Mother’s Day has become a $38 billion industry. Cards, jewelry, flowers, brunches, vacations, and gifts of every kind will flood homes and social media feeds this weekend. Restaurants will be packed. Families will gather. Amazon drivers will work overtime delivering last-minute presents to front doors across America.
And by Monday morning, it will mostly be over.
But Mother’s Day should not simply be the finish line of appreciation. It should be the starting line for recovering something our culture is rapidly losing: a deep respect for the beauty, value, and necessity of motherhood.
We are living in a deeply confused cultural moment. Questions that previous generations considered basic realities, such as identity, gender, marriage, and family, are now fiercely debated. Increasingly, motherhood is treated as optional, burdensome, or even outdated.
Yet when society moves away from God’s created order, instability follows. Homes fracture. Children suffer. Identity becomes confused. Families weaken, and so does the nation as a whole.
Despite all the celebration surrounding Mother’s Day, there is still a quiet war being waged against motherhood itself.
Before going any further, we should define what a mother is. A mother is an adult human female with XX chromosomes who cares for a child through birth, adoption, or fostering.
Motherhood is not merely a social label or cultural invention. It is rooted in biology, affirmed in Scripture, and woven into God’s created design.
Three Attacks on Motherhood Today
The Redefinition of Gender
In many academic and cultural circles today, gender is no longer viewed as a biological reality, but as a social construct. Biological mothers are increasingly reduced to terms like “birthing people” — language that strips motherhood down to a mere function rather than honoring it as a sacred calling.
At the same time, there is growing cultural pressure to erase the distinctions between men and women altogether. This is more than social confusion — it is a rejection of God’s creation order.
Scripture teaches that God made humanity male and female and commanded them to “be fruitful and multiply.” This means to procreate, to fill the earth with a godly lineage and legacy.
Let me be clear. Mothers cannot be replaced. Fathers cannot become mothers. God intentionally designed men and women with distinctive roles that are designed to work together in marriage for the flourishing of children and society.
The Career-Over-Children Lie
Many young mothers have believed the lie that a woman’s worth is found primarily in professional achievement rather than in who she is and the lives she shapes.
Our culture increasingly tells young women that to truly “get ahead,” motherhood must be delayed, minimized, or sacrificed altogether. This is why we are seeing more and more women putting their eggs on ice, so that they can “get ahead” in their careers before finally turning to motherhood.
Not only that, but women are wanting to “have it all,” while quietly buying the subtle lie that their career is somehow more valuable to our world than their children.
Many women later discover that fertility is not guaranteed forever. Research published in Nursing Open found that among women already in fertility treatment, 57.3 percent reported feelings of regret over having delayed their childbearing decision — and 40.3 percent of women “strongly agreed” they regretted the delay.
A separate peer-reviewed study among female academic professionals found that women who consistently prioritized career over family often ended up involuntarily childless, in part due to misconceptions about how quickly fertility declines with age.
The deeper issue is this: our culture tends to celebrate what a woman can produce more in the marketplace while undervaluing what she can produce at home.
Yet shaping hearts, raising children, building a family, and investing in the next generation is not at all a lesser work. It is a holy work — fulfilling a biblical command to fill the earth and make disciples. (Literally!)
Motherhood is not wasted potential. It is one of the highest callings God has given.
The Absent Father Epidemic
In his book Man Enough to Forgive, John Smithbaker, founder of Fathers in the Field, describes an epidemic that is quietly destroying families across America: fatherlessness.
Today, more than 25 million children in the United States are growing up without their biological father in the home. The consequences are devastating. Children from fatherless homes are four times more likely to live in poverty, 85 percent of youth in prison come from fatherless homes, and 71 percent of all high school dropouts grew up without a father.
This crisis also places crushing pressure on mothers.
Many single moms are working tirelessly to provide financially while simultaneously carrying the emotional, spiritual, and relational weight of the home. They are often forced to play both roles, mother and father, at the same time.
These women deserve enormous respect. They are heroes in many ways. But we must also say honestly: God never intended mothers to carry that burden alone.
Children flourish best when loving fathers and loving mothers faithfully work together, each bringing their God-given strengths into the home.
How Do We Fight Back?
First, we need strong churches that strengthen marriages and families. Healthy churches help men grow into loving, sacrificial leaders while encouraging women in their God-given calling and value. Churches should be places where families are supported, marriages are strengthened, and children and youth are discipled.
Second, we must build strong marriages. Dr. Brad Wilcox of the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project summarizes the research clearly: “The biggest advantage you can give your kids is raising them in a stable marriage.” His published research shows that children raised by both married birth parents were least likely to need or receive mental health counseling, while disorders requiring treatment were more common among young people from disrupted homes.
His work further shows that young men from non-intact families are more likely to end up in prison than to graduate from college — while young men raised by their married fathers are significantly more likely to graduate college than ever spend time incarcerated.
The future of society will largely rise or fall on the strength of the family. Motherhood is not outdated. It is not inferior; it is not replaceable. Mothers are irreplaceable! Our culture may celebrate mothers one weekend a year, but a healthy society honors and strengthens them every day.
So, here’s to all the mothers out there! Thank you for your investment into the lives of our kids! We love you, we see you, we hear you, we want you, and we need you!
God Bless, and Happy Mother’s Day.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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