This Mother's Day, Say it with a Bible Verse

When considering how to personalize a Mother's Day card, people sometimes worry about the limits of their own eloquence, and turn to snippets of affectionate poetry or popular quotes about mothers in order to fully express their feelings toward the recipient of the card. But this Mother's Day, why not borrow even more timeless words, and instead inscribe your Mother's Day card with a verse from the Bible? There are few better ways to show a mother that you think she is a member of the highest order of human beings, and that what she does as a mother is not only special to you, but both literally and figuratively, sacred. Here are the top ten verses from the Bible that are just perfect for Mother's Day, taken from the New International Version.

Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. - Proverbs 1:8
I like this verse, because it is a celebration of the lasting reach of a parent's loving guidance. With this verse, you can express how much you value your mother's wisdom and guidance, and that you count it as a blessing.

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. - Exodus 20:12
This verse is especially eloquent in expressing to a mother that she holds a sacred, honored place in your life. It tells the recipient that not only are you committed to honoring her, but that it is a rewarding joy to do so.

When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. - John 19:26-27
Sometimes families are put together, instead of forming on their own. In this verse, Jesus introduces his mother to his best friend, and gently suggests that they adopt each other and look out for each other in a mother-son relationship once he has gone. His disciple took this to heart, and she became his mother from then on out. For an adoptive or foster mother, or simply someone whom you consider a beloved mother-figure, this verse is a beautiful expression for the sentiment that you believe your bond is indeed thicker than blood, and even that you believe God brought you together as mother and child.

Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old... Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice. - Proverbs 22:22-25
All of us hope that we make our parents proud and that we make them as happy as they have always strived to make us. This verse is ideal for expressing that ongoing hope.

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. - Proverbs 31:10
This is the perfect verse for expressing to your wife that she is priceless to you in her role as the mother of your children. It is also the perfect verse for telling that special mom in your life that you value her more than treasure - something I can testify as a mom myself that we don't hear enough of!

Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: "Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all." - Proverbs 31:28
This verse is a powerful way to tell your mom that she is superlative in her role as a mother, and that you consider her a shining example of motherhood. You are affirming that you, too, "rise up and bless her." Few statements in the Bible rival this one in exalting motherhood in general, and it will have no small effect on your mother, either.

Of course, for a believing mother, you aren't really limited to verses that are specifically about mothers, because a believer is encouraged and uplifted by any part of God's word, but on her special day, there are verses that stand out as appropriate.

But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." - Matthew 12:48-50
If you're making a card out for a believing friend or loved one who is not necessarily your mother, but is a mother nonetheless, this verse captures perfectly the feeling that you both belong to the same spiritual family. It is a celebration of the bond you share through your common faith, as well as underscoring the value that Jesus assigned to familial relationships.

As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem. - Isaiah 66:13
For a believing mother, few verses in the Bible are so resonant as this one. Not only does it call up images of the mundane things a mother does to comfort and nurture her child, but it places it in the context of the sacred, and is doubly powerful in that it reiterates one of God's many lasting promises to His people.

Follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. - 2 Timothy 2:22
Your mother has spent your entire lifetime passing along words of wisdom and guidance; this verse reiterates all you've learned from her and passes on wisdom of its own.

But now, this is what the LORD says- He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." - Isaiah 43:1-2
You are your mother's precious child. What better way to thank her and bless her in return than to powerfully remind her that she's God's precious child? And that's exactly what this verse accomplishes.

Your mother's importance to you can be challenging to articulate this Mother's Day. A poem may suffice, but by inscribing your Mother's Dy card with a Bible verse, you are expressing your feelings for your mother in a way that lasts a lifetime - and beyond.