Mother's Day 2001

MOTHER’S DAY - 2001

II Tim. 1:3-5

INTRO.- I am reminded of your sincere faith which lived in your mother Eunice and now lives in you. TIMOTHY GOT SOMETHING GOOD FROM HIS MOTHER! He apparently got some of his faith in Christ from his mother. Should that surprise us?

Men, can you ever be too close to your mother? When this relationship goes too far, some people say a man becomes a “mother complex.” That is, the personality of the mother takes over the personality of the son. If so, meet some mama’s boys.

ILL.- Of James, it was said there was never a more devoted son. His relationship to his mother was very close and it lasted a lifetime. What impressed James the most was his mother’s unfailing confidence in him. It was the kind of confidence that only a mother could have. Even on his deathbed, James’ agony could only be overcome by writing to his mother.

ILL.- Ted, well, he was eternally seven-years-old. Throughout his life, his friends warned those about to meet him that he was only sever-years-old. Why? TED WAS A MAMA’S BOY. Whenever he wrote his mother, he would begin with these words, which we find strange, “Darling Beloved Little Motherling.” She had a compulsion for cleanliness and so did he. Back and forth. Ted and his mother were one and the same.

ILL.- And Bill’s mother put it this way, “I find that Willie needs constant watching and correcting. It requires great caution and firmness, but I do not believe we can love our children too much.” And perhaps you can imagine how Bill turned out.

ILL.- Woody was another unashamed mama’s boy, physically and emotionally clinging to his mother even into adulthood. There was only warmth between the two and Woody often said that he came to love the best in womanhood through his attachment to his mother.

ILL.- And Frank wouldn’t dare go to school without his mother. And the school...was Harvard University! Frank’s mother had an extraordinary drive for perfection and she focused it all on Frank.

For nearly sixty years she tried to organize her son’s life in every minute detail....AND FRANK LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

ILL.- Harry’s mother mothered Harry quite a bit. She sat up with him countless times when he needed her. Is it any wonder that Harry returned the favor continually throughout his life? Harry’s mother lived to be 94 and right up to the last, there was Harry, conducting business matters from his mother’s bedside. Harry was definitely a mama’s boy.

ILL.- And what about David? When David was a big boy in the Army, he never stopped writing his mother. And all through David’s life, he subconsciously imitated his mama. Her laugh. Her expressions. And her pleasant smile.

But, then again, John imitated his mother too.

Yes, they were all mama’s boys. In times of crisis, it was always mother who came to mind.

So, men, can you be too close to your mother? Some say you can, but others say “no.” But if you are too close to your mother you might turn out to be like James: President James Garfield.

Or like Ted, President Teddy Roosevelt.

Or like Bill, Willie, President William Howard Taft.

Or like Woody, President Woodrow Wilson.

Or like Frank, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Or like Harry, President Harry S. Truman.

Or like David, President Dwight David Eisenhower.

Or like John, President John F. Kennedy.

Each of these men were not afraid to be called a “mama’s boy.” So I guess we’d have to say, in a sense, we can never be too close to our mothers. And of course, this certainly holds true for godly mothers.

Paul said to Timothy, “I am reminded of your sincere faith which lived in your mother Eunice and now lives in you.”

Like mother, like son! Or like mother, like daughter!

I think we all agree that we owe our mothers a great deal. Some mothers more than others.

PROP.- I want us to consider two thoughts about mothers:

1- Appreciation

2- Imitation

We should both appreciate our mothers for all they have done for us and imitate them in certain ways.

I. APPRECIATION

I Thess. 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

The attitude of gratitude should be a big part of our lives. Gratitude to God and gratitude to others. And certainly gratitude to our mothers should be on our list, and perhaps second behind gratitude to God.

Eph. 6:2 “Honor your father and mother...” The word “honor” must certainly include appreciation and praise.

We need to express appreciation to our mothers and/or praise them for a multitude of reasons.

1. We should appreciate them for giving birth to us