Mother's Day 2021 - Honoring Mothers

Honoring Mothers

Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:16; Ephesians 5:25; 6:2-3

Good Morning New Light and happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers here in the Church and for those of you watching the live broadcast. This is your day and this message is in celebration of the wisdom that God has given you to share with the world. None of us would be here today had it not been for a mother bringing us into this world, so I am blessed on this day to know some special mothers who have touched my life. This morning we are going to examine two Scriptures that speak the same warning to children about honoring their parents. I say they are a warning because as you read them you will see that they both contain a promise.

The first Scripture is found in Deuteronomy 5:16. It reads, “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you.” (Deuteronomy 5:16) The second Scripture draws from Deuteronomy but with a slight change. It is found in Ephesians chapter six, verse two. It reads, “Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:2) If you’re like me, the one thing that stands out is that we must respect and/or honor our mothers. Children, hear me closely on this, this command is not time bound and age bound. As long as your parents are alive on this earth the Bible says you are to show them respect and honor. Even when they make mistakes; when they are wrong; and when you do not like them – because all of these things are going to happen. Children bump heads with their parents. And when this happens, the Bible says you are to show your parents respect – even in disagreements.

My siblings and I learned at an early age to respect our mother. My mother was a woman of action who NEVER said, “Wait till your father gets home….” Oh no, my mother was a woman of action. She was old school when being “old school” was the only school available! When a situation needed addressing, my mother addressed it immediately with swift, targeted action – yes, the corporal punishment of a swift hand targeting our backsides. In the days of “old school” time out was the time between when you got in trouble and before you received the punishment – it gave you “time” to think about what you’d done and the price you were about to pay. I had a great deal of respect for my mother and as I grew into my later teens and early twenties, I learned to honor her. My mother died when I was twenty-five years old and the honor and appreciation that I have for her has grown continuously during the last 35 years. You see, as I live my life, I still hear my mother’s words about how to address certain situations. And what is interesting is that my kids and some of you have heard my mother’s words when I have given you advice through the years.

Some of you know that I love to read Calvin and Hobbes cartoons. Calvin is a typical kid whose life exists around his stuffed tiger Hobbes who, to him, is alive. Calvin, like some people, is extremely self-centered and focused only on his desires and what makes him happy. So one Mother’s Day morning he gave his mother a handwritten card. As he gave his mother the card he stood there smiling being very pleased with himself and his accomplishment. His mother was so proud to receive the special message from her son until she read what it said. The card said, “I was going to buy a card with hearts of pink and red, but then I thought I’d rather, spend the money on me instead. It’s awfully hard to buy things, when one’s allowance is so small, so I guess you’re plenty lucky I got you anything at all. Happy Mother’s Day – there, I’ve said it, now I am done, so how about getting out of bed and fixing breakfast for your son.” Calvin had the right idea in his attempt to show some appreciation for his mother but it was lost when his true selfish nature came through. Calvin, like so many children in the world today, is so self-absorbed that he could not truly appreciate his mother.

By an act of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. This was a day set aside for a public expression of love, appreciation, and honoring of mothers in the United States. All of us are the products of our mothers and if we had mothers who took the time to teach us life’s lessons, then those mothers will forever live within us as we live through the lessons they taught us. I truly believe that mothers were given some of the Wisdom of Solomon. I mean, how else can we explain some of the teachings that have been handed down through the generations by these mothers. I know I have told you before, but let me share some of the wisdom mothers have sown in this world that has helped shaped the culture we live in currently. And just to prove the point that this wisdom is broad spread, when you hear something that your mother also told you just nod your head or say amen and I promise you, some of the things my mother told me are some of the same things your mother told you.