Dear Friend,
In this month of May, it's appropriate that we turn our attention to what I believe is one of the most critical and tragic issues of our day—the degradation of women and the sacred calling of motherhood. You will recall in the letter last month, there was an emphasis on our urgent need to get back to the basics. Few things are more fundamentally important than God's remarkable design of a woman and the priceless role she holds as a mother.
When it comes to the welfare of the family and this country, moms are positioned by our Creator as critical influencers of humanity. I've stated this before, and I'll repeat it: mothers are invaluable. And given the current trajectory of our society's view on this subject, we need to make some drastic adjustments before it's too late.
I especially appreciate the short poem by William Ross Wallace, which embodies the crucial role of motherhood. It was written nearly 160 years ago and is still quoted by many today. Here's an excerpt from this timeless verse.
Woman, how divine your mission,
Here upon our natal sod;
Keep—oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!
All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother—love impearled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Blessings on the hand of women!
I am convinced of this truth: God created women to serve as familial linchpins for the sake of their marriages, families, and the welfare of humankind. As Mr. Wallace noted, a woman's mission is intimately woven into her being. You cannot separate the two. While I realize this statement contradicts the feministic and prevailing lies of the culture that seek to deconstruct this divine female prototype, it is nonetheless true within God's design. Society doesn't need women to be more like men. We need women to be more like women.
As I've researched, written, and spoken on this topic, I've always been amazed at how God has hard-wired women, physically and emotionally, toward the maternal calling of motherhood. From conception through the childbearing years, a woman's body is perfectly formed by our Creator God to conceive and nurture children. While not all women will become mothers, almost every woman shares the inherent, unique nurturing and relational characteristics of being a woman. And I believe I speak for most men when I say, "Thank you, Lord!"
Yet, there is more. Intertwined with a woman's nurturing instinct is a strong and fierce devotion to her family. Most mothers will stop at nothing to ensure the safety and welfare of their kids. Interestingly, the French author Alexis de Tocqueville studied early American culture and, in his writings, particularly emphasized the powerful, influential force of women and motherhood.
Her children press around her; they are full of health, turbulence, and energy; they are true sons of the wilderness; from time to time, their mother casts glances full of melancholy and joy at them; to see their strength and her weakness one would say that she has exhausted herself in giving them life and that she does not regret what they have cost her.1
The words Alexis wrote resemble a passage in Proverbs 31, in which God distinctly describes the beauty of a woman of valor:
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
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."
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates. (Prov. 31:25-31, ESV)
While "braveheart" is a term most often used to describe men, I believe most mothers, including my own, wear this title well. Some years ago, I shared a story about how my mom saved my life as a young boy. She was a courageous woman who would do anything to protect her son. This is what occurred.
She and I were crossing a railroad track on foot one night when I was five years old. I don't remember the cause, but we found ourselves in the path of a huge locomotive that steamed toward us just a few yards away. It scared me to death! Mom was holding my arm and I instinctively pulled her backward. We jockeyed back and forth for a fraction of a second as our lives hung in the balance. My mother then pulled me across the tracks and to safety as the big engine roared past us. Do you know that my mother and I never mentioned that incident again to the end of her life? It was so terrifying that we just didn't want to talk about it. But I lived always in the knowledge of my mother's love and protection.
We see this same love-driven tenacity in the many "mama bears" that have been showing up at town hall and school board meetings to protect their children against the onslaught attacks from left-wing political radicals. There is a good reason that you don't come between a bear cub and its mama. She will fiercely protect her younglings.
As I close this letter, I want to affirm and commend all women and mothers. You are wonderfully and fearfully made in God's image. You were formed with an exceptional calling to birth the next generation, nurture and protect them, and raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord. You are a gift from above! While the phrase, "I am woman, hear me roar," is taken from a feminist song of the '70s, there is truth to it, and I hope every woman knows the value that her Heavenly Father has bestowed upon her.
In my book, What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women, I shared my thoughts about encouraging women to realize the fullness of their beauty and the powerful influence that comes with it.
If I could write a prescription for the women of the world, I would provide each one of them with a healthy dose of self-esteem and personal worth (taken three times a day until the symptoms disappear). I have no doubt that this is their greatest need…if women felt genuinely respected in their roles as wives and mothers, they would not need to abandon it for something better. If they felt equal with men in personal worth, they would not need to be equivalent to men in responsibility. If they could only bask in the dignity and status granted them by the Creator, then their femininity would be valued as their greatest asset, rather than scorned as an old garment to be discarded. Without question, the future of a nation depends on how it sees its women, and I hope we will teach our little girls to be glad they were chosen by God for the special pleasures of womanhood.2
For us men, I pray that we will be faithful and diligent in uplifting the women in our lives, especially our wives, daughters, and mothers. Even as I write this, I am reminded to make sure Shirley and Danae know just how much I cherish them as women. Do the women in your lives know how much they are valued?
I have one last thing to share. Due to seasonal changes in giving, our ministry typically receives fewer donations as we head into summer. I am pleased to share with you that several friends of JDFI have extended gifts to be used for a matching grant of $300,000. That means your gift during May will be doubled until the match is met. If our Lord has positioned you to give at this time, I ensure it will be used wisely to carry out the mission of our ministry.
May the Lord bless you, and may He provide extra measures of blessings to all the moms who are standing strong for Him and their children.
In Christ alone,
Founder Chairman
Dr. James Dobson Family Institute
1. Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, (University of Chicago Press, May 2002): p. 701
2. James C. Dobson, Ph.D., What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women, (Tyndale House Publishers, January 1975): p. 35
This letter may be reproduced without change and in its entirety for non-commercial and non-political purposes without prior permission from the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. Copyright, 2024 JDFI. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Printed in the U.S.
