Only God fully appreciates influence of a Christian mother

Q: My mother claims to be a Christian but there is no evidence of it at home. How can this be? - B.M.

A: Living for Christ in the home is the acid test for any Christian. It's far easier to live an excellent life among our friends when we're putting our best foot forward and are conscious of public opinion, than it is to live for Christ at home. Our own family circle knows whether Christ lives in and through us.

A true Christian will not give way at home to bad temper, impatience, fault-finding, sarcasm, unkindness, suspicion, selfishness, or laziness. Instead, a true Christian will reveal through daily life the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, and all the other Christian virtues which round out a Christlike personality.

Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children. There are stories of some women who had an evil influence on their children. Nero's mother was a murderess. Then there are accounts of mothers who impacted their children for good. George Washington's mother was devout. Lord Shaftesbury was correct in his famous statement, "Give me a generation of Christian mothers, and I will undertake to change the whole face of society in 12 months."

If we had more Christian mothers, we would have less delinquency, less immorality, less ungodliness, and fewer broken homes. Every mother owes it to her children to accept Christ as her personal Savior, so that she may be the influence for good in the lives of those whom God has graciously given to her.

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

(C)2023 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.