By Cyndi
Many exhortations we hear within the church are things we should be doing. Things like evangelizing, teaching, praying, serving, giving, studying and so on. Good things, I agree. The Bible does encourage us to do these things, but have we ever stopped to think about the fact that this is a masculine viewpoint of the Gospel? God created the masculine to go, to create, to conquer, to build, to
produce. And often this is the side we see revealed in our churches. That’s great, but where’s the feminine side?
Simplified, the masculine is to do; the feminine is to be. A father speaks vision and destiny to a child. He reveals all the possibilities of what can be done, what can be accomplished. A mother expresses love and nurture to a child. She exhibits compassion, trust and connection. Picture this: a father and mother are watching their four-year-old son play soccer. He’s so cute out there running around in his bright uniform and shin guards on. The father yells, “Get the ball! Go to the goal! Shoot!” The little guy runs hard, dribbles as best he can towards the net and shoots. Just as he kicked the ball, an opposing team member tried to kick it too but missed and landed his cleat squarely on the knee of the little fellow. The ball makes it into the net, but the son is on the ground holding his hurt knee. Now what are the reactions from the parents in this event? From the father: “GOAL! Yes! My son made a goal! Look at him, he’s the greatest! Think he’s good now? Just wait till he’s ten!” And from the mother: “Oh honey, are you okay? (wanting to run out onto the field and check for herself) Can you get up? Are you bleeding? Do you need a band-aid?” Notice the difference in the two. This type of “moth
ering” is an expression of God’s heart.
And think about it: How can we truly carry out the Great Commision (“go ye into all the world”) if we first cannot obey the Great Commandment (“thou shalt love the Lord God with all your heart…”)? Love is always first. Before we go, we need to know love. We need to be “mothered” by God, nurtured in His care and secure in His affections towards us. Knowing His immeasurable grace gives us the base to stay in a place of rest and peace as we go into the world to do His works and share His love to others.
God’s mothering heart is open to us all. John, the beloved disciple, recognized this side of the Lord when he rested on Jesus’ chest at supper (John 21:20). It’s the place we find refuge, safety, security, compassion and peace. Just like a mother, He’s there to hold us when we’re scared, kiss our boo-boos, and walk hand in hand with us through all of life’s challenges. I pray that you will take time to rest in the arms of our Beloved. Stop “doing” for a little while and just “be.” When the world tries to beat you down and you don’t feel like you will ever make a goal or be a success, God has a mothering heart that wants to nurture you back to strength, and lavish perfect love on you.




even a star at the top yet. Only crookedly poised in its stand, with a lean to the left, and a blanket around the bottom. There it is. Naked and bare, by Christmas standards. Then I thought, “Isn’t this how we stand before God? Naked at the foot of the cross?”
Mk.10:35-45 Sons of Zebedee
m He loves and in whom He is well pleased, just like Jesus.




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