Let’s start with this, Successful mothers are not the ones that never struggled. They are the ones that never give up, despite the struggles. There is a tenacity about them. They are determined and persistent. Even when they know they are not at their best, they get up and keep going. Successful mothers are not the ones that never struggle. They are the ones that never give up, despite the struggle.

Look at what Proverbs 24:16 says, “Though a righteous person falls seven times, he will get up” (CSB). One translation says it this way, “Even if good people fall seven times, they will get back up” (CEV). Good moms have bad days.

  • Good moms have days where they cannot take it anymore.
  • Good moms still lose their temper.
  • Good moms sometimes don’t care.
  • Good moms still get impatient.
  • Good moms get tired.
  • Good moms have their limits.
  • When good moms fall, they get back up and they keep going.

So don’t be so hard on yourself. You are a better mom than you think you are. Let this truth sink in, There is no way to be the perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one. You pray for them. You listen to them. You play with them. You help them with homework. You teach them. You help them when they sick. You encourage them. You correct them. You guide them. You love them.

Today, I want to talk to you about the spirit of motherhood. The spirit of motherhood embodies a mind that protects, a heart that nurtures, and a faith that empowers. It involves protecting, nurturing, and empowering. It is the spirit of motherhood.

Even though I will be talking to mothers today, much of what I will be showing you applies to everyone here, women and men. If you have the spirit of motherhood in you, then you will be strong, confident, caring, compassionate, and tender. The spirit of motherhood is not just for women, let me explain.

God demonstrates the spirit of motherhood

God demonstrated the spirit of motherhood. God said in Isaiah 66:13, “I will comfort you there in Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child” (NLT). God had the spirit of motherhood. Like a mother, He would provide comfort to the hurting. When you are providing comfort, you are providing reassurance and relief. Comfort involves your presence, promises, guidance, assuring others they are not alone in their struggles. In

Look at what God said in Matthew 23:37, “O Jerusalem… How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me” (NLT). We are hearing and seeing the spirit of motherhood come from the character and nature of God. When you are talking about protecting and nurturing your children, you are talking about the spirit of motherhood. God demonstrated it for us with His own words and actions.

Paul demonstrates the spirit of motherhood

The apostle Paul had the spirit of motherhood. Look at what Paul says about himself in 1 Thessalonians 2:7, “As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead… we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children” (NLT). The spirit of motherhood.

Deborah demonstrates the spirit of motherhood

Today, I want to bring your attention to Judges 4 & 5 and I want to introduce you to an incredible woman who had the spirit of motherhood. Look with me at Judges 5:6-7, “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath [AH-nath], and in the days of Jael [JAY-el], people avoided the main roads, and travelers stayed on winding pathways. There were few people left in the villages of Israel — until Deborah arose as a mother for Israel.” (NLT). Deborah was a judge, a prophetess, a warrior, and a leader of Israel. She was known for her wisdom, courage, and pivotal role in delivering the Israelites from Canaanite oppression.

Judges were not like modern courtroom judges.

  • They were leaders raised by God to rescue the Israelites from oppression, provide military leadership, and restore the people to covenant faithfulness (Judes 2:16).
  • As a judge she provided military leadership and lead the attack and victory over the Canaanite army (Judes 4:4-16).
  • As a judge she provided judicial authority. She exercised legal authority, settling disputes and guiding the people in matters of justice.
  • As a judge provided spiritual and moral leadership. She called the people back to worship God and to obey His Word, addressing idolatry and moral decline (Judges 2:17).
  • Of all the judges mentioned in the Bible, she is the only woman.

In Judges 4 you have the Israelites who have turned away from God. They are engaging in Idolatry and disobedience. Because of their wickedness, God allowed the Canaanite army to bring judgement on them. The Israelites were being defeated by their own sin and oppressed by the Canaanites.

Deborah arose as a mother

What is amazing to me is that this woman who was a military leader and judicial leader decided that at this time in Israel history, oppression and rebellion they didn’t need a judge, they didn’t need a warrior, they need a mother. So she says, “I arose as a mother in Israel.” I want to give you several ways you can arise as a mother and a few things about the power of the spirit of motherhood.

A spirit of motherhood is needed when the family rebels

Let’s start with this one. A spirit of motherhood is needed when the family rebels. She says, “I am not going to let my family continue down this sinful path and pay the consequences. We are going to do something about this. We gonna change some things around here.” When she sees her family walking in the path of sin and sees the consequences of that sin, she steps to the plate and intervenes. The spirit of motherhood says, “That’s not going to happen in my house, not under my watch!”

We find Deborah in this situation. Remember, Judges 4 and 5 are about Deborah and how she arose as a mother to address what was going on with her family, Israel. Judges 4:1-2 sets the stage by saying, “After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king” (NLT). What’s going on here.

  • “Ehud” was a judge and a spiritual leader of Isreal, like Deborah, but he’s dead. When he died, the Israelites lost a significant spiritual leader. As a result, they started drifting spiritually.
  • We are told “the Israelites again did evil.” The Israelites had a habit of drifting away from God whenever there was a gap in spiritual leadership. If you don’t have spiritual leaders in your life to encourage you, teach you, and keep you accountable then you will drift away from God and into the sin of your choice.
  • When we sin, we think God doesn’t see it or know about it. The Israelites sin was done “In the Lord’s sight.” This reminds us that our actions are never hidden. God sees everything; He has seen every sin you have committed. He knows our hearts and our intentions. What’s amazing about this is, God loves us enough to rescue us from our sin and to help us get back on the right path and to live for Him. But sometimes God will discipline us and let us feel the pain of the consequences of our sin.
  • That’s why God’s Word goes on to say, “So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king.” This event shows the consequences of their actions. Turning away from God led to oppression, suffering, and difficulty. Eventually, sin will do that. It will cost you. It will hurt you. It will hurt your relationships now and the relationships in the future.

You need to understand, you may choose your sin, but you cannot choose the consequences. Proverbs 13:15 says, “The way of the unfaithful is hard” (AMP). When you choose a lifestyle of unfaithfulness to God your life will eventually get hard and difficult and dangerous in many ways.

It was in this context of a spiritual leader’s death and the Israelites sins and the consequences of their sin that Deborah arose as a mother for Isreal. There are going to be times when your children will be like Isreal and you will need to arise with the spirit of motherhood.

A spirit of motherhood gives wisdom

Number two, a spirit of motherhood gives wisdom. When a person has the spirit of motherhood, they have wisdom and truth to share. They have a message to share, a word from God to give to the family. We see this with Deborah in Judges 4:4-5, “Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time. She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment” (NLT). This is significant. Remember, Deborah is rising up as a mother for Israel. What does all this mean?

  • We are told that “Deborah… was a prophet.” A prophet in the Old Testament was a person chosen by God to communicate His messages, guide His people, and call them to faithfulness. When you have the spirit of motherhood inside of you, that’s what you are going to want to do. You want to make sure your family hears from God.
  • We are also told that “Deborah… was judging Israel at the time.” This doesn’t mean she was sitting up there casting judgement and condemnation on her people. God would appoint people as a judge over Isreal to deliver them from oppression, guide them spiritually, and administer justice. She was providing guidance. The spirit of motherhood wants to see her family delivered from any kind of oppression and to guide them spiritually and to administer justice when necessary (in a family, that means going to hand out some discipline).
  • Where was she doing this? We are told “she would sit under the Palm of Deborah….” This was out in the country. The place where she would give counsel became known as the Palm of Deborah. The palm tree itself served as a natural symbol of shelter, peace, and victory. Moms, listen to me… your Palm of Deborah is your home. Your home should be a place of shelter, peace, and victory.
  • Finally we are told “the Israelites would go to her for judgment.” Deborah was blessed by God with great insight, wisdom, and intelligence. She helped with settling disputes, feuds, legal matters, and advised the leaders of the nation. People would seek her advice and counsel.

With all that in mind, listen to Proverbs 6:20 which says, “Don’t neglect your mother’s instructions” (NLT). That tells me two things. We need to listen to our mother’s advice and our mothers should have something worth saying and hearing. I want you to understand this truth: The art of mothering is to teach the art of living to children. The spirit of motherhood says, “I want to teach and show my children how to live life and to live it well and to live it for God.”

A spirit of motherhood hears from God and speaks for God

Number three, a spirit of motherhood hears from God and speaks for God. We see this in Deborah in Judges 4:6, “One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor’” (NLT). She has heard from God and she is delivering the message. God is saying through Deborah it’s time for the Israelites to come home, the discipline for their sin is over, and it’s time for deliverance. It’s important to notice that Deborah heard from God and active upon what she heard. When you have the spirit of motherhood in you, you will hear from God and you must act upon what you hear and share it with your family.

It is important that parents talk to their kids about God and His truth and to help them answer the tough questions in life. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 is addressed to parents, “And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up” (NLT). What that means is you are hearing from God and you are sharing what God says with your family on a consistent basis. God’s Word is a part of the conversation in your household.

A spirit of motherhood fights for the family

Number four, a spirit of motherhood fights for the family. God tells Deborah to tell the people to go to war against the Canaanites. It’s time to deliver God’s people from their oppressors. They gather the armies, but Barak one of the military leaders says to Deborah, “I will go, but only if you go with me” (Judges 4:8). He is asking her to go into battle with him and the army. Her presence in the battle means that much to him and others. She inspires hope and victory. She responds by saying, “Very well, I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.’ So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh “ (Judges 4:9). Isreal was her family. Sometimes you have to fight for your family. Sometimes you have to go to war for your family. Your family is worth fighting for. When you have the spirit of motherhood in you, you will stand up and resist the world’s influence on your family and the devil’s attack on your family. You are going to fight for your family and defend your family and protect your family. Remember this truth… If you don’t set the tone for your family, the devil will set it for you.

A spirit of motherhood helps your family become stronger

Number five, a spirit of motherhood helps your family become stronger. When you rise up with the spirit of motherhood in your family your family will become stronger and God will use you to get your family back where it needs to be or to keep it in God’s will. Notice what Judges 4:24 says, “And from that time on Israel became stronger and stronger against King Jabin until they finally destroyed him” (NLT). Do you want a strong family? Then bring a godly spirit of motherhood into that home. Fight for your family. Have a heart that hears from God and speaks for God to your family. Share your wisdom. Nurture them. Love them. Guide them. Encourage them to live for God. Be all in on this. Let this truth sink deep into your spirit, a part-time Christian cannot defeat a full-time devil.

Conclusion

When it comes down to all this, You cannot have the spirit of motherhood without taking seriously the call to model the life of Christ to your children. The spirit of motherhood wants to glory Christ, honor God, and make a difference. The spirit of motherhood is driven and empowered by the Spirit of Christ.

The question I want you to think about is, How does God want me to arise like a mother for my family?