Thank God for mom

The Supreme Court's discussion about ending Roe V. Wade has been leaked. Do you realize that, for anyone 50 years of age and younger, your mother had the option to legally kill you? Whether or not you have a good relationship with your biological mother, you should be grateful to be alive. That is something we can all celebrate on Mother's Day.

We have been studying the Old Testament during our discipleship times at Bethany. The Baal worshippers celebrated fertility in many ways in hopes of financial prosperity. They participated in open sexual activity with temple prostitutes. They also took living babies and placed them in the arms of a red-hot idol to burn to death, not unlike a chemical abortion.

During our discussion we speculated on how parents could possibly be willing to take their baby and give her or him over to be burned alive. Then it occurred to me that these were probably babies born out of cultic orgies. In other words, these were unwanted children from unplanned pregnancies.

Sadly, human nature has not evolved. While we have the technology to see fully developed babies active in their mother's wombs, we do not have the humanity to allow those persons the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Instead, we sacrifice them for our own prosperity.

I have often questioned how God's chosen people, the Israelites, could become enticed by Baal worship. After learning about how it mixed sexuality with prosperity, I realized that the same forces are at work today to destroy families.

Have you ever noticed that Mother's Day is a much bigger deal than Father's Day? I have heard different explanations for this. One is that mom does the cooking, so families go out to eat on Mother's Day, but the family eats at home on Father's Day. That may be the case in some circumstances, but I am sad to say that there may be another reason. Dad may be absent from the home.

I grew up in such a home. My mom and I started out living with my grandparents. Eventually we got an apartment, and then a house. Mom was blessed with a good career, but we had to dream and save to do simple things that most of us take for granted these days. Do you remember when you did not have money to dine out or go on vacation?

Financial pressures are increasing as our economy faces inflation and increased interest rates. We may end up thinking of the 2010s a bygone season of prosperity. Are we taking time for church and spiritual development, or are we living for sexual gratification and more money? The Bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season, but it leads to heartache and regret.

The good news of the gospel is that Jesus was willing to sacrifice himself for sinful humanity. Although we tend to love darkness more than the light, by God's grace we can be forgiven if we will repent and ask God to have mercy on us. Jesus' death on the cross makes it possible for us to be forgiven and have eternal life in heaven.

Godly mothers are self-sacrificing -- especially during difficult times. Did you have a godly mother or grandmother? Maybe you have been blessed to know a godly woman who showed the love of Jesus by her lifestyle. I am thankful that I have been blessed with a godly mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, and wife.

There are several wonderful, godly women in our church who give of themselves for others. In honor of womanhood, Bethany will be donating $10 to Options for Women for every female present on Mother's Day. Our prayer is that more young women will choose to be mothers.

We are praying for a future where women do not think that ending the life of their unborn child is normal, moral, or even thinkable.