As I was in the foyer this morning I saw Jim and Iris. And I said to Jim “Happy Mother’s Day”, to which he replied “I guess it really doesn’t apply to me. I’m not a mother.” Then he paused and said “Well, I guess you could say I’m the reason she’s a mother.”
And as I was finishing the sermon, it occurred to me that this sermon will not “apply” to everyone here. But as Christians, God’s Word is not just there for US, it’s there for us to use to help others. So that’s how I want you to consider this morning’s message – how can it help you be a better Christian… or how it can you use it to help others in their walk with God.
OPEN: I was read about a man who told about the influence his mother had on him. He said that his mom had taught him many things about life. He said:
• My mother taught me religion: "You better pray that comes of the carpet."
• My Mother taught me medicine: “If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they’re going to freeze that way."
• My mother taught me contortionism: "Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck!"
• My mother taught me about genetics... "You are just like your father!"
The Book of Proverbs tells us that mothers have much to teach us about life. Two separate times in Proverbs, Solomon tells his son almost the same thing:
Proverbs 1:8 “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.”
Proverbs 6:20 “My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.”
Proverbs even gives us an example of a King who learned from his mother:
Proverbs 31:1 reads: “The sayings of King Lemuel— an oracle his mother taught him”
Down through history many our nation’s greatest leaders have said that their mothers had been responsible for THEIR success in life.
For example George Washington said: “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”
Andrew Jackson said of his mother: “There never was a woman like her. She was gentle as a dove and brave as a lioness... The memory of my mother and her teachings were, after all, the only capital I had to start life with, and on that capital I have made my way.”
Abraham Lincoln said “I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.”
And Ronald Reagan stated “From my mother I learned the value of prayer, how to have dreams and believe I could make them come true.”
And I could list quote after quote from great men and women who have told how important their mother’s love and prayers had had for them. It’s a wonderful thing to have a loving, Godly mother. In fact, God has given us a few examples of some Godly mothers in Scripture:
For example there’s Sarah. She a woman who had to watch as Abraham obeyed God and took Isaac to the mountain to sacrifice their only boy. Peter told the women in the early church that she should be an example for them:
“You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.” I Peter 3:6
Then God told us the story of Jochebed - the mother of Moses. She knew that Pharaoh had demanded the death of every Israelite boy born in Egypt Jochebed hid her son as long as was possible. and then set him adrift in a handmade ark and had his sister Miriam watch nearby to see what God would do. She was a woman who expected God to protect her son. This was a mother who trusted God with her boy’s life.
Then there was Hannah. She was childless, and she wept before God in shame. And she promised God that if He gave her a son she would then give that boy back to God to serve Him for the rest of his life. And God answered her prayer. She named her son Samuel and he became one of the greatest prophets in all the Old Testament.
These mothers all PRAYED TO God for their children.
These mothers all TRUSTED God to protect their children.
These mothers all TAUGHT their children ABOUT GOD.
And these mothers ALL gave their children TO God… for Him to use them for His purposes.
These were all great women of faith!!!
And in Proverbs, God tells us that ALL of our mothers have something to teach us things about life. Things that GOD wants us to know; things that He knows will make us useful for Him in His kingdom.
So, what kind of things can a mother teach us?
In 2 Timothy 1:5 Paul tells Timothy “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.”
Timothy mother… and his grandmother lived their faith so that Timothy wanted it also. And that faith the built into him was so powerful that he stood out to Paul and Paul wanted this young man to work beside him and become part of his team. And ultimately Timothy became a great servant of God in the early church.
Timothy was blessed to have a godly mother and grandmother.
I can identify with that… because I was blessed with a godly mother.
ILLUS: When I was a boy my mom read to me every night at bedtime. And what did she read? Bible stories. I’m pretty sure she went through the same book several times during my childhood because one time she stumbled over one of those hard-to-pronounce Old Testament names. And – because I’d heard the name so often – I helped her with the pronunciation. She looked up at me in surprise. And I looked back at her in surprise. It suddenly occurred to both of us that the only reason I knew how to pronounce that name was because my mom had been so faithful in sharing those Bible stories with me.
And my mom was a godly mother – not just because she read shared God’s Word with me – but also because she shared her faith with me. She repeatedly told me about how God had acted in her life… and in mine. For example, she often would remind me of what God did in my life when I was 5 years old. I had broken my leg sledding down a steep hill. And apparently the break was serious and I was confined to a hospital bed. My mom was so concerned that she brought in a woman she knew was well known for her power in prayer. The woman prayed for me, and from that day on I began to develop a powerful thirst for milk. I drank it at every opportunity. In fact, I drank so much of it that my doctor finally restricted my intake. My bones were healing at a remarkable rate and I was soon able to go home.
That was just one of the stories she reminded me of. And because my mom believed in a powerful and loving God… I believed in Him too.
A good mother shares the Bible with her children, and she shares her Faith. AND a good mother shares her morals with her children. By telling her children what she expects from them, she’s sharing her moral foundation. Now this often drives teenagers nuts, because their mothers often tell TO DO some things or NOT to do other things. But even when their mothers drive them nuts with those expectations… eventually those teens begin to internalize some of their mother’s morals.
And even more than these things, a good mother shows their children the power of prayer because a good mom prays with her children/for her children. As Abraham Lincoln said: “I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.”
This kind of mother deserves to be honored.
This is the kind of mother to be respected.
But there are times when children don’t believe that.
ILLUS: How many of you have heard of the recent problems between Kobe Bryant and his mom? Apparently Kobe offered to buy his mother a house so she could live near him and be able to attend his basketball games. But the house he wanted to buy her wasn’t good enough for her, so she contacted an auction house to sell off some of his old things she said he hadn’t wanted any more. She apparently was going to be able to buy quite a bit of home for that, because the auction house appraised Kobe's belongings at $1.5 million and already given his mother a $450,000 advance.
Kobe wasn’t happy. He didn’t want her selling his old things… and he took her to court and sued her to stop her doing that (he won).
Now, correct me if I’m wrong – but does that strike you as being a healthy mother/relationship? Of course it’s not. Kobe obviously thought his mom was in the wrong, but I’m pretty sure that’s not the right way to honor your mother.
But Kobe didn’t think he needed to honor his mother. He didn’t think she deserved to be honored.
And there are numerous sons and daughters who think the same way. They don’t have to be teen agers to come to that conclusion - they can also be grown adults who’ve long since left home.
They don’t think mom deserves respect… so they don’t give it.
(pause) And she might not deserve respect.
She might not be an honorable woman.
And if she isn’t, what do you think God would tell us to do with her?
Well, God has only one thing to say about that.
It’s in the 10 Commandments, and it says this:
"HONOR your father and MOTHER, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you." Deuteronomy 5:16
Now, did you see anywhere in that command that God said: “Honor your mother if she deserves it?” (Wait for audience to reply). No He doesn’t does He? He does NOT say honor your mama if she doing everything she ought to do.
He simply says… HONOR her.
In fact, Proverbs goes so far as to warn us “If a man curses his father or mother, his lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness. Proverbs 20:20. At least 10 times in Proverbs God warns His people not to curse or despise or grieve their mothers. And NEVER ONCE does it say we should do that because they DESERVE it. Because sometimes they don’t!
You know why?
Because “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
Does that mean I’ve sinned and fallen short of the glory of God?
Does that mean the Elders here have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God?
Does that mean that the Sunday School teachers here have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God?
Does that mean (Pause) that my mother sinned… and fell short?
Yes, that’s what it means.
And sometimes mothers really sin and really fall short of the glory of God.
Does God really expect someone to honor a woman like that?
Yes, He does
Why?
Not because they deserve it, but because you are a child of God.
ILLUS: I read about a father who gave this advice to his son:
"My boy, treat everybody with politeness. Even those who are rude to you. Remember, you show courtesy to others, not because they’re nice people, but because you are."
God is telling us: you’re doing this for ME.
You’re not doing it for your parents because they deserved it. You’re doing because you belong to Me and I asked you to.
It’s important to Him.
In fact, this is SO important to God…God gives us a promise if we obey.
Ephesians says it’s the “first commandment with a promise.”
God says, do this for Me, “…so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you." Deuteronomy 5:16
The command promises not just LONG life, but a SUCCESSFUL life as well.
How does that work?
Well, 1st, those who get along with their parents, get along with others
If you get along well with your parents, you’ll get along with others.
Your parents are your first social contact.
They are the first and most prominent person in your lives.
How you treat them will becomes the template of how you treat others.
If you see someone who has a hard time dealing with authority and I’ll show a son or daughter who had a hard time honoring their parents.
ILLUS: I’ve heard counselors make ask one question of young couples wanting to get married.
They’ll ask the young lady: How does your boyfriend treat his mother?
Then they’ll ask the man: How does your girlfriend treat her father?
Now why do counselors ask people that question?
It’s because, once the counselor knows how that young person treats their parent, they know how they’ll end up treating their fiancé. It’s a learned behavior. They’ve practiced it so long that they just come by it naturally.
I’ve known of women who argued all the time with their fathers and once they got married – guess what – they argued with their husbands.
And I’ve known men who despised their mothers and spoke nasty things to them and once they got married… guess what… they do the same things to their wives.
If I don’t learn how to honor my mother and my father, I will have a hard time of it in this world. In fact, I’ll have a hard time just dealing with life itself.
ILLUS: Three mothers were talking about how devoted their sons were to them.
One bragged, “My son is so devoted to me, for my birthday he gave me an all-expenses-paid cruise around the world.”
The second boasted, “That’s nothing. Mine threw a huge catered affair for me, and he flew in all my friends from the East.”
The third woman smirks at them both. “My son is the most devoted. Three times a week he goes to his therapist. A hundred and thirty dollars a session he pays. And what does he talk about the whole time? (Pause) Me!”
ILLUS: Now, the sadness of that, is that it’s too often true. What often passes for psychiatry plays on that reality and encourages people to blame their parents for the problems they have in their lives.
But Proverbs tells us don’t do that!!!
It’ll hurt you!
Proverbs 30:11-14 says “There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.”
In other words, cursing my parents, despising my parents, grieving my parents, will warp my personality. It’ll turn you and I into a people that are not pleasant to be around.
And God doesn’t want that for us.
That’s why, at least 10 times in Proverbs, God warns us not to despise or curse our parents.
But let’s say that your mother doesn’t deserve to be honored.
Let’s say she has sinned terribly and fallen short of God’s glory.
Did you realize that God may be calling you to be a missionary to your parent?
Seriously.
If, as a Christian, you find yourself being angry at your mom it may be because they need Jesus… the Jesus you belong to. And you may be the only Jesus they’ll ever know.
ILLUS: Dr. Bernie S. Siegel, M.D. wrote a book called “Prescriptions For Living” where he dealt the problems of bitterness and forgiveness. In his book, he told the story of a woman who’d been diagnosed with cancer. He said
“She’d grown up in an abusive, alcoholic family and felt bitterness toward her parents. When the young woman developed cancer, she decided to change her attitude and love her parents in spite of the harm they had done to her. Her mother moved into her home, and every morning as the woman left for work she’d tell her mother she loved her.
The mother never answered.
One morning, after about 3 months, the daughter was late for work and rushed out of the house. Just as she was about to get into her car, the front door banged open. Her mother stood in the doorframe and yelled: “You forgot something,”
“What?” the woman asked in frustration.
(Pause) “You forgot to say I love you.”
The woman turned around, and for the first time in years, she and her mother embraced and cried… and they healed.
That’s what God wants for us.
Healing.
Now, you may have a great momma… or it might be that you don’t. But Proverbs tells us there are several things we can give our mothers this Mother’s Day (and every day)
• Live a life that she can be proud of. Be the kind of son/daughter they can point to and brag “That’s my son! That’s my daughter.”
• Show her respect.
• Give her Honor.
• Listen to her.
• Speak loving words to her.
• And forgive her (if she needs forgiving) because she is a sinner, and she’s fallen short of God’s glory… just like you.
CLOSE: Mothers are just like us. They need forgiveness too. They need the opportunity to realize something needs to change in their lives. And I want to close with this story from Erma Bombeck where she shared how the actions of her 3 year old changed her life forever.
“For the first 4 or 5 years after I had children, I considered motherhood a temporary condition -- not a calling. It was a time of my life set aside for exhaustion and long hours. It would pass.
Then one afternoon, with 3 kids in tow, I came out of a supermarket pushing a cart (with four wheels that went in opposite directions) when my toddler son got away from me. Just outside the door, he ran toward a machine holding bubble gum in a glass dome. In a voice that shattered glass he shouted, "Gimme! Gimme!"
I told him I would give him what for if he didn’t stop shouting and get in the car.
As I physically tried to pry his body from around the bubble gum machine, he pulled the entire thing over. Glass and balls of bubble gum went all over the parking lot. We had now attracted a sizable crowd.
I told him he would never see a cartoon as long as he lived, and if he didn’t control his temper, he was going to be making license plates for the state.
He tried to stifle his sobs as he looked around at the staring crowd. Then he did something that I was to remember for the rest of my life. In his helpless quest for comfort, he turned to the only one he trusted his emotions with -- me. He threw his arms around my knees and held on for dear life.
I had humiliated him, chastised him, and berated him, but I was still… all he had. That single incident defined my role. I was a major force in this child’s life.”
In that one moment, Erma Bombeck realized she’d come up short as a mother. She’d humiliated and chastised her son in front of a crowd of people, and she felt ashamed. But in that one moment, her child did the one thing that changed her life forever: he clung to her and showed her that he loved her.
INVITATION: That’s what God wants for our lives. Healing. Change. Forgiveness. And He modeled the kind of love that would bring that type of thing about in our lives. He didn’t humiliate us, He didn’t shame us. He threw His arms around us. He gave His only begotten Son so that we would know how much He loved us.
