, but still impacted you? Many women throughout our lives can show us their motherly instincts and be there for us even if they're not related by blood. Remember this Mother's Day to reach out to any woman who has been motherly to you and tell them how grateful you are for their presence in your life.
A Mother’s Love
The Bible recognizes a mother’s love as one of the most powerful kinds of love. Here are some Bible verses on a mother's love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
This popular passage about love is is often used in wedding ceremonies, but it is worth considering for moms, too, as the truth it espouses is not merely contained to the romantic.
A mother's love is patient, it is kind. A loving mother doesn't make her child's accomplishments, trials or challenges about herself, she humbles herself to be there for her children. A mother doesn't keep score of how many times a child has spit up on her, or made a mess in the kitchen, or had to be looked after when sick. She does all these things and more out of pure love for her children. Make sure to tell your mother thank you for all those times she did something for you and it went unnoticed.
This Bible verse reminds us of Victoria's mother in "Finding Faith." Her patience with both her husband and her daughter affected them both deeply.
READ ALSO: 5 Amazing Mothers of the Bible Who Teach Truly Timeless Lessons
God’s Love is Like Mom’s
A mom’s love is so powerful that God uses it as a metaphor for His love for us.
Isaiah 66:13 (NIV)
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you...
God says he will comfort Israel the same way a mother comforts their child.
Psalm 127:3 (NIV)
Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
Children are repeatedly called a blessing or reward - a mirror of God’s love for us and a way that we learn to deeply love another human being.
And if you're looking for Biblical-inspired movies to stream with your mother this Mother's Day, consider “Full Of Grace,” “The Book of Ruth,” the series "Daughters of Eve" — and, for the kids, "VeggieTales: Esther...The Girl Who Became Queen."
The Call to Serving God as a Mother
Joshua 24:15 (NIV)
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
This powerful declaration of a family choosing to serve the Lord is a great one for moms. It reminds us that the important lessons we pass down to our children are the ones that teach them the Lord's law and His word. Mothers can use Scripture to teach their children valuable lessons in their household.
Janie in "An Unlikely Angel" has a difficult time accepting the fact that she is going to be a mother and unsure how she is expected to take care of her child. Through divine intervention, she learns just exactly how to pass down important lessons to her daughter and be a role model for her.
Mothers in the Bible
There are many mothers in the Bible that are worth admiring and learning from, but these two passages highlight how God sees moms.
John 19:25-27 (NIV)
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,[a] here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
In this passage, Jesus asks one of His disciples to care for His mother after He is crucified. Jesus’ example of making sure His mother was cared for is a great one for all children. As children, we need to care for our mothers and make sure we're watching out for them as they watch out for us.
Ruth 1:16-17 (NIV)
But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
Ruth’s love for her mother-in-law is a great example of caring for family members - including our in-laws. Learn more about Ruth's relationship with her mother-in-law here.
Proverbs 31: 25-30 (NIV)
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
The “Proverbs 31 woman” is considered the ideal example for all women. Tell your mom about the noble things she has accomplished, and be quick to praise her for the impact she’s had on your life. Explore more popular bible verses for inspiration and empowerment.
We pray for all the mothers out there this Mother's Day, in hopes that they're able to know how much they are loved and appreciated they are for all they do for their family. For more encouragement and inspiration, subscribe to the Great American Pure Flix Insider email weekly newsletter.
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