The Law of Love- Five Traits of a Godly Mother Galatians 5:13-18NASB
You’ve heard it said, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” (Unknown) When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself. -(Nancy Friday) I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother. (Abraham Lincoln)
“The most precious treasure a man can find.” (Pr 31:10 CEV) Erma Bombeck wrote: “When God was creating mothers, on His sixth day of overtime the angel said, ‘You’re fiddling around a lot on this one.’ God replied, ‘Have you seen the specs on this order? She’s to have 18,000 replaceable moving parts, run on black coffee and leftovers, have a kiss that cures anything from broken legs to disappointed love affairs…and six pairs of hands!’ ‘Six pairs of hands? No way!’ the angel said. God said, ‘And the challenging bit is the three pairs of eyes mothers need. One pair that sees through doors, another in back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t be able to see, another in front for looking at a child who’s goofed and saying, ‘I understand, and I love you,’ without speaking.’ The angel said, ‘Lord, take a break. Tomorrow…’ ‘I can’t,’ God said. ‘I’m close to creating something so like Myself. Already she can heal herself when she’s sick, feed a family on a pound of hamburger, and get a nine-year-old to stand under a shower!’ Touching her, the angel said, ‘She’s too soft!’ ‘But so tough!’ God replied. ‘You can’t imagine what this mother can endure.’ ‘Can it think?’ asked the angel. ‘Not only think, it reasons and compromises,’ God said. Running his finger across the mother’s cheek, the angel said, ‘There’s a leak!’ ‘It’s not a leak,’ God said. ‘It’s a tear.’ ‘What’s it for?’ asked the angel. ‘It’s for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness and pride.’ The angel declared, ‘Lord, You’re a Genius!’”
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. (Galatians 5:13-18NASB)
Paul emphatically speaks that godly women and men don’t use their freedom in Christ to sin. On the contrary, as a believer you’re called to love and serve others. And then Paul say’s, the whole law is summed up by our love for our neighbor. (Love them, as yourself.) It’s pretty plain, “If you don’t love others, you properly don’t love yourself or God.”
* Several traits follow the godly mother and women. The first trait is, she loves and serves others.
How can you know you’re lead by the spirit? Because of your love and actions toward others.
Secondly, how can you know you’re lead by the spirit? Through your faith walk- have faith in God.
There was a cartoon that portrayed a three-year-old, freckle-faced boy in a hallway. His pajamas are unsnapped, his diaper’s bagging, and he’s got a little teddy bear dangling in his hand. He is standing in front of his mother and father’s bedroom door, which is shut. On the door is a little sign written by a weary mother: "Closed for Business. Motherhood Out of Order."
Listen to Peter’s heart while serving others.
2 Peter 1:12-15TM Because the stakes are so high, even though you’re up-to-date on all this truth and practice it inside and out, I’m not going to let up for a minute in calling you to attention before it. This is the post to which I’ve been assigned—keeping you alert with frequent reminders—and I’m sticking to it as long as I live. I know that I’m to die soon; the Master has made that quite clear to me. And so I am especially eager that you have all this down in black and white so that after I die, you’ll have it for ready reference.
“Mother’s, when you serve, you’re raising up leaders to serve after you.” (This is the heart of mothers.)
* The second trait found within godly mothers is, they love themselves.
That sounds vain. On the contrary, because of the Holy Spirit, their love flows over into everything they do.
David Jeremiah once wrote, “If our religion does nothing more than make us feel better about our sin, then that religion has doomed us, not saved us.”
Nothing much occurs and changes, when a mother can’t love herself.
* The third trait found within godly mothers is, their maturity level outgrows their emotions, so they forgive and live fully.
Hear Galatians 5:15NLT again, But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
The imagery is of wild animals savagely attacking and killing each other- it’s a graphic picture of what happens in the spiritual realm when believer’s fail to love.
Illustration: There’s nothing much sadder than having a fancy car without gas. The same is true with a mother that holds onto un-forgiveness.
* The fourth trait found within godly mothers is, they’re led by the spirit.
Galatians 5:16NLT So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
Galatians 5:16TM My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness.
“All believer’s have the Holy Spirit dwelling within. Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your life is an ongoing process.” P.H.
“And Listen, ‘Your sinful nature might win some battles, but Jesus’ redemption won the war!” P.H.
* The fifth trait found within godly mothers is, they reject living a life of the flesh.
The flesh opposes the work of the Spirit. So what should every mother do? Love your neighbors, and keep a strong faith walk.
Galatians 5:18TM Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?
“Motherhood is a God-assignment and, thus, honorable estate, which, once entered, cannot be escaped. All who fill the role are worthy of honor from those they bore. Every mother who embraces their role by faith, courage, and humility before God are worthy of double honor!” (J.T. Willoughby)
“Mother’s living by the spirit will continue to change millions of children, husbands, as well as their neighbors.” P.H.
Benediction.
