The Treasury of Moms
Proverbs 22:6
May 11, 2008
Pastor Brian Matherlee
What’s one thing you treasure in life from your mother?
• Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the famous French sculptor who gave America the Statue of Liberty, looked for a model whose form and features he could reproduce. One of the leading art authorities of his day advised him the great statue should depict “figures of thought which are grand in themselves.” After examining various outstanding heroes, Bartholdi chose as a model for the colossal masterpiece — his own mother.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Everyone likes to quote this verse as a promise. They tell themselves, “We did the right things”. But we need to understand the nature of God’s promises:
• They are conditional—you can’t have the result without the requirement. (A + B=C)
• They don’t violate the principle of free will—a kid will choose
• The things we are ingrained with we do not easily lose sight or hold of.
I. The first idea of this verse is dedication--dedication on the part of the parents.
a. It’s not a one time thing—it must continue
b. 2 Timothy 3:15, “…from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures.”
c. Despite the fact she had 19 children, Susanna Wesley found time to give each child an hour’s religious instruction every week. She also spent at least an hour alone daily praying for them. Her two sons, John and Charles, under God, brought revival to England while France trudged through the blood of a ghastly revolution. John also became the founder of Methodism.
II. The second big idea has to do with helping them develop the right tastes.
a. Taste for what’s right (positive reinforcement-Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”)
b. Aversion for what’s wrong (negative reinforcement-Proverbs 13:24, “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.”)
III. The third big idea of training has to do with individuality.
a. “In the way he should go”.
b. The Amplified Bible adds a phrase that helps us understand this more. “And in keeping with his individual gift or bent.”
c. The individuality of each child is something a parent must seek to understand and capitalize on.
i. One of the world’s greatest singers, Enrico Caruso, was told by his first voice teacher: “You can’t sing. You haven’t any voice at all. Your voice sounds like the wind in the shutters.” But Caruso’s mother believed in him. Putting her arms around him, she encouraged him, saying, “My boy, you’ll be great! I am going to make every sacrifice to pay for your voice lessons.” Her confidence in him eventually paid off.
d. Charles Swindoll in his book, “You and Your Child” points out unique things parents need to teach sons and daughters. (summarized from chapters 7 & 8)
i. What boys need to know
1. How to stand alone in a world opposed to Christ. “The strongest man in the world is the one who stands most alone.” (Norwegian poet Ibsen)
2. How to accept God’s guidance (I think most men know what God wants, the problem is accepting God’s will over ours since we are so used to getting our way) and correction. (In attitudes and actions)
3. How to deal appropriately with temptation.
a. It will come and three areas are the most prevalent (sex and addictive behavior)
b. Give them tools and time (your time in talking and listening)
4. How to handle money—teach them how to save, give, and spend wisely. Demonstrate the value of contentment. Sheryl Crow sings in her song “Soak up the Sun”, “It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you’ve got.”
5. How to value hard work—Proverbs 13:4,
“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing but the soul of the diligent is made fat.”
ii. What girls need to know
1. How to live in peace
a. with themselves-self respect, esteem
b. with others-gracious & tender
c. with God-accepting of grace & content with God’s plans
2. How to live with virtue
a. Find her beauty within (don’t major on externals)
b. Watch the dress
c. Watch her relationships (wanting to be with older girls exposes the younger to too many things-wanting to be serious in relationships with the opposite sex too young and too soon when they have reached an appropriate age)
3. How to handle money
a. Let them know in marriage money is the family money not his and I get an allowance or his, mine and ours.
b. Marriages with no communication about money lead to trouble.
4. How to value hard work
a. The hardest work is “Home” work and has long been undervalued in American culture.
5. How to discern God’s counsel and accept His reproofs.
a. Understanding Biblical principles and applying them appropriately.
b. Teaching the techniques and value of prayer.
c. Admission of wrongdoing to God and others in our lives.
Conclusion
When the will of Henry Heinz, a man who revolutionized the food industry, was read it was found to contain the following confession: “Looking forward to the time when my earthly career will end, I desire to set forth at the very beginning of this will, as the most important item in it, a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I also bear witness to the fact that throughout my life, in which there were unusual joys and sorrows, I have been wonderfully sustained by my faith in God through Jesus Christ. This legacy was left to me by my consecrated mother, a woman of strong faith, and to it I attribute any success I have attained.”
The key is that his mother was consecrated. She was set apart by God’s grace and the agreement of her will in surrendering to God’s invitation to be set apart.
Which of you mothers would be consecrated today?
