MOTHERING SUNDAY 2009 . HONOURING MOTHERS.
PROVERBS 31: 26 SHE SPEAKS WITH WISDOM, AND FAITHFUL INSTRUCTION IS ON HER TONGUE. 27 SHE WATCHES OVER THE AFFAIRS OF HER HOUSEHOLD AND DOES NOT EAT THE BREAD OF IDLENESS. 28 HER CHILDREN ARISE AND CALL HER BLESSED; HER HUSBAND ALSO, AND HE PRAISES HER: 29 MANY WOMEN DO NOBLE THINGS, BUT YOU SURPASS THEM ALL. 30 CHARM IS DECEPTIVE, AND BEAUTY IS FLEETING; BUT A WOMAN WHO FEARS THE LORD IS TO BE PRAISED. 31 GIVE HER THE REWARD SHE HAS EARNED, AND LET HER WORKS BRING HER PRAISE AT THE CITY GATE.
• A TEACHER ONE DAY GAVE HER PUPILS A LESSON ALL ABOUT MAGNETS. THE NEXT DAY SHE SET A WRITTEN TEST WHICH INCLUDED THE QUESTION, “MY NAME HAS SIX LETTERS, BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER M AND I PICK UP THINGS WHAT AM I?” WHEN THE TEST PAPERS WERE HANDED BACK SHE WAS ASTONISHED TO FIND THAT ALMOST 50 PERCENT OF THE CHILDREN ANSWERED THE QUESTION WITH THE WORD MOTHER.
YES I SUPPOSE MOTHERS DO PICK UP THINGS, BUT THEY DO MUCH MORE THAN JUST PICKING UP CLOTHES AND TOYS FROM AROUND THE HOUSE . AS WILLING AS THEY ARE TO DO SUCH CHORES. THEY HAVE A HIGHER CALLING THAN THAT.
A GOOD MOTHER.... LOVES HER FAMILY PROVIDES AN ATMOSPHERE WHERE EACH MEMBER CAN FEEL ACCEPTANCE SECURITY UNDERSTANDING AND ABOVE ALL UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. MOTHERS ARE THERE WHEN THE CHILD NEEDS A LISTENING EAR, A COMFORTING WORD, A HUG, A LOVING TOUCH AND GOOD ADVICE. BUT THE GREATEST JOY FOR A CHRISTIAN MOTHER HAS TO BE IN TEACHING AND TRAINING HER CHILDREN TO KNOW AND LOVE JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOUR AND LORD.
YOU SEE, “GODLY MOTHERS NOT ONLY BRING THEIR CHILDREN UP, THEY BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO GOD.”.
THAT KIND OF MOTHER DESERVES TO BE HONOURED - NOT JUST ON ONE SPECIAL DAY BUT EVERYDAY OF THE YEAR. AND THAT RECOGNITION SHOULD INVOLVE MORE THAN JUST WORDS BUT SHOWN IN RESPECT, WITH THOUGHTFULNESS AND LOVING DEEDS: SOURCE OUR DAILY BREAD MAY 10TH 09. RICHARD DE HANN.
here we see CHILDREN AND FATHER HONOURING THEI MOTHER AND WIFE: 28 HER CHILDREN ARISE AND CALL HER BLESSED; HER HUSBAND ALSO, AND HE PRAISES HER.
IS IT NO WONDER THAT THE 5TH COMMANDMENT CALLS US : TO HONOUR OUR FATHER AND OUR MOTHER DEUT 5:16. THIS COMMAND SHOULD BE FOLLOWED THROUGH NOT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TOO BUT BECAUSE YOU LOVE TOO.
I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THREE AMAZING TRUTHS ABOUT GODLY MOTHERS. FIRST A POEM.....
• A MOTHERS LOVE READ BY WENDY JOHNSON.
1. A GODLY MOTHERS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. MANY WOMEN DO NOBLE THINGS, BUT YOU SURPASS THEM ALL.
MY FAMILY BACKGROUND: ALTHOUGH MY MOTHER NEVER LED ME TO GOD , I BELIEVE SHE HAS A FEAR FOR GOD AND UNCONDITIONALLY LOVED ME. AT THE TIME I DIDN’T SEE THIS. SHE WAS ALL I HAD AND I TOOK HER FOR GRANTED. WE WERE A DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY (AS SINNERS WE ARE ALL DYSFUNCTIONAL). ANY FAMILY WITHOUT GOD IS DYSFUNCTIONAL.
OUR FAMILY HAD BE TORN APART WITH DIVORCE NOT ONCE BUT TWICE - IT WAS THE CHARITY OF MY UNCLE WHICH PROVIDED A ROOF OVER OUR HEADS FOR MANY YEARS - YET MOTHER WAS VERY HARDWORKING TO PROVIDE FOOD ON OUR TABLE. AND IN HER EARLY 50’S , SHE GOT A MORTGAGE AND BOUGHT OUR FIRST HOME. WHICH WAS AN AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR A SINGLE WOMAN AT THAT TIME? YOU COULD CERTAINLY SAY, 27 SHE WATCHES OVER THE AFFAIRS OF HER HOUSEHOLD AND DOES NOT EAT THE BREAD OF IDLENESS. MY MOTHER WORKED TO PROVIDE FOR HER FAMILY
LOOKING BACK I SEE THAT I PERSONALLY PLAYED A BIG PART IN THE DYSFUNCTION OF OUR FAMILY. BECAUSE I DID NOT HONOUR MY MOTHER AS I OUGHT, I TOOK HER FOR GRANTED, I OVER STEPPED THE MARK ON MANY OCCASIONS, I WAS SELFISH, I WAS VINDICTIVE , RESENTFUL, HURTFUL AND REBELLIOUS . THIS IS A REOCCURRING THEME IN SOCIETY AT LARGE IS IT NOT?
EXAMINE YOUR OWN HEART TODAY. DO YOU OR DID YOU HONOUR YOUR MOTHER AS YOU OUGHT? FOR SHE IS THE ONE WHO BROUGHT YOU INTO THIS WORLD, YOU WERE PART OF HER AND SHE WAS PART OF YOU, SHE NURTURED YOU, SHE NOURISHED AND WHO YOU ARE TODAY IS IN PART DUE TO YOUR MOTHER. DOESN’T SHE NEED TO BE HONOURED IN YOUR LIFE?
• THE AWESOME TRUTH MY MOTHER HAS UNCONDITIONALLY LOVED ME THE LAST 44 YEARS.
DESPITE MY FAILURE TO HONOUR MY MOTHER AS I OUGHT. MY MOTHER CARED FOR ME, SHE PICKED ME UP WHEN I WAS DOWN AND UNCONDITIONALLY LOVED ME, SHE WOULD HAVE GIVEN ME HER HEART - IF IT HAD MEANT SAVING ME, I AM SURE OF IT! BECAUSE SHE IS A MOTHER. AND MOTHERS LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL. WHETHER WE SEE IT OR NOT - SO I AM PERSONALLY THANKFUL TO GOD TO HAVE RECEIVED A MOTHERS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
MY MOTHER WAS THERE FOR ME, SHE UNCONDITIONALLY LOVED ME. THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORST I COULD HAVE BEEN SENT INTO CARE, NEGLECTED, ABUSED AND EVEN ABANDONED, THAT IS A REALITY FOR MANY CHILDREN WHO FAIL TO RECEIVE A MOTHERS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
• RUTH GRAHAM POEM: READ BY SUSAN WARBURTON.
THE GREAT NEWS FOR ALL OF US, WHAT EVER OUR SITUATION, IS THAT THIS LOVE WHICH IS SHOWN BY MOTHERS AND EXPERIENCED BY SONS AND DAUGHTERS IS REALLY CLOSE TO THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE OF GOD WHICH WE CAN ALL RECEIVE IF EMBRACED EVEN IF WE HAVE NEVER RECIEVED A MOTHERS LOVE WE CAN KNOW IT!
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS LOVE TOWARDS WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS........ ALL OF US ARE IN REBELLION TO GOD YET HE CHOOSES TO POUR OUT HIS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE UPON HIS CHILDREN . HE WAITS FOR THE PRODIGAL TO RETURN, WITH OPEN ARMS AND WELCOMES HIM/HER BACK WITH REJOICING AND RICHES DESPITE HIS/HER DYSFUNCTIONAL LIFESTYLE GOD IS PREPARED TO UNCONDITIONALLY LOVE YOU.
2. A GODLY MOTHERS SACRIFICIAL LIFE. 29 MANY WOMEN DO NOBLE THINGS, BUT YOU SURPASS THEM ALL.
WITH THE RISE OF FEMINISM WOMEN ARE BEING MOULDED INTO MEN - WOMEN IN OUR SOCIETY ARE ENCOURAGED INTO CAREERS MORE AND MORE THIS IS GOOD - BUT WHEN CHILDREN ARE INVOLVED THERE IS A COST. SENDING THEIR KIDS TO PLAYGROUPS AT AN EARLY AGE – MOTHERS SPENDING ONLY A SHORT NUMBER OF HOURS WITH THEIR INFANTS A DAY, THIS WILL EFFECT THEIR RELATIONSHIP.
WOMEN ARE PUSHED TO MAKE IT IN THE WORKPLACE – SUCCESS , POWER AND MONEY BECOME THE ALL CONSUMING PASSION (MARGARET THATCHER DOC FILM RELATIONSHIP WITH HER DAUGHTER APPEARED STRAINED) THESE ARE NOBLE THINGS BUT THE MOTHER CHILD RELATIONSHIP WILL BE EFFECTED.
ISNT IT TRUE TODAY THAT SO OFTEN WOMEN WHO STAY AT HOME ARE CONSIDERED INFERIOR.
BUT A WOMEN WHO IS ABLE TO SACRIFICE HER CAREER FOR HER CHILDREN, DOES A GREATER THING. TO SACRIFICE HER OWN PURSUITS - TO THE UPBRINGING AND CARE OF HER CHILDREN SURPASSES IT ALL. AND SUCH WOMEN NEED TO BE HONOURED.
TO MANY TIMES WOMEN ARE MADE TO FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD APOLOGIZE FOR BEING MOTHERS AND HOUSEWIVES. THE REALITY IS SUCH ROLES ARE NOBLE CALLINGS FROM GOD.
TONY CAMPOLA WRITES AN AMUSING STORY ABOUT HIS WIFE, WHEN I WAS ON THE FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, THERE WERE GATHERINGS FROM TIME TO TIME TO WHICH FACULTY MEMBERS BROUGHT THEIR SPOUSES. INEVITABLY, SOME WOMAN LAWYER OR SOCIOLOGIST WOULD CONFRONT MY WIFE WITH THE QUESTION, "AND WHAT IS IT THAT YOU DO, MY DEAR?"
MY WIFE, WHO IS ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANTLY ARTICULATE INDIVIDUALS I KNOW, HAD A GREAT RESPONSE: "I AM SOCIALIZING TWO HOMO SAPIENS IN THE DOMINANT VALUES OF THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN TRADITION IN ORDER THAT THEY MIGHT BE INSTRUMENTS FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SOCIAL ORDER INTO THE TELEOLOGICAL PRESCRIBED UTOPIA INHERENT IN THE ESCHATON." WHEN SHE FOLLOWED THAT WITH, "AND WHAT IS IT THAT YOU DO?" THE OTHER PERSON’S "A LAWYER" JUST WASN’T THAT OVERPOWERING.
MOTHERS WHO STAY AT HOME WITH THEIR CHILDREN ARE DOING AN AWRESOME JOB....GODLY MOTHERS WILL ALWAYS PUT THE NEEDS OF THEIR CHILDREN BEFORE THEMSELVES. - EVEN TO THE POINT OF THE GREATEST SACRIFICE OF ALL.
THIS IS DEMONSTRATED WITH A TRUE STORY WHICH COMES OUT OF WW 2 & THE HOLOCAUST THAT TOOK THE LIVES OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE – ITS ABOUT SOLOMON ROSENBERG & HIS FAMILY.
SOLOMON ROSENBERG & HIS WIFE & THEIR 2 SONS & HIS MOTHER & FATHER WERE ARRESTED & PLACED IN A NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMP. IT WAS A LABOUR CAMP, & THE RULES WERE SIMPLE. "AS LONG AS YOU CAN DO YOUR WORK, YOU ARE PERMITTED TO LIVE. WHEN YOU BECOME TOO WEAK TO DO YOUR WORK, THEN YOU ARE EXTERMINATED."
ROSENBERG WATCHED HIS MOTHER & FATHER MARCHED OFF TO THEIR DEATHS, & HE KNEW THAT NEXT WOULD BE HIS YOUNGEST SON, DAVID, BECAUSE DAVID HAD ALWAYS BEEN A FRAIL CHILD.
EVERY EVENING ROSENBERG CAME BACK INTO THE BARRACKS AFTER HIS HOURS OF LABOUR & SEARCHED FOR THE FACES OF HIS FAMILY. WHEN HE FOUND THEM THEY WOULD HUDDLE TOGETHER, EMBRACE ONE ANOTHER, & THANK GOD FOR ANOTHER DAY OF LIFE.
ONE DAY ROSENBERG CAME BACK & DIDN’T SEE THOSE FAMILIAR FACES. HE FINALLY DISCOVERED HIS OLDEST SON, JOSHUA, IN A CORNER, HUDDLED, WEEPING, & PRAYING. HE SAID, "JOSH, TELL ME IT’S NOT TRUE." JOSHUA TURNED & SAID, "IT IS TRUE, POPPA. TODAY DAVID WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO DO HIS WORK. SO THEY CAME FOR HIM."
"BUT WHERE IS YOUR MOTHER?" ASKED MR. ROSENBERG. "OH POPPA," HE SAID, "WHEN THEY CAME FOR DAVID, HE WAS AFRAID & HE CRIED. MOMMA SAID, `THERE IS NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF, DAVID,’ & SHE TOOK HIS HAND & WENT WITH HIM."
GODLY MOTHERS ARE PREPARED TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVES FOR THEIR CHILDREN: ISN’T THAT A POWERFUL PICTURE OF OUR SAVIOUR? WHO WAS PREPARED TO SACRIFICE HIMSELF FOR THE SAKE OF HIS CHILDREN?
PHIL2: 6WHO, BEING IN VERY NATURE GOD, DID NOT CONSIDER EQUALITY WITH GOD SOMETHING TO BE GRASPED, 7 BUT MADE HIMSELF NOTHING, TAKING THE VERY NATURE OF A SERVANT, BEING MADE IN HUMAN LIKENESS. 8 AND BEING FOUND IN APPEARANCE AS A MAN, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF AND BECAME OBEDIENT TO DEATH— EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS!
3. GODLY MOTHERS ARE GREAT TEACHERS 26 SHE SPEAKS WITH WISDOM, AND FAITHFUL INSTRUCTION IS ON HER TONGUE.
SUSANNAH WESLEY, WAS THE MOTHER OF 17 CHILDREN. SHE SPENT ONE HOUR EACH DAY PRAYING FOR HER 17 CHILDREN. IN ADDITION, SHE TOOK EACH CHILD ASIDE FOR A FULL HOUR EVERY WEEK TO DISCUSS SPIRITUAL MATTERS. NO WONDER TWO OF HER SONS, CHARLES AND JOHN, WERE USED OF GOD TO BRING BLESSING TO ALL OF ENGLAND AND MUCH OF AMERICA. HERE ARE A FEW RULES SHE FOLLOWED IN TRAINING HER CHILDREN:
(1) SUBDUE SELF-WILL IN A CHILD AND THUS WORK TOGETHER WITH GOD TO SAVE HIS SOUL.
(2) TEACH HIM TO PRAY AS SOON AS HE CAN SPEAK.
(3) GIVE HIM NOTHING HE CRIES FOR AND ONLY WHAT IS GOOD FOR HIM IF HE ASKS FOR IT POLITELY.
(4) TO PREVENT LYING, PUNISH NO FAULT WHICH IS FREELY CONFESSED, BUT NEVER ALLOW A REBELLIOUS, SINFUL ACT TO GO UNNOTICED
(5) COMMEND AND REWARD GOOD BEHAVIOUR.
(6) STRICTLY OBSERVE ALL PROMISES YOU HAVE MADE TO YOUR CHILD.’ OUR DAILY BREAD, MAY 8
WHO’S INFLUENCING OR INFLUENCED YOUR CHILDREN TO BE WHAT THEY ARE TODAY,(SO OFTEN WE JUST PALM THEM OFF TO THE SECULAR STATE) GODLY MOTHERS HAVE A GREAT BEARING UPON A CHILD’S LIFE. THE BIBLE CLEARLY TEACHES US THAT IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY MOTHERS AND FATHERS, NOT THE STATES, TO TEACH AND TRAIN A CHILD. DEUT 6:7 -9, EPH6:4, PROVERBS 22:6: "TRAIN A CHILD IN THE WAY THAT HE SHOULD GO, AND WHEN HE IS OLD HE WILL NOT TURN FROM IT"
IN REALITY WE SEE THAT IT IS NOT FATHERS BUT MOTHERS WHO HAVE THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE AND ARE THE MAIN PLAYERS IN TEACHING AND TRAINING THE CHILDREN. (THIS ISN’T THE IDEAL AND MEN NEED TO TAKE A BIGGER RESPONSIBILITY EPH 6:4 , WHEN THEY ARE AT HOME, BUT ITS REALITY, AS IT WAS FOR SUSANNAH SO IT IS FOR MY OWN WIFE DANIELLE).
AND I THINK SCRIPTURE RECOGNISES IT HERE 26 SHE SPEAKS WITH WISDOM, AND FAITHFUL INSTRUCTION IS ON HER TONGUE. 27 SHE WATCHES OVER THE AFFAIRS OF HER HOUSEHOLD AND DOES NOT EAT THE BREAD OF IDLENESS.
THAT A WOMAN HAS MORE TIME WITH THE CHILDREN THAN THE FATHER WITH THE AFFAIRS OF TH EHOUSEHOLD, WHEN FOLLOWING A BIBLICAL PATTERN AND SO MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
WHAT IS IT THAT GODLY MOTHERS TEACH? GODS WORD AND IT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT.....
THERE IS THE STORY OF A YOUNG MAN WHO WENT OFF TO COLLEGE AND DEFIED SOME OF THE VALUES OF HIS REARING THAT HE HAD ACQUIRED IN A CHRISTIAN HOME. HE HAD PORNOGRAPHIC PICTURES ON THE WALLS. ONE DAY HIS MOTHER CAME TO VISIT HIM. SHE SAW HIS WALLS BUT SAID NOTHING. INSTEAD, SHE SENT HIM A PICTURE OF HERSELF AND ASKED HIM TO HANG IT UP ON HIS WALL. THE NEXT TIME SHE WENT TO SEE HIM THE OTHER PICTURES HAD BEEN REMOVED. AND HER PICTURE WAS THERE HANGING ON THE WALL. SHE ASKED HIM ABOUT IT AND HE REPLIED, "YOU SEE MOTHER, I COULD NOT HAVE THOSE PICTURES BESIDE YOURS. THEY WOULD BE OUT OF PLACE." (A. NAISMITH. 1200 NOTES, QUOTES AND ANECDOTES. GREAT BRITAIN: PICKERING PAPERBACKS, 1988, P. 193).
THIS STORY BACKS UP THE TRUTH BEHIND PROVERBS 22:6: "TRAIN A CHILD IN THE WAY THAT HE SHOULD GO, AND WHEN HE IS OLD HE WILL NOT TURN FROM IT" (NIV).
WHEN MOTHERS RAISE THEIR CHILDREN WELL, "TRAINING THEM IN THE WAY THAT SHOULD GO", THEY GIVE THEIR CHILDREN ROOTS THAT ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH A WORLDLY LIFESTYLE AND EVEN IF THE GODLY INFLUENCE HAS BEEN CUT DOWN IN SUCH A GODLESS WORLD. THE CAN NEVER BE PULLED OUT, THEY REMAIN AND THOSE GODLY TRAITS WHICH HAVE BEEN TAUGHT WILL AT SOME POINT REAPER AND GROW ONCE MORE.
THE GREATEST LESSON OF ALL THAT A GODLY MOTHER WILL PASS ON TO HER CHILDREN WILL BE IN THE MATTERS OF GOD AND THEIR OWN SALVATION. YOUR CHILDREN CAN AMASS ALL THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD FROM OUR UNIVERSITIES AND HAVE PHD’S AFTER YOUR NAME, BUT IT ALL PALES INTO INSIGNIFICANCE IF YOU HAVEN’T GOT THE LORD WITH A B.A AFTER YOUR NAME! (BORN AGAIN) .
SO TODAY I WANT US ALL TO THANK GOD FOR MOTHERS IN PARTICULAR THOSE GODLY MOTHERS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION INTO OUR LIVES. MOTHERS WHOM HAVE LOVED US AND DO LOVE US UNCONDITIONALLY, MOTHERS WHO HAVE SACRIFICED THEMSELVES FOR OUR GOOD, AND HAVE TAUGHT US THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE FOUND IN JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. MAY WE NEVER DEPART FROM IT
AMEN!
