Text: “Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come” (Proverbs 31:25) NKJV.
The NIV of the Bible states verse 25 like this: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at her days to come.”
TEV of the Bible says, “She is strong and respected and not afraid of the future.”
There are women who are mothers and then there are women who are Godly mothers.
Just because a woman conceives and has a child does not necessarily make that woman a Godly mother. There are women today who have one or more children, but do not exhibit the characteristics or traits of a Godly mother.
Children are God’s creation and they are not accidents. God has a plan for every life He creates. Each one of us is created in the image of God. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness….so God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26-27).
God created every person in His image. He is saying that every human-being has His love, patience, forgiveness, kindness, faithfulness, trust, etc.
A Godly mother will thank God for giving her the opportunity to bring forth what He has created. She will be overjoyed in knowing that God has chosen her and given her the honor and responsibility to nurture what He has created.
Those of you present this morning who are mothers, grandmothers, or great-grandmothers. I believe I can safely say that your mother as well as my mother is now in the presence of the Lord.
Perhaps, due to some unforeseen circumstance, some of you were raised by someone who was not your biological mother. I was fortunate to have my mother for many years.
A Godly mother is priceless. Scripture says, “Her worth is far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10). When I look back upon my life, I realize how fortunate I was to have a mother who was second to God. My mother was my best friend. She saw to it that I was well taken care of. She taught me what was important in life and what was not important.
John Quincy Adams said: “All that I am my mother taught me.”
Abraham Lincoln said: “All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”
Dwight L. Moody declared: “All that I have ever accomplished in life, I owe to my mother.”
Napoleon was a wise when he said: “Let France have good mothers and she will have good sons.”
Benjamin West declared: “A kiss from my mother made me a painter.”
Henry Ward Beecher once said: “The memory of my sainted mother is the brightest recollection of my early years.”
President McKinley provided in his will that, first of all, his mother should be made comfortable for life.
Garfield’s first act, after being inaugurated President of the United States, was to stoop and kiss his aged mother, who sat near him.
Julia Ward Howe, when ninety-one years of age, said: “We talk of forty horsepower. If we had forty mother power, it would be the most wonderful force in the world.”
I am sure that many of you could say similar things about your mother. No one can take the place of a Godly mother. A Godly mother possesses many special personality traits.
She is a woman of strong character; unbelievable wisdom; innumerable skills; great compassion; enormous trust; endless strength; never-ending patience; forgiveness beyond belief; kindness to the nth degree; faith of a saint; and, the inexhaustible love of our Heavenly Father.
Godly mothers have a strong character. The smile on her face is an outward reflection of the joy within her heart. The caring look emanating from her eyes is one of empathy and concern for her family and loved ones. The touch of her hand is soft and gentle always ready to comfort and soothe the hurts of her loved ones. The words that come from her mouth are words of honesty and trust. Mothers are special and precious people created by God to care for His children.
Story: “It’s Mother’s Hand!”
There is a beautiful story told of a soldier in World War I who was wounded on the battlefields of France, taken to a hospital, and finally brought back to America. He was in critical condition when he reached an American hospital – his eyes blinded, his mind beclouded, and his body mangled.
And then his old mother traveled many miles to his bedside, laid her hand on his brow. Instantly he said: “it’s my mother’s hand! I’d know it anywhere!”
The mother had not spoken, but he knew the touch of her hand! So it is that Christians who truly know their Lord also learn to recognize and long for “the touch of His hand.”
-------- Sunday School Times
Godly mothers have unbelievable wisdom instilled in them by the Heavenly Father. Proverbs 31:26 says, “She opens her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness.”
A Godly mother understands what is true and what is right because her wisdom or her knowledge comes by way of the Father. She understands God’s plan of redemption and salvation because she knows what the His Word says. She teaches her children right from wrong. She understands the importance of nurturing her children.
Mrs. Catherine Booth stood boldly before God and said, “I will not be the mother of a wicked child!” The Salvation Army is a symbol of her wisdom and faith.
A Godly mother has innumerable skills. Her skills include: caring for her family; cooking delicious and healthy meals; washing clothes; ironing out the wrinkles; keeping the house sparkling clean; shopping economically for groceries; making wise choices in purchasing wearing apparel for her family; maintaining a household budget; educating herself as well as her family; being active in a worldly vocation or profession, etc..
You might say that any woman or man can do these things, but a Godly mother does them with love. Others might do these things, but they let the world know what a burden they are carrying. A Godly mother does not complain, but she proceeds with a smile.
Story: “Nothing but Housework?”
A busy mother was one day regretting that she could do so little Christian work. “I shall have only a life of housework to show at last,” she said rather sadly to a friend one day.
“Why, Mother,” exclaimed her little daughter, who overheard the words, “all we children will stand up and tell all you’ve done for us – everything! I shouldn’t suppose they’d want anything better than good mothers up in Heaven!” And the friend answered: “The child is right. Earth will send to Heaven no better saints than the true Christian mothers who have done their best.”
------Christian Digest
Godly mothers are precious saints to be recognized here on earth as well as in the Heavenly mansion.
A Godly mother shows great compassion to her family and to others. When someone is hurting, she is ready to help. When someone lacks something like food or clothing, she is the first on the scene. When her children are mistreated, she shows her love and understanding.
When her husband has issues at work and things are not going right for him, she shows compassion, empathy, and understanding. Mother is there to uphold him, encourage him, and assist him in whatever way she can.
God’s Word says, “Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value” (Proverbs 31:11). The Godly mother is the backbone of the family and received her strength and wisdom from her Maker.
Story: “The Hand that Rocks”
“They say that man is mighty,
He governs land and sea;
He wields a mighty scepter
On lower powers than he.
“But mightier power and stronger
Man from his throne has hurled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.”
A Godly mother has enormous trust. This trust comes from knowing Jesus. Jesus did not work independently, but rather in conjunction with the Father. Jesus said, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).
A mother’s trust is not self-acquired, but is assured because of her relationship with the Lord. Jesus’ purpose was to do the will of God the Father and a Godly mother’s function is to do the will of God the Son. A mother’s trust is received from a God who trusts.
A Godly mother will demonstrate her trust to her family and loved ones through her love. Mother says the same thing Jesus says and that is: “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” In other words, her arms are wide open to those who are in need and those in need can be assured of a confidential relationship.
A Godly mother has endless strength and endless patience. Although mothers do get tired they never seem to let it show forth to the family. Along this same line, a Godly mother’s patience appears to be endless.
Think back in your life and recall the times you spilled your drink, broke a plate, created a mess in your room, dumped something on the living room carpet, etc. Did mother complain or did she just finish or stop what she was doing to clean it up?
Those of you who are mothers, did you complain every time the baby wet or messed in a diaper? Did you complain when you had to get up in the middle of the night to feed or change the baby? Regardless of how tired you were, God provided the strength for you to complete the task at hand. He gave you patience in the form of love which was extended to the loved one.
Story: “Where Else Could I Go?”
“My little boy gave me a great awakening,” said an intelligent and spiritually-minded mother. “Jimmy is getting to an age when he often wants to try his own way instead of mine. Then he generally meets with a difficulty that hurts his feelings, and he comes at once to me to have things smoothed out. The other day he got hurt and came to me. I asked him why he came to me and he asked, ‘Where else was I to go?’ I assured Jimmy that no matter what he had done he was always to come to me when he needed help. Then when he had gone to his play, I asked the Lord to open my eyes. I never felt so humble or so grateful for my Heavenly Father’s patience.” (Source unknown)
Mothers are precious and God loves them and gives them strength and patience.
A Godly mother’s love is inexhaustible just as is God’s love for each of His children. God created man and woman out of love. He wanted someone with whom He could communicate and have a relationship. Man and woman were perfect when they were created, but as we all know, sin entered the human race through man’s disobedience.
At this point, God’s love for man did not diminish. God could have wiped man out of existence, but He chose not to. He chose to make a way to redeem man. God chose to do this through the sacrifice of His only Son. His Word says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
God’s love is so strong for man that He gave of Himself for the salvation of man. A Godly mother’s love is so strong that she is willing to give of herself for the welfare and safety of her children.
Story: “I Will Die – Let My Baby Live!”
I knew him as a brilliant young member of a noted family. He was studying in one of the great universities. His physical development was well-nigh perfect. Tall, broad-shouldered, brawny, graceful in bearing and quick in movement, he was soon well-known as an athlete.
On the field he was invincible in contest, being lion-like in his contest with opponents. But when the games were over, in the hours of study and social time, he was found to be unusually sympathetic, considerate, and kind. In the company of young women he was always the true gentleman, a model of refinement and courtesy.
In private, he never referred to them except in the purest terms. The word Mother was most sacred to him; and whenever that word was used in his presence, he became silent: sometimes he even shed tears.
I inquired of him one day why he was so rough and lion-like in athletics and so gentle at other times, especially toward girls and women.
He said, “I never like to refer to this, but my father told me that when I was being born, mother’s case was most serious. The doctor said, ‘I cannot save them both. Decide quickly which one it shall be.’
My father stood speechless I was told, not knowing what to say. Mother, who had overheard what the doctor said, said ‘I will die: let my child live.’ Thus, mother gave her life for me!”
------------Calvin S. Stanley
Jesus gave His life so that each of us might live. This Godly mother gave her life that her son might live.
Godly mothers are precious and are to be honored.
Godly mothers are praying mothers and never give up on those God has entrusted to them.
Story: “Love Never Fails”
A mother kept a candle burning in the window every night for ten years. One night, very late, a poor wretched woman came in from the street. The aged mother said to her, “Sit down by the fire.”
The stranger asked, “Why do you keep the light in the window?” The old mother replied, “That light is for my wayward daughter. She left home ten years ago. I am praying for her return. I have kept a light in the window for ten years! Others often blame me for worrying about her, but, you see, I love her. I am her mother. Often, in the night, I open the door, and look out into the darkness and cry, ‘Lizzie, Lizzie!’”
The woman from the street began to weep. The aged mother looked closely at her and said, “Why, how cold and sick you seem! You must have trouble enough of your own!”
Then suddenly the mother exclaimed, “Can it be? Yes! You are Lizzie! My own lost child! Thank God that you are home again!”
-----------The Wesleyan Methodist
Godly mothers are precious and priceless.
Amen.
