Ladies you are priceless
Proverbs 31:10-31
Introduction-
Today, we honor and remember Moms.
It is a day that for some is filled with love and gratitude and for some may be a little tough for a variety of reasons.
I hope that by being sensitive we can accomplish that this morning.
I personally like to remember mom’s day with the blessing of having a great mom.
The older I get, the more I appreciate everything that she has done for our family.
I also want to acknowledge today, the ladies that have made an impact in my life.
So let me start this by saying, if you had or have a great mom this morning, let the good memories flood your heart and soul. If you are able and she is still with you, honor her and let her know how much she means to you.
If she is gone, grab hold of the memories and honor her with your thoughts of gratitude.
If she was not all that you had hoped she could be, honor this morning the ladies that have made an impact in your life.
Honor this morning, someone that has made an impact and changed your life.
Illustration- Poem Somebody Said (won’t say them all)
Somebody said it takes six weeks to get back to normal after you had a baby. Somebody doesn’t know that once you’re a mother, normal is history.
Somebody said that you learn how to be a mother by instinct. Somebody never took a three year shopping.
Somebody said that if you’re a good mother, your child will turn out good. Somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.
Somebody said that you don’t need an education to be a mother. Somebody never helped a fourth grader with their math.
Somebody said that you cannot love the fifth child as much as the first one. Somebody doesn’t have more than one child.
Somebody said a mother’s job is done when her last child leaves home. Somebody never had grandchildren.
Somebody said your mother knows that you love her, so you do not need to tell her. Somebody is not a mother.
Good right?
There are great portraits of mothers in the Bible.
Moses mother love that she would give him up so that He could be safe.
Mother in front of King Solomon who would rather give up her child then see harm come to them.
Mother of James and John who wanted the best for her boys and desired that they would have the honor of sitting by the Lords side for eternity.
There is almost nothing that a mother would not do for their children.
There are also aunts, grandmothers and ladies who had spiritually adopted people into their lives.
I hope you can this morning relate to some women who has made an impact and accounted for some success in your life.
Proverbs 31:10-31
The wife, mother, and glue that holds everything together. Amen.
The book of Proverbs begins with the fear of the Lord 1:7- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” It ends with a picture of a women who fulfills this command. Her qualities are mentioned throughout chapter 31.
Hard work, the fear of God, respect for her spouse, concern for the poor and others, wisdom in handling money and making sure the family setting is running smooth.
Cook, clean, make a living, sew…maybe you don’t sew anymore, because the automatic washers eat socks and socks with holes are thrown away.
You have great worth to the family function and when mom is down, the whole family suffers.
(saying) If daddy ain’t happy, who cares. When momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.
Happy wife! Happy life!
Let me talk a minute about the order of a family.
Christ says that men you are to be the leaders in your house. You are responsible to be the spiritual leader that keep your family focused on God and operating under the commands of the Lord.
You are to love your spouse as Christ loves the church. If that does not keep you humble, that awesome responsibility, I do not know what will.
Christ first
Spouse second
Children third
Family and friends and so on.
When that order is disrupted we see problems.
Let’s go back to loving our spouse like Christ loves the church.
That would mean that you talk about decisions made
you love her with the love of Christ
your desire for her well being is so much that you are willing to die for her.
You have her best interest in mind above your own.
I want you to know that there are not many women that would not be pleased and blessed to have a spouse like that.
If your children are running your house, how is that working out for you?
If you have let someone or something get between you and your spouse making that process work, what do you need to change?
Is there a greater love than the love of a mother to her children?
The pressures on a mom today are greater than ever before.
I think it is the toughest job in the world. To say to a stay at home mom “your just a housewife” is not to understand the full responsibility of being a mom.
Maybe they would want to change jobs for a day?
Mothers today are expected to excel in a success-driven society.
Have a successful career.
To keep a perfect house.
Have perfect kids.
Be a great cook.
Never get tired.
Look like a model at all times.
If moms ever went on strike, it would affect the whole world! That labor union is strong.
I. celebrate your mom-
If she is no longer with you, what memories do you hold unto and model in your life? Celebrate her.
If your mother is still with you, how can you show her how much she means to you? Celebrate.
Either way, you can honor her this morning.
Ephesians 6:1-3
“Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right, ”Honor your father and mother” which is the first commandment with a promise. That it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
God tells us that there is a blessing for honoring your parents.
No place does it say that they are perfect. Amen. Thank Goodness!
No one says that you must agree with them 100 %, but we are to honor them and that there is a consequence if we do not.
I don’t know about you, I try to remember the special things mom does. Those special stories, I won’t share any, but I hope we all have them.
I still believe my mother who will be 80 years old this year can see behind walls.
Her arm is able to reach however far away I am.
Mom can just give me a look that stops you in your tracks.
What I honor most is her faithfulness to God and to her children. Either straighten up or her love just flows out of her.
While being tough at times (single mom), I always felt her love and knew that there was no length she would not go for her children.
Just like the Canaanite women who came to Jesus- she was not going to be denied an opportunity to bring her child before the one who could heal.
A country hostile to Jews
Disciples trying to get her to go away and stop bothering Jesus.
We do not even know her name-
I believe because there are a lot of moms that would do that for their kids.
We should honor her, not because of being perfect, but because of the love she has for us.
Illustration-
How many I.O.U’s do you owe your mom your mom?
Chances are we could never pay them back.
Mom, I owe you many things
Services rendered- cooking cleaning, running everywhere we need to go.
Being a body guard- taking care of the bogey man, nightmares, and thunderstorms.
Medical attention- kissing boo-boo’s, measles, mumps, made sure I had clean underwear on for those times you could be in an accident.
The older I get, the more I realize the sacrifices that were made for us.
2 pieces of apple pie and three hungry people and it was mom that “decided to not want one”
Celebrate Mom, celebrate the special people God has put before you.
Learn and live what they have taught you.
Model principals from God’s word that you first saw in them.
II. Model godly principals from Mom
What do we see from the Cananite women?
What can we learn from our mothers?
(1) Persistence
The quality of a believer
The character of someone being Christ-like.
They did not give up when the going got tough.
They were not intimidated when criticism came their way.
They stayed positive in a negative world. They did not quit.
Persistent people sort through obstacles and practice persistence, while others only work their plan.
The quality of persistence grows stronger as you recognize that it helps you get where you want to go.
There will always be roadblocks. If you do not model these principals in your life, you will fall short.
Phil. 3:13-
“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it, but one thing I do , forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. “
The main reason there is so many failures among those who started out with high hopes is that they get bogged down with their past and lacked “staying power.”
Staying power is persistence, and operates like “The little engine that could.” I think I can ! I think I can!
1009 times Colonel Saunders was turned down for his chicken recipe.
302 times Walt Disney was turned down for financing Disneyland.
You want people to see you as a role model so that they won’t quit when they face obstacles and roadblocks.
(2) Authentic faith
Sincere faith- Faith that took up residency in our hearts.
The faith of the Cananite mom who worked past obstacles to get her kid in front of the God who could heal her child.
The women of noble character who must have had a big S on her shirt that was SuperMom!
Real!
I believe everyday that mom lived out her faith in front of that child that was now healed by the Lord.
I believe it came up often of the time Jesus healed her child and that only strengthened her faith.
2 Tim 1:15- “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mom Eunice, and, I am persuaded now live in your also.”
This world is hungry for a God, and they need to see it lived out In our lives and in our families. Mom you are the glue that holds that together!
There is a craving in our world for being real. The buzzword authentic is a buzzword for a reason.
• We want the people we do life with to be authentic.
• We expect those who lead us to be authentic.
• We want the things that matter to be real.
• But what about our faith? Are we willing to have an authentic relationship with Christ? The heart of the definition is in the few words of Jesus “Follow me”
(3) Praying mom- (faith that moves mountains)
Mom, don’t you give up praying for your family
“And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.”
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Don’t pray like a double-minded person - be authentic and be true to God
“The prayer of a righteous man (women) is powerful and affective.”
The prayer of Mother Teresa:
Dear Jesus, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others.
We need to be mentored, and moms and ladies play a big part in that.
Anonymous
“Mothers write on the hearts of their children what the rough hand of the world cannot erase.”
Close
Mom…Don’t give up
God is still answering prayer and doing some amazing things.
Model godly principals and make an impact-
Be persistent
Be authentic
Be Praying
Amen.
Let me leave you one more thought as we close- growing up I am a blessed man because I had a great mom who sacrificed a lot to see me grow up the way I should. There has been a lot of women who made an impact of me- My friend John who I grew up with and is a 45 year friend- I don’t to this day know her name but she was mom Jelacic. Because she was in my life as a mentor. It was a title of honor bestowed upon a women who meant something to me.
Barbara Johnson-
“To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.”
Teachers, doctors, nurses, crossing guards, bus drivers, store clerks, hot dog slingers, neighbors, aunts, grandmas, You have the potential to change a life wither you birthed that child or not- ladies you are priceless to me and priceless to the kingdom of God when you have a burden for the people you come into contact with.
Moms by many names- Amen!
