The Dependable Mother ::: Virtue for Women ::: Harvest Ministries

Titus 2: 3-5 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
I heard one time from Carolyn Mahaney that the Greek word in this Scripture meant a tender, affectionate love, a love unlike another. That stuck with me. As mothers, we are taught many things in books and churches and by individuals: to discipline our children, to spank them, to train them, and to teach them, to do and do not do all sorts of things. But it has been on a rare occasion that I have heard anyone ever commend me to "love" my children as is exhorted here in Titus.

While I was looking for some more information on the Greek word used in this verse, I came across this website and article. Here the author states this:
"The Greek word for love in this passage is not found anywhere else in Scripture. Phileoleknos is the word used and it describes a mother’s love—caring for her children, preferring them, affectionately embracing them, and tenderly befriending each one as unique from the hand of God."

Isn't that beautiful? that descriptive word for love that is used there?
I am by no means old at the age of 34, but I am older than I once was and also older than some moms in this world and in my life. Let me encourage and teach this truth, because it is good and because God's word says for me to do it.

Don't we think that He put that verse, that special word, "Phileoleknos" in there for a special purpose? Because maybe He knew how hard mothering would be, with the laundry and the housework and the yelling and the crying and the meals and the refereeing and all of the other things that happen moment by moment in our homes. I really believe He knew that it would be a struggle for some us, probably all of us at least some of the time, to love, really tenderly love those treasures that He gave to us.

I know I have struggled some days to do this. I have struggled with feeling frustrated with that crying child at my feet while cooking dinner, that one who doesn't nap the way I expect her to, the son who hit his sister, the one who is having just a rotten day. And while some of these things lead to times and opportunities to teach and admonish and correct, Let us not forget the love, the tenderness, the place we have in that child's life. Let us not forget that God calls me not to be annoyed by, stressed out by, frustrated with those children. I have failed in all these things at one time or another. But He has called me to love them, in so many ways. And LOVE always begins with patience, and kindness.

We have no excuse to say, "well that's not my personality" or "that's not how I do things" or "today is just a bad day". God tells us to LOVE OUR CHILDREN, affectionately, tenderly, uniquely, as treasures. It is only then that we can train them, teach them, discipline them, and all because we love them and so that we love and obey our Heavenly Father.

Father, give us mothers the grace to love our children the way you call us to. Give us more love, more grace, more love. More love for You, more love for our children.
For Your Honor and Your glory,
In Jesus' Name, Amen.