"Godly Mothers and Fathers"

There is nothing of greater value than godly parents. I didn't say just 'church going' parents but godly. There is a major difference. The 'church going' mother and father does much of what they do out of duty. The godly mother and father have a deep sense of love and fear of the Lord which motivates their lives. The 'church going' mother and father looks religious in the eyes of many, only to have their home life filled with turmoil and self serving individuals. The godly mother and father are real and genuine. They practice what they believe and are humble in heart. The 'church going' mother and father fakes many things in order to not be found out about. The godly mother and father serve from a heart of commitment.

Her husband died, leaving her a widow with four children. The passing of the father/husband had a profound impact on the home because of his sincere faith and love for the Lord. The wife managed a farm and built a log house with her own hands. She used her home as a meeting place for the church. She was living in the Cuyohoga wilderness, south of Lake Erie in what is now the state of Ohio.

Her son, James, eventually set out on his own working the canal boats that travelled the Erie Canal. Completed in 1825, the canal connected Lake Erie and the Hudson River. The work was difficult and the lifestyle of the workers was ungodly. Eventually James returned home get his education.

Upon his return to the log cabin he grew up in, he approached a window and saw his mother reading the Bible and praying. He heard her words, "Oh, save the son of thy handmaid." James devoted his life to God and His ways, influenced heavily by his mother in the home. He graduated Williams College and served as one of the leaders in the restoration movement of the church of Christ.

Later in his life, James A. Garfield was inaugurated president of the United States. Upon his inauguration, he kissed the Bible, kissed his mother and said to her, "You brought me to this."

There is nothing more profound in the lives of children than a godly mother and father. One can either be a 'church going' mother and father with little conviction and commitment or one can be a godly mother and father that lives for the Lord, influences their home for the Lord and they go to church, assemble with the saints because they love the Lord and His people.