Sermon Central
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The Greatest Gift You Can Give Mom On Mother's Day
Contributed by Jerry Flury on May 7, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: What’s the greatest gift you can give your mother not only for Mother’s Day but for the rest of her life? It’s not one bought in a store but one that all of us can give to our mothers. It’s the gift of your doing right, living right, and being right.
THE GREATEST GIFT TO GIVE MOM ON MOTHER’S DAY
Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long upon the land which Jehovah your God gives you.
Introduction: Mother’s Day poses problems for most men – especially what NOT to buy your wife. Although the only person a man usually shops for is his wife, the whole experience is a stressful one. Many a man has felt extreme frigid temperatures for a long period based on a poor present decision. As a veteran of these wars, I’m still not sure what to buy my wife, but I’ll pass on what not to buy her:
1. Don’t buy anything that plugs in. Anything that requires electricity is seen as utilitarian.
2. Don’t buy clothing that involves sizes. The chances are one in seven thousand that you will get her size right, and your wife will be offended the other 6999 times. “Do I look like a size 16?” she’ll say. Too small a size doesn’t cut it either: “I haven’t worn a size 8 in 20 years!”
3. Avoid all things useful. The new silver polish advertised to save hundreds of hours is not going to win you any brownie points.
4. Don’t buy anything that involves weight loss or self-improvement. She’ll perceive a six-month membership to a diet center as a suggestion that’s she’s overweight.
5. Don’t buy jewelry. The jewelry your wife wants, you can’t afford. And the jewelry you can afford, she doesn’t want.
6. Finally, don’t spend too much. “How do you think we’re going to afford that?” she’ll ask. But don’t spend too little. She won’t say anything, but she’ll think, “Is that all I’m worth?” – adapted from Herb Forst in Cross River, NY, Patent Trader, in Reader’s Digest, p. 69.
While dad has a hard time thinking about what to give mom, Mother’s Day is a day when children think about what they can give their mothers in order to show their love and pay honor to them. What is the greatest gift that you can give your mother not only for Mother’s Day but for the rest of her life? It is not a gift that can be bought in a store but one that every one of us can give to our mothers. It is the gift of knowing that her child is doing right, living right, and right with God.
I. You can give her the gift of a son or daughter who is doing right
A. Proverbs 23:23-25 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice; and he who fathers a wise child shall have joy from him. Your father and your mother shall be glad, and she who bore you shall rejoice.
B. Proverbs 23:22-24 MSG Listen with respect to the father who raised you, and when your mother grows old, don’t neglect her. Buy truth--don’t sell it for love or money; buy wisdom, buy education, buy insight. Parents rejoice when their children turn out well; wise children become proud parents.
C. It is a mother’s nature to want to see her children excel in everything they do. They want them to do their best.
D. 3 John 2 I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you.”
E. Matthew 20:20-21 MKJV Then the mother of Zebedee’s children came to Him with her sons, worshiping and desiring a certain thing from Him. And He said to her, What do you desire? She said to Him, Grant that these my two sons may sit in Your kingdom, the one on Your right hand and the other on the left.
F. Susan Hutson is the proud mother of eighteen year old Colt Hutson. Colt has autism, neurological brain disorder that affects communication and social skills. She has spent many days and nights over the 18 years crying and depressed over Colt’s condition; but she has also had the blessing of seeing Colt do something one would never have expected. Colt is working at K-Mart in Jacksonville, Florida through a program with the Duvall County Public Schools. Susan Hutson said in an interview with The Florida Times Union, “When you have a child with a disability, you have to come to the realization that there are some things he may never do,". "I know Colt may never drive a car or hit a home run. I once thought he would never have a job and earn a paycheck. But now he’s doing that. I’m just so proud of him." (http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/120303/dsr_14197119.shtml)
G. Proverbs 10:1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father; but a foolish son is the sorrow of his mother.
II. You can give her the gift a son or daughter who is living right
