Christ is our perfect example in all things. Our goal is to become more like Him, and that means learning a lot while we’re here on earth. But learning to be like Christ by only reading the scriptures will only get you so far. We also need to learn of Christ in our day-to-day lives, which means looking for Christ in those around us.
Mothers are probably the best examples of this. We spend so much time around them while we’re young and their examples (along with our fathers’ examples) make the greatest impact on us. So today, being Mother’s Day, I wanted to highlight a few Christ-like lessons I’ve learned from the examples of mothers in my life.
Joy and Cheer
My grandma (my mom’s mom) was always known for her beautiful, infectious laugh. You couldn’t hear her laugh and not want to join in. Life wasn’t always kind to her, but Grandma was always one of those women who finds joy and good cheer in life even when things look bleak. Her choice to be happy was something I always admired in her.
Christ is often described as “a man of sorrows” because He carried the weight of all our lives and sins. But so often in the scriptures, He tells His disciples to “be of good cheer” and to have joy. While some scriptures do show us Christ’s joy, I’m so grateful to have physical examples of His joy as well, as my grandma demonstrated to me. Her example alongside Christ’s directives reminds me that there is always a reason to choose happiness and joy over frustration, misery, and heartache.
Selfless Giving
My mom’s mom also taught me selfless giving through her example. It didn’t matter how much she might have been in need – if she saw someone else in need, especially a family member, she was there helping out right away. Even if she just thought that there was a need or a want, she stepped up to give everything she could.
Christ is often noted for His selflessness. Of course, He wasn’t wealthy by the world’s standard, but He gave of Himself without hesitation, even to the point of sacrificing His life for us. The selfless giving we are asked to do rarely involves that much sacrifice on our part, but we are still expected to willingly give what we can, whether it be our time, our money, or our hearts. My grandma was a beautiful example of this, and I’m so glad that I was blessed to see and experience her gift of giving.
Devotion
My other grandma (my dad’s mom) has demonstrated great devotion to me. One significant way I’ve seen her show this devotion is in her family history research. She gives every moment she can to this research, and her heart is all in. Every time I talk with her, she has a new story or person to tell me about that she found in her research. She also shows this devotion in her marriage and religion. Whenever Grandma finds something she cares about, she really is all in, and that devotion is so admirable.
Christ showed this kind of devotion to every aspect of His life, but most notably in His relationship with God the Father. Always, Christ chose to put the will of the Father first and to devote Himself entirely to His service. It’s a dedication and love that can’t be swayed, and it’s a beautiful thing to see in Christ and in my grandma.
Consistency
My dad’s mom also shows incredible consistency in her life. I really admire this about her because consistency is something I feel I struggle with. She has established her life in strong, consistent habits that shape who she is and what she can do. It’s clear that her consistency has helped make her strong in all she does.
Christ, though seemingly full of surprises, was also quite consistent. His teachings, His persistence in His purpose, and His love for others were all consistent. And even now, I have seen Him consistently show up in my life to teach me and help me when I needed Him. Consistency brings strength and protection to each of us and to many around us. Learning to develop consistency can anchor us to what matters most in our lives
Rock-Solid Faith
I’ve always been impressed by my own mother’s incredible faith. I know that she has stuck to her faith even in times of difficulty and when it would have been easier to just let it go and walk away. But she has always held tightly to her faith. That doesn’t mean she hasn’t had questions along the way, but every time something comes along that could rock her faith, she chooses to believe and trust in God. She is, without doubt, one of the greatest examples of faith I have in my life.
Christ is, of course, our greatest example of faith. He had faith enough to heal all who came to Him, and He is the source and foundation of our own faith. Examples of faith around us can bring us closer to Him and His strength, and my mom has certainly been that kind of example for me.
Empathy
Another big lesson my mom has taught me is empathy. She is always so aware of the situations of others and always feels so deeply for them. This empathy helps her to show true, authentic love to all those she meets, and to care for those who are struggling more than she is. Seeing how she sees others has helped me become more aware of others as well, and hopefully, I can better emulate the kind of empathy Mom has for others.
Christ’s empathy brought Him to a perfect understanding of each of us. While we won’t have that perfect empathy in this life, we can learn to have more empathy each day as we reach out to others, try to understand them, and learn from the examples of others around us.
Mothers have so much power to teach and love and set examples for their children. The more we look for and try to emulate these Christ-like examples in our mothers, the more we can become like Christ ourselves. And as we become more like Christ, we too will be able to be great examples to those who need us. Happy Mother’s Day!
Seeking Christ 
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