Moms Make a Difference
[2] Today is the day when Moms get the special treatment, right? You know, breakfast in bed; homemade Mother’s Day cards from the kids; flowers from your husband; lunch at your favorite restaurant; and absolutely no house cleaning! (How come I’m seeing some of you ladies give your husbands ‘the elbow’?)
Mom’s deserve all this special treatment one day a year. And you know, maybe it’s because they teach our kids so much! Dana Chau wrote a tribute to her Mother for all the important things she taught her about life.
My mother taught me RELIGION: When I spilled grape juice on the carpet, she instructed, "You better pray that stain will come out!"
My mother taught me how to be DECISIVE: When she said, "Because I said so, that’s why."
My mother taught me FORESIGHT: "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident."
My mother taught me IRONY: "Just keep laughing and I’ll give you something to cry about."
My mother taught me about STAMINA: "You’ll sit there ’til all that spinach is finished."
My mother taught me about WEATHER: "It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."
My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION: "Stop acting like your father!"
My mother taught me about APPRECIATION: "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t have a wonderful Mom like you do!"
My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
But seriously, Moms are so amazing and do so much for their children. Things that only a Mother can do. And this is your day Moms to receive appreciation and honor and a well deserved rest.
But even with all that honor, even with all that praise, even with having your own day right on the calendar, as a Mother do you ever feel like a failure? Moms, do you ever feel like you’re doing a lousy job? Ever feel like no matter how hard you work and how much you pour into your kid’s lives it doesn’t make a difference?
Now life can be a little hectic at times. Life can be a little stressful at times. We even fail at times as parents. But Moms, even when you feel like you aren’t making a difference – you are! [3] You make a difference in your children’s lives! Maybe even the biggest difference that there could be made.
George Barna did some extensive research on today’s generation of teens. He published his findings in a book called “Third Millennium Teens”. This research looks at their worldviews, their interests, their struggles, their influences, and many other things. But what caught my attention about his study were today’s teen influences. What and who influences today’s youth. Can you guess what the number one influence, according to the teens themselves, is?
[4] 80% of today’s teens say their parents are the biggest influence in their lives!
The percentage is the same for non-Christian and Christian teens. Eight out of ten teens say Mom and Dad have more influence over them than their coaches, than their teachers, than their friends, than their Youth Pastor, than the Bible, than tv, than anything! Parents are the main influence in their children’s lives. Moms, you make a difference!
This morning, we’ll be looking at a Mom who made a huge difference in her child’s life. We’ll be looking at the mothering of Hannah towards her son Samuel. Turn with me to the first book of Samuel starting in chapter one.
To help us understand this Mother Hannah better, we need to get some background information. As we do this, we’ll see she lived a long time in a [5] difficult situation.
[Read I Samuel 1:1-18.]
As we look into Hannah’s life she had some serious pressures to deal with. [6] Her main problem was that she was unable to bear children. This is probably why her husband took another wife. Even though God didn’t approve of polygamy, men still married other women to make sure that their family would go on after they died. So to carry on the family name Elkanah married again and started to have children with the other woman.
Now I don’t know about you, but this woman he married was a real piece of work. Year after year after year she’d make fun of, taunt and make sure and remind Hannah how less of a woman she was since she couldn’t have kids. The pressure was so bad for Hannah that she was depressed and even developed an eating disorder.
[Read I Samuel 1:6-7.]
Moms today have a lot of pressures to deal with when it comes to raising their kids. And the pressure even gets worse if they’re doing it alone! Pressures like:
- Where should my kids go to school?
- What lines do I draw when it comes to tv and video games?
- How am I going to get the money to get them what they need?
- Should I be selective with what friends they can have?
- Is there a way I can protect them from all the weirdos in this world?
- Am I ever going to get a break so I can work on myself?
And the list could go on and on and on. It didn’t seem this tough when I was a kid. I
mean, we could pretty much go wherever we wanted to and didn’t have to worry about being abducted or something. Now, Lisette and I feel like we can’t let our kids out of our sight for a single minute!
There is so much pressure in being a Mom and Hannah was no stranger to life’s difficulties. But Hannah did have her faith and it seems like verse 18 shows us a turning point, or a momentum change in her life. Look at the verse again.
[Read I Samuel 1:18.]
After her intense prayer before Eli she found contentment. She was no longer depressed and even got her appetite back. Maybe this was where she truly realized that God was in control and that He would answer her prayers.
This was where she laid it all on the line. Even to the point of promising to give the child back to God if He would give one to her. She promised the Lord that her future child would be a priest dedicated to the Lord’s service.
That prayer of faith, that prayer of contentment, that prayer of dedication prompted the Holy God of the universe to act. Let’s look at how the Lord intervened in Hannah’s life. [7]
[Read I Samuel 1:19-20.]
[8] The most powerful being in the universe showed his love and care for this lady and specifically answered her prayers. Yes, it had been a long time comin’, but in His time, and in His way, He answered her prayers.
Waiting has got to be one of the worst things in the world, right? What is worst? All right, disease could be worst. War? Okay, war could be worst. Poverty? True, poverty is pretty bad. But anyway! Waiting is bad! Especially for us impatient people like me.
Do you know what I think they should have in every grocery store? They should have the lanes labeled: [9 - click twice] “Fast Lane” for impatient people in a hurry. “Slow Lane” for patient people who have nothing better to do than talk to the clerk about everything in the world while the rest of us wait in line endlessly!
Waiting is tough, even when you are waiting on God. But Hannah waited and look what the Lord did. The Lord answered her prayers and Samuel was born.
But now that the Lord had given her a son, a glorious son, it was now time to follow through with her vow. [10] So let’s look at Hannah’s dedication.
[Read I Samuel 1:21-28.]
Can you imagine how tough it would have been for Hannah to hand over her three-year-old son to the high priest to live with and be trained for the priesthood? Remember, she lived some distance away. She would go visit him on occasion, but could you imagine not being with your child every day? Not being there when they lose their first tooth. Not being there when they skin their knee. Not being there for all the little things that help a child become a man.
But Hannah was a [11] purpose-driven woman. She had made a vow and was dedicated to following through. What an incredible woman of faith. Listen to Hannah’s heart as she prays to her God who answered her prayers. [12]
[Read I Samuel 2:1-11.]
This Mother, who lived through difficult circumstances saw God intervene on her behalf. This answer to prayer probably strengthened her faith even more since it’s evident that she was dedicated to her son after he was born. In the next few verses we see Hannah’s [13] persevering love towards her son over the years.
[Read I Samuel 2:18-19.]
Even though Samuel’s primary caretaker was the household of Eli, Hannah came every year with new clothes for her growing son. Can you see her coming down the road with an excited son running towards her to meet her in an embrace that would last for minutes instead of moments. Undoubtedly they’d sit and talk for hours about what was going on in his life and what was going on in her life. They’d eat together, worship together and maybe even sit and just stare at the stars together.
There would come a time when she’d have to leave and it would be terribly sad. But hope would override the emotions since Samuel knew she’d be back next year.
We don’t know much more about Hannah’s life from then on, but we do know this – she made a difference in her son’s life. Samuel went on to be one of the greatest prophets, priests and judge that Israel ever had. And I don’t think it had very much to do with Eli and his sons influence since Scripture records them as being an embarrassment to the priesthood. Those ungodly men didn’t shape this great man of God. It was Hannah. It was his Mother! Moms make a difference!
[14] Moms, if you are here this morning, and feel like you’re hitting your head up against the wall with your kids, please remember – you make a difference! You do make a difference! Be dedicated to the Lord. Keep praying and keep your faith strong. The Lord will answer your prayers and use you in your kid’s lives.
Men, appreciate your wives and give them everything they need to make a difference in your kid’s lives. Be supportive like Hannah’s husband was. They need your encouragement!
And kid’s, tell your Mom thanks for the difference she’s made in your life. Let her know how she helps you. No matter how old you are now, let her know that she’s made a difference in your life. Encourage her today and every day. Tell your Mother thanks!
John Wesley, the Father of the modern Sunday school, had a mother. Billy Graham, one of the greatest evangelists that’s ever lived, had a mother. Every President, every scientist, every teacher, and every great Mother, had a mother. Those moms make a difference in their children’s lives. You do too.
Moms, you make a difference! [15]
