In my life, I’ve had the profound privilege of witnessing two exceptional mothers firsthand. They weren’t perfect, no one is, but their sincere desire to love well, along with genuine dedication to their husbands and children, has made a lasting impression on me. I’ll admit some natural bias here: I’m talking about my own mom, Janis, and my wife, Krista.
My mom grew up in a home where love wasn’t openly expressed or freely given. Yet, in our household, she modeled it beautifully as I was growing up. I was born with a birth defect in my legs as well as some health challenges as a child, and she sacrificially and lovingly took me to appointment after appointment, encouraged and cared for me, and I never heard her complain, just love. She came to faith in Christ when I was fifteen, but even before that, she grasped something essential about love. Through painful and difficult experiences, circumstances too lengthy to detail here, her longing to love authentically drew her to the One who “is” love. As 1 John 4:19 declares, “We love because he first loved us.” Once she surrendered to Christ, that desire transformed. Empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit, she loved with growing confidence, trusting that God could multiply her efforts and use her, flaws and all, for His glory.
My wife has that same open, generous heart for love. When I asked her to marry me, I was captivated by her devotion to Christ and others; I didn’t fully realize what an incredible mother she would become. One of our children was born with a birth defect. He, too, required many appointments, surgeries, and professional care. She, like my mom, encouraged our boy and served sacrificially and lovingly, and I never heard her complain. Watching her handle difficult moments with grace and pour herself into our children has been a powerful testimony, not just to me, but to everyone around us. I’m deeply thankful to God for giving me such a best friend and partner in life.
You might wonder why I’m sharing this now. Yes, the recent Mother’s Day celebration inspired the idea, but there’s something deeper I want to emphasize; something I only mentioned briefly before, yet it can inspire us all. Both my mom (while she was with us) and my wife have had real shortcomings. Having a front-row seat, I’ve seen not only their triumphs as mothers but also their struggles and imperfections. What moves me most isn’t merely the pursuit of flawless love, but their unwavering “commitment” to love anyway; even when it’s messy and incomplete. They’ve modeled profound humility and dependence on Christ, inspiring me to follow suit.
Scripture beautifully describes this kind of godly woman in Proverbs 31:28-29, “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.’” This passage reflects the ideal wife a mother hopes for her son. The full passage presents a perfect image: not one to fully achieve, but one to aim for. That’s the heart I have seen in both my mom and Krista, women who fear the Lord and love faithfully.
As 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 reminds us, true love “is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” And in 1 John 4:12, we read that when we love one another, “God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” Not perfected in the sense of flawless human effort, but completed and matured through His presence working in and through us.
When all is said and done, I am deeply grateful for my mom, whom I miss dearly now that she is with the Lord, and for my wife, Krista, with whom I am honored to walk through life. Their example inspires my own desire to love more freely and openly, to grow in Christ, and to allow His Spirit to love others through me. It won’t always be perfect; I am still a work in progress, being perfected by His grave day by day. But I refuse to let my limitations prevent me from stepping forward into what God calls me to do, become, and be. May we all lean into His perfect love, trusting Him to multiply our imperfect efforts for His eternal glory. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!