Being A Godly Mom In An Ungodly Culture

Being a Godly Mom in an Ungodly World

Jerry Watts

Titus 2:3-5

* We live in an ungodly culture. This week I began re-reading Jeremiah & like I always am, I was struck by the parallels between the actions of Israel & the present day USA. The prophet voices the question from God when he says, "What fault did your Fathers find in me that they abandoned me - searching for worthlessness so they became worthless!" It goes on to ask this question, "Has a nation changed its God?"

* Any honest observation and or assessment of this nation will reveal the decay, disintegration and devolvement of this culture. We see wild immorality. A 10 year old girl told her mom that her one driving question in life was, "When can I have sex?" The problem for us today is that God's answer to this question seems to be markedly different from the answers which are given today. Today we hear of parents saying, “When you love someone baby” or ‘You’ll just KNOW when it’s right.’ Our young people (& not so young people) are imploding because they give of themselves sexually to the extent that when they do decide to marry, they have little left to offer. The results are devastating as we live in rampant immorality.

* For any culture there exist the three levels of morality. These are defined as moral, immoral, and amoral. In the moral culture there exists an agreed upon set of moral standards which governs behavior and people actually abide by. The immoral culture is the same type of culture (where everyone KNOWS the standard) but while everyone knows the moral standard - those standards are basically ignored. The amoral culture is the one found in the last verse of Judges where, 'everyone does what is right in their own minds.'

* In other words, it is "Katie-bar-the-door-no restraint-nothing right-nothing wrong." It is ‘live and let live.’ It is you want to cohabitate, that’s okay because it’s no one else’s business; same sex marriage is nobody’s business. Brothers and Sisters, this is the culture we find ourselves in - in the USA of the 21st Century. Sin in all forms and perversions of God's morals, precepts, laws, and words, have been cast aside in favor of the "If it feels good or feels right, do it." Thus abortion is the law of the land. Sexual Immorality of all brands (homosexuality, fornication, adultery, and more) is seen as acceptable instead of sin. God’s standard, His word, and His people have been cast under the bus.

* It is into this culture that God calls men and women to be godly parents, to be salt and light, & to represent Jehovah to this world, their family, and friends. Pastorally, I will say to you that you will be challenged because you may well be called on to stand against the very people you love. Today’s question may well expose who we love most, people or God.

* So to our ladies, “How can I be a godly mom in such an ungodly culture?” To our men, don’t’ get too comfortable because these words are for us also. How can we be godly people in this ungodly culture? Please don’t miss this: being godly is not a live and let live passive attitude toward sin. In these matters, passivity was not & is not Jehovah’s approach.

* Today, from Paul's words to Timothy, let me offer & let's discern how to accomplish this. From the text I lift out three ways.

1) By Your Modeling - (v2) – Now in this culture, we know what ‘female models’ are, or at least we ‘think’ we know. Models are those skinny women who appear on the magazine covers & supposedly are examples of how ‘all women should look.’ Even as I speak these words, you know better. Those models are a façade. They are photographed & brushed to perfection.

* What I am saying is that this culture casts it gaze on that which is unreal & calls it a model.

* The Bible speaks of us, both individually & collectively, as being patterns or examples for others to imitate. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that he and his team worked like they did to be an example, a pattern, & a model for them to imitate. Look how this relates to the ladies, or better said, moms.

* Verse 2 is packed full of these truths for today. It begins by addressing the “Older Women.” In the original language this word is the root word – feminine gender – of ‘presbuterous’ which is generally interpreted Elder. This speaks of someone with life-experience & Godly wisdom. This would be those who have been & are wives and mothers – those who have been far enough down the road to have stepped in a few potholes.