Editor’s Note:
This is the eleventh in a collection of spiritual reflections on the famous passage on Love in 1 Corinthians 13, written and compiled at the end of 2019. Two of our sisters in Christ – Jan Mitchell and Mary Shapiro (see their bios at the end of this article)– lead a group of young mothers and wanted to create a quiet time series for them on the theme of Love. This series is the fruit of that effort.
1 Corinthians 13:7 NIV
“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.”
A mother’s love is fierce. We will do ANYTHING to protect our children. Starting months before the first positive pregnancy test, we mothers suddenly go into protective mode. From taking meds, doing research, talking to other moms, talking to our husbands, getting healthier, praying and begging God to get pregnant and have a healthy baby and I’m sure there’s more some of you have done and will do again!
I remember when I was first pregnant with Ava (almost 18 years ago…WOW), I started reading 3 books. We had actual books back then. Google was not quite a thing yet.
- “What to Expect When You're Expecting” (because EVERYONE read this one back then).
- A book that explained month by month what Ava was doing, what organs were growing when, and how big she was getting.
- A book that told me the same information but in a day-by-day format.
These books gave me great comfort. They helped me connect with Ava to better understand her and prepare me for knowing how to protect and take care of her.
What does it mean “to protect”?
In the Message Version this passage reads, “Puts up with anything” Isn’t this what we do as moms? We will sacrifice and “put up with anything” that will help our children be safe and thrive. We will give up sleep, hot meals, clean clothes, showers, physical pain with pregnancy and births, body changes (gotta love those stretch marks!), time with our friends and our husbands, all to make sure our little ones are taken care of.
Jesus did even more. He not only gave up his royal life with God to be with us on earth, but he also gave his life for us. I know we moms would also give our life for our own kids, but rarely, if ever will we be faced with that decision. We do not give birth knowing we would eventually sacrifice our life to save our children. If that were the case, I’m not sure how many women would choose to be mothers, or how many husbands would be thrilled at the idea of their wife’s certain death after the baby was born.
But Jesus CHOSE this. He chose to live with us on earth KNOWING he would be horrifically murdered. Jesus wants to protect us from Satan at all costs. He has even MORE fierce love for us than we do our little ones. Sit and ponder that. Think about how far you would go to protect your kids….and now think about Jesus going further than that…loving you even more…going to the ends of the earth for YOU. (Thank you, Jesus!)
Ephesians 3:17-19
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
What “to protect” does NOT mean
Although this section may apply more when your kiddos get older, I think it is helpful to talk and pray about these things now. I currently have a daughter who is a senior in high school, a son who is a freshman in high school, and another son who is in 5th grade. They are all in various stages of life and each deal with different things. They regularly experience hurts, disappointments, failures and loss. Two of my kids battle depression and anxiety. I have one with Type 1 Diabetes and one who is epileptic.
At times I grieve my kids’ health. I want to protect them from these life-long health issues. I want to protect them from wrong friends, harsh and hurtful words and child predators. I want to protect them from sadness and feeling lonely. I want to protect them from the sinful and worldly things that happen in schools like being exposed to drugs, profanity, sexual advances, violence. I want to keep them home and safe, in a little bubble so no one or thing can harm them...cause love always protects, right?
Does God protect us from these things? Does he protect us from sadness, hurts, pain, disappointments, grief, loss, worldly and sinful people? NO!! God wants us to choose Him. To need Him. To want Him. To love Him. Why would we see our need for Him if he always protects us? Same with our kids.
2 Corinthians 1:8-9
“We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we have received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”
This is one of the most difficult things we moms need to let happen. It goes against EVERY being in our body. But our kids need to experience the world in order to see their need for God. They need to feel sadness, pain and struggles. They need to be tempted by sin. We must remember that our kids belong to God. We need to trust Him in what he allows them to experience.
Now do not get me wrong, I am not suggesting you throw them to the wolves hoping they make it, or that you put them in such dire situations that they may never recover. I am saying we need to let our kids experience sinful situations for them to see their need for God. We want them to see the difference between disciples and non-disciples.
How is this done?
A great example is the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. The second son needed to experience sin in order to choose God over the world. Letting our kids “get hurt” by the world is tough for all of us and we often don’t know how much to expose our kids to. I encourage you to seek advice often and learn from others’ mistakes.
James 1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.”
Things to Ask Yourself
In closing, remember how much Jesus protects us with his immense and never -ending love, yet he lets us endure hurt and pain so we can learn to rely on Him. We must imitate that kind of love and protection for our children. Ask yourself these questions. I encourage you to write your answers down and share with other moms. We must all help one another, and our kids get to heaven!
In what ways has God protected me?
In what ways did I NOT feel protected from God?
How did I learn to trust God again after that?
Do I protect my kids in a healthy, God-like way?
In what areas do I need to grow in and seek advice?
Remember... YOU ARE A GREAT MOM! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!
Galatians 6:9
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Jan Mitchell : Jan has been a disciple for over 40 years. She and her husband, Mitch, have been married for 43 years, been on staff at 6 different churches, have 2 children and 3 grandchildren. She is a die-hard Wolfpack fan, and enjoys spending time teaching and training, traveling and playing outside with their grandchildren. She currently lives in the greater Raleigh, NC area.
Dr. Mary Shapiro is currently the Director of the ADHD Clinic at Duke Medical School's Southern Regional Area Health Education Center in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD, behavior disorders, and other childhood conditions. For the 30 years prior to moving to North Carolina, she and her husband, Dr. Michael Shapiro, were in private practice in Athens, Georgia, where they served children and adults in predominately rural and underserved areas. She completed her PhD in Educational Psychology at the University of Georgia in 1984 and interned in the Department of Neurology at the Medical College of Georgia. She and her husband have lectured extensively (both domestically and abroad) on topics related to child psychology, parenting, marriage, adoption, and mental health issues in a Christian context. They have authored two publications for Discipleship Press International; “Rejoice Always: A Manual for Christians Facing Emotional Challenges” and “Understanding Sexual Behavior in Children: How to be Proactive in Educating and Protecting your Children.
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