On Mother's Day, celebrate women's differences from men

Today is Mother's Day. Of the two holidays honoring parenting, it seems that Mother's Day gets much more attention. Or perhaps I'm just a dad who is sulking in order to have more attention brought my way.

Mother's Day was officially signed into a day of national observance by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914. Mother's Day will be observed in churches, living rooms and restaurants throughout our nation. Yet if it were not for the distinctive work of creation by the Lord, there would be no reason for such a day.

In Genesis, the book of beginnings, we can read these words: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27)

This poetic exposition on God's work of creating man and woman enlightens us to several propositions regarding our creator. First, men and women equally share the unique status of being "created in the image of God." Of the whole of creation, even angelic beings, no one bears the distinction of being created in the image of God.

Some of us, when we look in the mirror, would like to know what God was thinking when he made our noses so big and our hairlines so far back on our heads. In either case, men and women share the distinct title of imago Dei. Men and women were created equally in the image of God.

Not only is there a distinct status from the created order for men and women, there is a distinction between men and women. As unpopular as it is to say, men and women are different. In 1992, Dr. John Gray popularized the concept in his book "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus."

Touching on what the Bible has said for thousands of years: men and women are distinct. Men and women think differently, communicate differently and look at life differently. One is not better than the other; they are simply distinct.

Mom cannot be honored if she is no different from dad. Mothers should be honored because they are distinct from fathers. Praise God. Celebrate mom. Celebrate Biblical femininity.

Rob Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more from him at www.robhurtgen.wordpress.com.