We live in an interesting time in history in which there is quite a bit of confusion regarding what it means to be a mother. Until the last few decades, almost everyone in the western world understood and agreed about what it means to be a mother. That common belief stemmed from the influence of the Bible. Most people in the US adopted the biblical definition—at least semi-biblical—of motherhood and its responsibilities.

But our culture is increasingly moving away from a biblical point of view, and in its place has arisen a new set of claims that challenges the biblical viewpoint. Many mothers today intentionally avoid following the biblical model of motherhood. They have rejected the biblical picture altogether.

Since it’s Mother’s Day, I want to consider several challenges to the biblical view of motherhood. I want to encourage mothers to follow the biblical pattern and not be carried away by current trends and fashions. New and novel ideas about motherhood may seem attractive in some ways, but if they contradict the Bible, they are both wrong and bound to fail.

First, let’s review the biblical teaching on motherhood. Then we’ll consider several challenges to this viewpoint.