God's Kind of Mother
1 Kings 3:16-28
Today is a very special day… a day when we honor and pay respect to a very special person ... our Mothers.
To use the words of Abraham Lincoln, "It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this"
Mother‘s Day began in Virginia, back in 1908, when Miss Anne Jarvis, of Pennsylvania, was asked by her mother's church in Va. to arrange a memorial service for her deceased mother who had been such an inspirational worker in that Va. church. Miss Jarvis then talked to her home church in Pennsylvania to get them to set up a special Sunday to honor mothers. She did that because she noticed a lack of tender consideration for absent mothers among worldly-wise, busy, grown-up children; the thoughtless neglect of home ties and of` loving consideration, engendered by the whirl and pressure of modern life; the lack of respect and deference to parents among children of the present generation; and the need of a reminder of the loving, unselfish mother, living or dead,. On May 8, 1908, in Pa., the first Mother‘s Day was observed in the Sunday Schools of Pa. In 1914 the idea had caught on and the Congress of the U.S. passed a Mother‘s Day bill.
We should take the time to recognize Mother, to thank Mother, and to express our love to Mother... God knows that we don't do it often enough.
For our devotional thought I want us to think about the different kinds of mothers... there are different types.
Specifically, I want us to think about God's Kind of Mother.
There are many types of mothers.
fat/skinny; rich/poor, black/white/yellow/red; old/young; pretty/pretty; `
Those that GIVE THEIR CHILD TQ THEMSELVES
The biblical example is Herodias.
Salome was a beautiful young girl. One day King Herod was entertaining and asked that Salome might dance for their enjoyment.
The men were so impressed and Herod wanted so much to show off his great riches and power that he boldly promised Salome, "You may have any gilt you want, just name it."
Money, servants, land, position. Anything… the door was wide open and her future was secure!
She did what any young girl should do… she asked her mother what to do.
Herodias, her mother, should have used the opportunity to advance her daughters future, to see that she was well taken care of
But no! Herodias was a self-centered, self serving person that cared only for her own self
She did not even see her daughter‘s needs, her daughter's opportunity… all she saw was her own hatred and desires.
So instead of helping Salome to plan for the future, she made Salome ask for the head of John the Baptist, on a platter.
How would that help Salome? It wouldn't!
But you see, Herod and Herodias were living together in adultery, she was the wife of Herod's brother, Phillip.
John the Baptist had publically denounced their sin and exposed it.
Herod hated him and had him imprisoned. But would not kill him out of fear of the people. But Herodias had no such fear, just hatred. Now she had Herod over a barrel, he could not back out on his promise.
So he had Salome waste the opportunity by asking for the head of John the Baptist.
Herodias is the example of every mother who puts herself, her own pleasure, and her own desires above the needs, future, and desires of her children.
This is the mother who leaves her children so she can enjoy the "freedom".
This is the mother who leaves her husband so she can find herself
This is the mother who uses her child to realize her own dreams, vicariously.
beauty contests, honor roll, home-coming queen, cheer leader, etc.
This is the mother that uses the child to get money out of the state, or to use as a tool against the father.
This type of child never knows the role—model of a loving, giving mother. Naturally, they do not know how to be that type of mother.
These children often grow up to be just like their mother.
The sins of this type of mother are often visited on the grand-children.
This is not God's kind of mother.
There is another kind of mother...
Those that GIVE THEMSELVES TO THEIR CHILD
This is the type of mother that most of us have and think about.
This type of mother lives for the child, with no thought of her own needs and desires, thinking only of the children,
This type of mother would go without food to see to it that her children were fed.
This type of mother goes without new clothes, without some pretty thing she sees in the store, just so she can buy those new earrings for her daughter... she doesn‘t have to have them but she wants them for the dance.
Or to buy those new cleats for her son who just has to have them for that big game.
This type of mother buys the generic brands and finds a way to reuse the old things for herself, but would never cut a corner where it mattered most… for her kids.
The bible tells of just such a woman in the O.T. Her name is not given.
But she had a child, and she loved it very much. One day another woman lost a child to death. Realizing that this would lose her a favored position among her husband's wives, she stole the first woman's baby. They wound up in front of Solomon to judge the case.
Solomon said, "Well, since it is her word against hers, we can’t tell who is lying, bring me a sword and we will cut the baby in half"
Solomon was wise... he knew mothers... he knew a real mother would never stand for this.
One woman fell down and said, "I lied, the baby is hers, give it to her, just let it live."
"Give her the baby, she is the mother", Solomon said.
This mother was willing to sacrifice the joy of raising the child, the memories of the toddler years, seeing the first step, hearing the first word, hearing "mama." .... she would give up anything for the baby. She gave herself for the baby
This is the kind of mother we all remember and love. We didn‘t even recognize many of the sacrifices, the things she gave up for us... but now we see them.
God knew little boys would need someone to fix scraped knees, that little girls need someone who can tie the bows on their dresses and put the pretty ribbons in their hair
Someone to see that the birthday party went just right and that the gifts were exactly what we wanted,
Someone to see that the baseball pants were ready for the game, and to sit in the bleachers and pull for them; even if he struck out.
Someone to nurse them through mumps, measles, and the first broken heart.
Someone to drive the carpools to school, to piano, and to the games.
God made that someone and we call her Mom.
And because the stresses and the demands would be so great, he gave her EXTRA measures of self-denial, courage, understanding, strength, wisdom, energy, and especially LOVE.
Mothers can do all of` these things and still go the second mile…
Sacrificing without expecting in return,
Working ceaselessly and love unendingly even when we don't deserve it.
They ask no reward, no pay, and no recognition. Their reward is in the giving.
If they were to bill us for all they do…
For bandaging and kissing hurt knees, elbows, and heart...
NO CHARGE
For hours spent cooking, cleaning, and mending...in vain.
NO CHARGE
For kite building, bike riding lessons, and picnic-ing.
NO CHARGE
For the dresses, flowers, movies, and quiet that I have sacrificed…
NO CHARGE
For tears cried, prayers prayed, and nerves shot ... NO CHARGE
For toys bought, for games taught, and bugs caught... NO CHARGE
For money I lent and never repaid... NO CHARGE
For hours I worked overtime so you could have the car... NO CHARGE
For baby sitting your kids so you could run have fun… NO CHARGE
That is the kind of mother we would choose,
And God… God loves this mother…
BUT… this is not the type he would choose,
There is one more type...
Those who GIVE THEIR CHILD TO THE LORD
This mother is everything that number two is in giving, loving, sacrificing, going without.
She just goes one step farther... she is dedicated to seeing that her child is given to the Lord
The biblical example is, of course, Hannah.
She prayed for a child, long and hard she prayed. Year after year she would go to the temple and beg God for a child.
Then God heard her prayer and gave her a son. She named him Samuel. And she loved the child very much.
Hannah prayed for the guidance to raise the child.
Even before Samuel was born, Hannah realized that this baby was from God and belonged to God.
She knew that she was just a steward who had been given the privilege, the blessing of being able to raise the child, to enjoy the child, but she was to raise the child in such a way that his heart would be turned to the Lord.
Then, when he was of the proper age… Hannah fulfilled her vow to the Lord… she took the child, Samuel, to the priest, Eli, to be his helper, apprentice.
The Godly mother today realizes that it is her joy and job to raise up her children in a home and in a church where they will be exposed to, be molded by, and hopefully internalize a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
She teaches her children to pray, raises them up on bible stories, and shows them how God fits into school, play, work, and home.
THIS IS God’s kind of Mother
One final story and then we‘ll close
