A Mother’s Job

It is a path that most have taken. However, life teaches us in many ways that the great things of life cannot be accomplished by taking the path of least resistance.

Illus: You can ask any:

• Skilled athlete

• Skilled surgeon

• Skilled craftsman

• Skilled musician

And every one of them will tell you they did not reach the level of excellence they reached by taking the path of least resistance.

Also, this is a lesson that every good mother has learned.

Motherhood is being played down by some. Why?

• Because the devil knows that half of everything an individual learns, they learn in the first four years of their life

• 85% of born again believers accepted the Lord between the ages of five and ten

But while Motherhood is being playing down by the modern woman’s lib movement, there are still godly mothers in this country that recognize that the job of Motherhood is one of, if not, THE most important jobs in the world.

Someone said:

They say that man is mighty

He governs land and sea;

He wields a mighty scepter

On lower powers than he.

But a mightier power that is stronger

than Man has arisen,

For the hand that rocks the cradle

Is that hand that rules the world.

Today is Mother's Day. We come to honor the mothers and grandmothers among us.

Illus: When Napolean was asked what the greatest need in France was, he responded emphatically with one word, "Mothers!"

We recognize the awesome task they have in being the mothers of our families. It is not an easy assignment that they have been given.

Illus: Someone described the NORMAL LIFE OF A MOTHER:

• She cooked the breakfast first of all

• Washed the cups and plates afterwards

• Dressed the children and made sure all the socks were mates

• Combed their heads and made their beds

• Sent them out to play

• Gathered up their motley toys

• Put some books away

• Dusted chairs and mopped the stairs

• Ironed an hour or two

• Baked a jar of cookies and a pie

• Then made a stew

• The telephone rang through out the day

• The doorbell did the same

• A youngster fell and stubbed his toe

• And then the laundry came

• She picked up the dirty clothes that the children scattered around

And when her husband came at six, He said: "I envy you! It must be nice to sit at home without a thing to do!"

But while we may joke about how easy her job is, we know that the mother’s job is one of the most difficult jobs in the world when it is done properly. This is why we have many in the woman’s lib movement running from motherhood as fast as they can run, because they are not willing to make the ultimate sacrifice that good mothers have to make.

INSTEAD, THEY TAKE THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE!

The apostle Paul was convinced that anything worth doing required a COMMITMENT TO HARD WORK! For example, in his letter to the Thessalonians, he does SOMETHING UNUSUAL. In verses 7 to 9, the Apostle Paul shares about his hard work.

We read in these verses, “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.”

Notice, Paul says in verse 8 that they shared with them, "Not the gospel of God only, but also our own SOULS..." That is, he literally gave his life to serving the Lord.

He describes it as hard work, and as involving TWO things:

I. THE GENTLE CARE OF A MOTHER

Look at verse 7, it says, "But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:." Notice, when Paul thinks of his hard work in the ministry where he had given his life, HE THINKS OF THE HARD WORK OF A MOTHER nursing her children.

Paul could have compared his hard work to:

• The hard work of a FARMER

• The hard work of a SOLDIER

• The hard work of an ATHLETE

But instead he compares it to, a mother caring for her little children.

But notice, she is not like some of us hard working men who are like a bull in a china shop. Paul says she is GENTLE.

A mother cares for her little children with gentleness.