Happy Mother’s Day! We appreciate all the physical, spiritual, soon to be, one day mamas in the Lifespring family. We appreciate and love you for all you do, but importantly all that God has made you to be.
When God created the male and the female, He created them similar but not the same. Both play unique roles and responsibilities in this world that is meant to make each other better.
Genesis 2:18 “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
God made the male and was very pleased. But He thought of even better. It is God’s idea that a helper, a female, would be created. God’s response to the idea of better was the female. Women, you make this world better. This is not just for moms, not just for wives, this is for every female. You are God’s idea. You are God’s plan to make this world better.
But part of God’s divine plan, however, is that both the male and female work together. Better is the purpose, but the process only happens when the male and female work together.
But we all know that together can be a great challenge. In work you may have co-workers or managers that you just can’t stand. At home you may find that your partner draws out the worst in you. In school, group projects can be the most stressful type of assignment. What is the common denominator? All of these things require, together.
Yet together, is God’s instruction, it is God’s plan. Thankfully, God has given us guidance on how we are to build this together.
Working together is not about staying out of each other’s way, working together is about loving one another, it is about laying your life down for one another. However, we often try to love one another in the way we want to be loved. Although this is of good intention, it can actually do a lot of harm.
Take my wife’s garden for example:
She loves this garden so much that she wants it to succeed with all her heart. The garden brings her such joy and when it starts to show signs of life by sprouting, giving flowers, etc., she is overjoyed! However, over some time the garden begins to fade and starts to show signs of weakness.
She is not a professional gardener, so she doesn’t know what the garden needs. But she knows something is wrong with it; it is slowly dying. She sees the leaves drying up and thinks to herself, “this garden is burning up, it must be too hot”. When we are outside and are hot, we run to the shade to escape the heat of the sun. So, she builds a canopy to block the sun and provide shade for her garden.
But now the garden is in real trouble, it has been cut off from what it needs, sunlight. Even though my wife has great intention and love for her garden, her actions (even out of love), are the wrong actions. She was providing the garden what she needs and not what it needs.
This garden example is a picture of life with differences. Our needs are not the same as the garden’s needs. The garden’s needs are not the same as our own needs. The needs of others are not always the same as our needs. And our needs are not the same as others’ needs. When you want the garden – or the other – to function properly, don’t give it what WE need. Find out what IT needs, then it will be better for them and for you.
This is the true picture of what it means to be together. Love is laying your life down for one another – discovering what others need and providing it. Don’t focus on your needs but discover what the other person’s needs are and seek to fulfill them.
This Mother’s Day take a moment to reflect on all the people you love. Think about what they need and fulfill it. In this way, we genuinely love one another.