What do others call you?
One of my children called me "Mother" all the time.
Another one of my children calls me different things depending on her mood. Sometimes I am Mom. Sometimes I am Ma. Sometimes I am even Mommy to her (she is going to turn 17 in a few days).
What do you call yourself in relation to the maternal role?
One of my favorite women in the Bible is Deborah. Back in March of 2012 I wrote a short blog post on her. It asks a few good questions. I want to share it with you now:
"Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at the time. And she used to sit under the palm tree . . . and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment . . . 'The peasantry ceased, they ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Until I arose, a mother in Israel.'" Judges 4:4-5, 5:7
Who are you with other people?
Are you like so many who grasp at power, at control?
What do you think when you're with others? Do you want them to like you, or do you see them as those who can help you succeed?
God has a better way. We can choose to be like Deborah who was in a position of power but saw herself as a mother to Israel. She wasn't in her role to control people. She was in that role to nurture and lead them closer to God.
You can be a father to those around you. You can lead them with compassion, gentleness, understanding.
If we see ourselves in a family relationship with the people in our lives and remember we are here to bring others closer to God, maybe our motives, our actions will be those that will do this.
And if you are put in a position of power, but you choose to be there for others, to be a servant to those under you, God can do great good through you. Plus, your life will be guarded from the corruption that threatens a soul when that soul is in power. - See more at: http://janehinrichs.weebly.com/1/post/2012/03/who-you-are.html#comments