It is called Mother’s Day, not wife’s or wives’ day for the simple reason that it is the day children honor their mothers, not husbands honoring wives or fathers honoring mothers. It is a day when children reexamine what mothers mean to them. It is a day when children reexamine their relationships to their mothers, what they have done or not done to honor or dishonor their mothers. It does not mean however that a husband cannot honor his wife or a father the mother!
Children should be asking themselves am I honoring her only today by a tiny token or am I honoring her by a lifestyle that warms her heart and provokes thanks to God rather than tears before Him?
It may also be a day when mothers reexamine their priorities and the heritage they are leaving to their children. In referring to heritage not only is the material meant but also and more important the spiritual. Do your children see Christlike qualities in you? But then we will have to ask ourselves what we mean by Christlike qualities. Is there consistency in you? Is there commitment? Is there consecration? A mother after God’s Heart is a woman who develops nurture and promotes these qualities, not only in her life but in the lives of her children by instruction, training and example!
Hannah was an Israelite mother who exhibited
1. Consistency in her prayer.
She would not be sidetracked from her intercession and crying to God
2. Consecration in her purpose
She gave back to the Lord wholeheartedly that which she had longed for.
3. Commitment in her promise!
She swore to her own hurt and would not retreat from her promise to God
It takes a special kind of courage to do what Hannah did!
We need to be consistent in our daily witness for Christ.
We need to consistent in our dealings with our children.
We need to be consistent in our commitment to His cause.
CONSISTENCY:
1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
The deceitfulness of sin is an enemy of consistency
Hebrews 3:12-15 KJV Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
It is called staying the course. It is hard to maintain consistency when we relegate our Christianity to only an hour or two on Sundays (if even that). Too often we have been too busy to pursue God and we will willingly find all sorts of "legitimate" reasons why we are unable to have fellowship. We may not think it critical or important, but our children young they may be, are aware of the various reasons why we miss fellowship, and every moment of interaction is a teaching moment, mostly by our words, behavior and attitude
A young man was being interviewed for a position in a small business firm. He had a neat appearance and made a good impression on the owner. He had also prepared an excellent résumé in which he listed his pastor, his Sunday school teacher, and a church deacon as references.
The owner of the business studied the résumé for several minutes then said, “I appreciate these recommendations from your church friends. But what I would really like is to hear from someone who knows you on weekdays.”
Jesus gives the definitive take on being consistent : Luke 9:23 KJV And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Enoch had a consistent walk with God:
Genesis 5:24 KJV And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Hebrews 11:5 KJV By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
A striking example of consistency is recorded in Daniel:
Daniel 6:3-10 KJV Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. 4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. 6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
COMMITMENT:
A chicken was talking with a pig about how good their farmer was to them in the way he provided shelter, food, and protected them from danger. The chicken thought it would be a nice gesture to show their gratitude to the farmer by serving him a breakfast of bacon and eggs the next morning. The pig thought about it for a while and then commented, "Let me see if I have this right. We are going to provide the good farmer with a breakfast of bacon and eggs. As I see it, you will be involved in the project and I will be committed to it!"
Christ expects a commitment that goes beyond lip service. He expects and challenges us to follow Him as an example of commitment to the cause.
1 Peter 2:21-24 KJV For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Luke 9:57-62 KJV And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59 And he said unto another,Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
God is displeased with those who draw back from their commitment
Hebrews 10:38-39 KJV Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
CONSECRATION:
“Will you please tell me in a word,” said a Christian woman to a minister, “what your idea of consecration is?” Holding out a blank sheet of paper the pastor replied, “It is to sign your name at the bottom of this blank sheet, and to let God fill it in as He will.”
As consecrated individuals we are set apart for the service of God.
Our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost. As such it should be consecrated to His service which means a separation from the allurements and enticements of the world to Him.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 KJV Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
1. He could have come spectacularly
An ethereal vision of a glory heavenly
But He blessed and honored mothers all
By coming as a man into this world
2 At the age of twelve He was very aware
That with His Father’s business none could compare
But yet He went back to Nazareth
And to father and mother He was subject
3. In manhood years again we find
When His mother said "They have no wine"
In spite of His prophetic protest
He produced wine of the very best
4. In darkest day at Calvary
His very core in agony
His mother He still remembered
And said to John ’Behold your mother’
5. Jesus honored His earthly mother
From birth to death He cared for her
And on that glorious Pentecost
Baptized her with the Holy Ghost.
