A Mother of Great Faith
If most of us were asked to write down an example of a mother who exhibited great faith in the bible, few of us would ever consider Eve. And yet, she did exactly that. We don’t know much about her life after her notorious run in with the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Other than the fact that she’s essentially the reason women suffer in childbirth and why most of us are terrified of snakes (Genesis 3:15-16a NIV).
Imagine what it must have been like after she and her husband, Adam, were punished for disobeying God. After all, they went from being evicted out of a mortgage-free paradise to living in a land that required, “painful toil” or labor. Instead of grabbing a “Have-it-Your-Way” Meal at anytime from the Garden of Eden, the Lord cursed Adam saying, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground…” Genesis 3:19a NIV. Did Adam resent his wife for their downfall? Did he beat or mistreat her? Truth be told, we may never know.
What we do know is that she and Adam had children; hence, the reason we’re all here. Interestingly enough, she’s only mentioned twice after they are banished and in each case, she’s giving birth. None of us can imagine how she must have felt the first time she experienced her firstborn child kicking in her stomach? No mother or sister to call up for advice and reassurance. No physician to consult with regarding Morning Sickness or changes in her body. As the Mother of All Mankind, her pregnancy was truly a “new experience!” She had every reason to be afraid and overwhelmed.
And yet, through it all, Eve proves to be an amazing mother because of her faith in God. How so, you might ask? After having Cain, “She said, ‘With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man,’” Genesis 4:1b NIV. Through this simple but powerful declaration, she acknowledges that she was not alone and stressed beyond reason during the labor. Through her faith, she understood that the Lord had guided her through every step of the delivery.
In addition, Eve’s children were obviously taught to have a relationship with God. You see in Genesis 4:3-6 NIV, the Word tells us that both Cain and Abel made offerings to the Heavenly Father. Now mind you, it was neither Adam nor Eve who prepared these gifts but the brothers themselves. Thus, they had obviously been taught the importance of offering sacrifices unto the Lord.
Most importantly, Eve’s faith sustains her even when her children cause her great pain. Miraculously, she doesn’t lose her mind like many of us would have done; particularly since one child does the unthinkable and kills his brother out of jealousy. No, Eve (Genesis 4:25 NIV) once again acknowledges the goodness of the Lord for granting her another child, Seth.
All in all, Beloved, if you have or hope to have children someday, consider the story of Eve. She teaches us that in order to be a great Mother, we must first begin with trusting and having faith in God.
