Mothers and Sons: Being a Godly Influence

Jesus’ mother was Mary.

The prophet Samuel’s mother was Hannah.

King David’s mother?

The Bible doesn’t tell us. But she must have had tremendous insight into how to raise a boy to become man. Everyone remembers David for conquering Goliath. Yet, his strength and trust in the Lord were developed as a teenager in the field:

“But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God” (1 Samuel 17:34-36).

Clearly, David’s mother didn’t hover over him insuring that he never scraped his knee or got his feelings hurt. When God gets a hold of a teenage boy’s heart, Satan will come to kill, steal, and destroy, and the mother is there to guard and guide.

And yet moms must be willing to step back and realize that God’s desire is to use the challenges young men face to learn how to fight life’s giants through faith. If God has called you to be a mother – whether biologically or through adoption or foster care – your role isn’t to protect who your sons are, but to point them toward the men they’ll one day be.

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Mothers and Sons: Being a Godly Influence,” author Rhonda Stoppe offers encouragement and practical help to moms who want to raise good and godly men.

Hear the program on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app.

Our discussion centers on Rhonda’s book Moms Raising Sons to Be Men, which is available from Focus for a gift of any amount. For more information, call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459) or visit our website.

While you’re online, I encourage you to take a free parenting assessment at our website, which will quickly give you an overview of how your family is doing in several key areas and offer some suggestions on how you can improve the relationships in your home.