Mother’s Day - Security Or Insecurity?

MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER

RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK

A. Today is Mother’s Day, a day on which mothers are specially honored. Many receive cards or flowers or candy as husbands & children try to show them just how much they are loved & appreciated. And many restaurants will experience long lines as husbands & children take “momma” out for dinner. Yes, today is a special day!

ILL. And when it comes to little children, some of them come up with very interesting ideas. Listen to what some children wrote to their mothers for Mother’s Day.

Angie, 8 years old, wrote: "Dear Mother, I’m going to make dinner for you on Mother’s Day. It’s going to be a surprise. P.S. I hope you like pizza & popcorn."

Robert wrote: "I got you a turtle for Mother’s Day. I hope you like the turtle better than the snake I got you last year."

Eileen wrote: "Dear Mother, I wish Mother’s Day wasn’t always on Sunday. It would be better if it were on Monday so we wouldn’t have to go to school."

Little Diane wrote: "I hope you like the flowers I got you for Mother’s Day. I picked them myself when Mr. Smith wasn’t looking."

And how about this one from Carol? "Dear Mother, Here are two aspirins. Have a happy Mother’s Day!"

ILL. Some time ago I came across an article entitled, "Keeping Your Mother At Home." It begins, "Do mothers really run away from home? Some do. Others in their hearts have run away from home they have given up on their responsibilities."

Then it suggests 5 ways in which a husband & children can keep mom at home:

#1, Love Mom today as though she were going to die tomorrow. Somehow we act as though our mothers will live forever. But it isn’t true. Yet, because of our example, the way we treat our mothers is probably the way our children will treat us.

#2, Tell Mom that you love her. A mother’s job is one of the hardest in the world. Ephesians 5:25 says, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church & gave Himself up for her."

#3, Show your love in tangible ways. Don’t forget her birthday, anniversary, or other special days. Thoughtfulness tells Mom that you’re thinking of her & that you care.

#4, Arrange for her to have a day off once in a while. Why not? Most everyone else has days off, & mothers DO get tired.

#5, Pray for her. Mothers have faults & weaknesses just like the rest of us. Prayer will make her a better mother, & you more aware of her needs.

B. Yes, Mother’s Day is a special day. But even though we especially recognize mothers on this day, it is also a family day, for that is what motherhood is all about.

In a sense, then, this is going to be a general sermon not just to or about mothers but to mothers & fathers & everybody else who may be involved in making a family what it can & ought to be in the sight of God.

God clearly tells us what He expects. Listen to Colossians 3:18 21.

“Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.

“Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart.”

PROP. With those words in mind, I want to talk about family security, & the lack of it; about the things that cause insecurity & the things that can cause security. There are really only two points to this sermon. But each point has several sub points.

I. WHAT CAUSES INSECURITY IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD?

First of all, what causes insecurity in the life of a child? There are at least 5 different answers.

A. #1 is conflict between parents. A study of teen aged drug abusers revealed that the #1 reason they give for starting to use drugs was because of the constant conflict they witnessed in their home between their parents.

B. #2 is lack of proper discipline. Now I’m not talking about child abuse or beating your children. I’m talking about discipline given in love. Proper discipline that says, "I care about you. So there are guidelines. And this is what I expect you to do."

ILL. The story is told of a teen age girl who went with her friend to a movie. They met at the friend’s house, & as they were preparing to leave, the friend’s mother hugged & kissed her daughter & said, "Don’t forget. I expect you home by 11 o’clock."

The first girl suddenly realized that her mother never hugs or kisses her when she leaves. And never once had her mother said, "I expect you home by such & such an hour." She wondered how late it would have to be before her parents started worrying about her. So she decided to conduct an experiment & stay out all night.