Mothers -- Partners in Nurturing Children
Joshua 24:14-15
“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourself this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
An elementary school teacher collected old, well-known and worn proverbs. She asked the children in her classroom to fill in the blanks.
• As you shall make your bed so shall you…mess it up.
• Better be safe than …punch a 5th grader.
• Strike while the …bug is close.
• It’s always darkest before … daylight savings time.
• You can lead a horse to water but … how?
• Don’t bite the hand that … looks dirty.
• A miss is a good as a … Mr.
• You can’t teach an old dog new … math.
• If you lie down with the dogs, you’ll … stink in the morning.
• The pen is mightier than the … pigs.
• An idle mind is … the best way to relax.
• Where there’s smoke, there’s … pollution.
• Happy is the bride who … gets all the presents.
• A penny saved is … not much.
Parenting is a challenge. In fact parenting is not for sissies. Parenting can cause you to loose sleep and endure much stress.
The story is told about Chippie the parakeet. Chippies problems began when his owner decided to vacuum out his bird cage. She stuck the attachment inside the cage, and about that time the telephone rang and distracted her attention. When she turned, Chippie was gone. She immediately hung up the telephone and looked inside the vacuum cleaner bag – sure enough, Chippie was there – alive, but stunned.
Since he was covered with dirt and debris, she grabbed him and raced down the hallway to the bathroom where she stuck him under the faucet and ran cold water over him for two minutes. She then realized the bird was soaked and shivering, so she did what any compassionate bird-owner would do – she reached for her hair dryer and blasted the bird with hot air. Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.
Several days later, the bird owner gave an update on how Chippie was doing. She said, “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore. He just sits and stares.”
Poor parakeet, after being sucked in, washed up and blown over, that’s enough to take the song from the stoutest of hearts.
As parents we have empathy for Chippie. From time to time we feel sucked in, washed up and blown over and no more feel like singing.
Joshua 24:14-15 has teachings that give great advice for Mothers who partner in nurturing children. Mothers who partner in nurturing their children
I. Have Decided to Follow Jesus
Joshua 24:14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness…”
A young bewildered boy grew up in a small town in Kansas. He had one sister four years older than he. His father lived in his own world. For most of his life his father lived without a personal commitment to Jesus as Savior and Lord. His dad was gone from home and out of town more than he was at home. His dad talked with street language, drank too much and from time to time was a womanizer. This dad’s influence was not very healthy for his young son.
In the providence of God the mother in the home was a devout Christian. She prayed and dedicated her two children to the Lord. She put God first and her own needs second. She taught school to provide for her children. She faithfully took them with her to church and encouraged them through four years of college and for her son through three years of seminary.
I was the beneficiary of this mother’s godly influence and prayer. My mother honored Christ and had a positive influence on my life.
I’m glad my mother decided to follow Jesus. When my mother got married she was not following Jesus. But after the death of her first child during child birth my mother turned to the Lord and gave her life to serving the Lord.
For a while my mother and dad lived with his parents on a farm near Gypsum, Kansas. My mother walked a mile and a half to a country church that was meeting in an old fashioned school house. The church was on a circuit and my mother met one of the pastors, Carollyn’s Grandpa Reid.
My mother was ridiculed by her in laws and received no encouragement from her husband.
For all my growing up years while I was in school my mother was the spiritual leader in our family. My mother did her best to honor the Lord in her life. She followed God with all her heart.
Joshua had led the children of Israel into the Promised Land and now he was nearing the end of his life. He gave his closing farewell to the new leaders who had been born during his lifetime. Joshua asked them to renew their covenant with God and get rid of any foreign gods they might have picked up on their journey. Joshua 24:23-24, “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”
-Joshua had followed the Lord and His Word and he was now asking the people to do the same thing after he was gone.
My own mother made it clear to me that the most important decision I would ever make in this life, would be the decision to follow Jesus. My mother died at the age of 62 from a stroke and a weak heart. During my last visit with her in the hospital she said in a high pitched and squeaky voice due to the stroke, “Raymond, if I say ‘good bye’ down here, I will say ‘hello’ up in heaven.”
Mothers if you have not yet decided to follow Jesus; I encourage you to become a spiritual partner in nurturing your children and decide to follow Jesus. Say in your heart the words to a song we often sing before someone is baptized:
“I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, No turning back, no turning back.
Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow, Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow, Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow, No turning back, no turning back.
Joshua 24:14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness…” When you fear the Lord you have an awesome respect for the Lord. You follow the Lord and you are faithful.
II. Have Sincere Faith in the Lord
Mothers are partners in nurturing children when they decide to follow Jesus and second, they have sincere faith in the Lord. They do as Joshua admonished, “serve the Lord with all faithfulness…”
The Apostle Paul reminded young Timothy that he was privileged to have a Godly heritage. II Timothy 1:5, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
My own mother was a woman of sincere faith and my grandmother on my mother’s side was also a woman of sincere faith. Carollyn’s mother and both of her grandmothers all were women of sincere faith in the Lord.
My mother had faith to accentuate the positive. My mother continually looked for the good in other people. My mother didn’t look at what was wrong with people, or what was wrong with our community, or what was wrong with the school system she looked for what was right and good about people, places and things.
One of the Ten Commandments is very practical and helpful to having a positive atmosphere in the home. Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” When parents are not honored there is constant struggle and strife in the home. Some children go for years nursing grudges and bitterness in their hearts. When families get together for special occasion there is more gloom than glory, and more cruel jabs than joyful conversation.
To honor parents means just that. I give my honor and appreciation to my parents because they are my parents. I may not always agree with them, but I still honor them.
When was the last time you told your parents or grandparents you loved them and appreciated them? The phrase, “Thank you” ought to be used second only to “I love you” within the home. “Thank you mom for all the meals you’ve prepared.” “Thank you, mom for cleaning the house, and ironing my shirts.” “Thank you, mom for taking care of me and loving me and accepting me. Thank you, mom for being mom.”
An Elementary science class had been studying magnets, and how metal objects are attracted to them. At the end of the semester the teacher put a question on the exam: 6 letters, starts with “M”, picks up things, what am I? Over half the children wrote, “Mother.”
Joshua had a Godly influence on the people around him. Joshua 24:31, “Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.”
I pray that every mother here today will have a positive and sincere influence on your family and extended family. With all the distractions of life it is not easy to keep your focus on the Lord and His love.
Mothers of sincere faith don’t give up on their children. Matthew 15:21-28, tells about a mother who would not give up on getting help for her daughter. This mom was a Gentile from Phoenicia, modern day Lebanon. Her daughter was demon possessed and greatly tormented. This mother had a Canaanite background. Canaanites worshiped the Baal and Ashteroth gods.
This mother heard about Jesus and believed He was the Anointed One and Messiah. When Jesus was in the area of Tyre and Sidon located in Pheonicia the woman came to him and called out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me? My daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession.”
Jesus tested her faith and did not answer her cry for help. Jesus told her he was only sent to show God’s love to the lost sheep of Israel and not Gentiles. The Gentile woman did not take no for an answer and knelt in front of Jesus and pleaded, “Lord, help me!”
Jesus tested her further by saying, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” Jews often called Gentiles “dogs.” The woman responded that she only wanted some of the crumbs of God’s mercy and blessings.
Jesus said, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is answered.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Matthew 15:28
The persistence of this mother had a great impact on her family. Her love for her daughter motivated her not to give up. Because of her faith God answered her prayer and gave her daughter healing and victory.
Mom you may feel like giving up from time to time. Hang on to your sincere faith in God and don’t give up.
Mothers are vital to serving as partners in nurturing children, You have Decided to Follow Jesus, You Have Sincere Faith, and You Have Dedicated your family to the Lord.
Mothers who partner in nurturing children
III. Have Dedicated their Family to the Lord.
Joshua 24:15, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Mothers who dedicated their family to the Lord are like Joshua. Regardless of what others in your extended family decide to do. Regardless of what friends and neighbors decide to do. You do not give in to the opinions of others. You say with all your heart, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”
When you reflect on your personal life and reflect on your family priorities. Who and what are you serving?
Are you serving selfish desires?
Are you trying to please others?
Are you seeking a certain social standing?
Do you have your life priorities mixed – Work first, then family, then God. Or is it, God, work and then family?
When we planted a church in Taylor, Michigan my first year or so I had my priorities out of balance. I was putting God first, Church second and family last. Carollyn helped remind me what good would it be to win the whole community of Taylor to Jesus and lose my own family. As Paul told young Timothy, “If you fail to provide for your family spiritual needs you are worse than an unbeliever.” I Timothy 5:8
Where is God in your life priorities? I’m afraid too often God is last.
Like Joshua you can make a firm commitment. Take your stand. Others may do as they choose, but “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
When the good Lord created mothers, He was into His sixth day of overtime, when an angel appeared and said, "You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one." The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic; Have 180 moveable parts ... all replaceable; Run on black coffee and leftovers; Have a lap that disappears when she stands up; A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointing love affair; And six pairs of hands."
The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands? No way!" "It’s not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord. "It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have.
"One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks. ’What are you kids doing in there?’ When she already knows. Another in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t, but what she needs to know, and of course the ones in front that look at a child when he goofs up and say, ’I understand and I love you,’ Without so much as uttering a word. "I’m so close to creating something so close to myself. Already, I have one who heals herself when she is sick ...can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger ...and get a nine year old to stand under a shower. Not only can she think, she can reason and compromise."
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the mother. "There’s a leak," she pronounced, "I told you that you were trying to put too much in this model."
"That’s not a leak," said the Lord, "it’s a tear." "What is it for?" asked the angel.
The Lord replied, "It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness and pride." "You’re a genius!" shouted the angel.
With a somber look on his face, the Lord said, "I didn’t put it there."
Let’s never become too busy to show our love to mom. May we each one show love to our mothers as long as we have opportunity.
Mothers are extremely important as partners in nurturing children.
Mothers who partner in nurturing their children
Have decided to follow Jesus
Have sincere faith in the Lord
Have dedicated their families to the Lord
Let’s pray
