Faith Of Our Mothers

Faith of Our Mothers

2 Timothy 1:5

2 Timothy 1:5

5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and,

I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

(NIV)

Some Things My Mother Taught Me

My mother taught me CONTORTIONS

"Have you seen the dirt on the back of your neck?"

My mother taught me TO STAND FIRM

"You’ll sit there till all that spinach is finished."

My mother taught me WEATHER

"Looks as if a tornado swept through your room."

My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

My mother taught me BEHAVIOR PROGRAMMING

"Stop acting like your father!"

My mother taught me ENVY

"There are millions of less fortunate children who don’t have parents like yours!"

My mother taught me ROOTS

"Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My mother taught me JUSTICE

"One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU...then you’ll see what it’s like."

And she thought no one was listening!

Men may enjoy advantages in physical strength, but they are much less likely than women to exercise their spiritual muscles. This gender gap extends to the typical family unit: mothers outpace fathers in terms of spiritual activity and commitment. In fact, the Barna survey examined 12 different elements of faith behavior and perspective. Mothers were distinct from fathers on 11 of the 12 factors.

When it comes to spiritual perspectives, a majority of mothers said they have been greatly transformed by their faith, while less than half of fathers had shared this experience. Also, three-quarters of moms said their faith is very important in their life, while this view was true among just two-thirds of fathers. Mothers were also more likely than fathers to be born again Christians, to say they are absolutely committed to Christianity, and to embrace a personal responsibility to share their faith in Jesus Christ with others.

Moms are also more religiously active. In a typical week, mothers are more likely than are fathers to attend church, pray, read the Bible, participate in a small group, attend Sunday school, and volunteer some of their time to help a non-profit organization. The only faith-related activity in which fathers are just as likely as mothers to engage is volunteering to help at a church.

Faith must be LIVING or it is not faith at all.

2 Timothy 1:5

5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and,

I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

(NIV)

A.B. Patton penned the lyrics to Hymn 490 in your Hymnal. He talks about the kind of faith that is alive.

Faith of our mothers, living still

In cradle song and bedtime prayer;

In nursery lore and fireside love,

Thy presence still pervades the air:

Faith of our mothers, living faith!

We will be true to thee to death.

How do you know something is alive? According to Wikipedia,

There are four vital signs which are standard in most medical settings:

TEMPERATURE

HEART RATE

BLOOD PRESSURE

RESPIRATORY RATE

There are also

VITAL SIGNS WHICH INDICATE FAITH IS ALIVE:

TEMPERATURE

(When your children need God, who do they call? Are you “hot” for God? Or is your faith so lukewarm that your children must look elsewhere to feel him?)

HEART RATE

(When your children check your spiritual pulse, by asking you to pray or read the Bible, do you put them off or are you ready?)

BLOOD PRESSURE

(Is your faith steady throughout your week? Are you constant? Do your children know that when it’s time for Church, you’ll be there? Or is your faith-fulness as flat as Amarillo?)

RESPIRATORY RATE

(Is Jesus really the “air” you breathe? Or do you breathe your job, your school, your sport?)

Thelma Monzingo said this about her mom:

“My mom was one of the best! She was a loving mom. I was the no. one daughter of five. She was not only our mother, but she was the sixth girl. We never thought of her as old, even in her golden years. She was a Christian mother, who took us to church every Sunday morning and night, also on Wednesday.”

Faith must be SEASONED with love

or it will not be SWALLOWED

by our children!

Faith of our mothers, loving faith,

Fount of our childhood’s trust and grace,

Oh, may thy consercration prove

Source of a finer, nobler race:

Faith of our mothers, living faith,

We will be true to thee till death.

Barbara Davis wrote: “My mother, Dorothy "Mimi" Kidd, made an incredible sacrifice from August 1982 until July 13, 1984. My dad was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and was given six months to live. He had surgery and lived 22 months before the cancer claimed his life. During his remaining days, Mimi, took care of him at home. She stayed with him 24/7 and left him with others on very rare occasions just to get out of the house for a short break. He needed constant care which she gave willingly, without complaint. She did her very best to make him comfortable and cared for during this difficult time. Mother’s Day is a day for honoring mothers and I know many mothers have made huge sacrifices such as this example, so I want to honor all those moms who have made huge differences in their loved ones’ lives, and especially my mother, Mimi.”