MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS What NOT to Buy Your Wife: Although the only person a man usually shops for is his wife, the whole experience is a stressful one. Many a man has felt extreme frigid temperatures for a long period based on a poor present decision. As a veteran of these wars, I’m still not sure what to buy my wife, but I’ll pass on what NOT to buy her: 1. Don’t buy anything that plugs in. Anything that requires electricity is seen as utilitarian. 2. Don’t buy clothing that involves sizes. The chances are one in seven thousand that you will get her size right, and your wife will be offended the other 6999 times. "Do I look like a size 16?" she’ll say. Too small a size doesn’t cut it either: "I haven’t worn a size 8 in 20 years!" 3. Avoid all things useful. The new silver polish advertised to save hundreds of hours is not going to win you any brownie points. 4. Don’t buy anything that involves weight loss or self-improvement. She’ll perceive a six-month membership to a diet center as a suggestion that’s she’s overweight. 5. Don’t buy jewelry. The jewelry your wife wants, you can’t afford. And the jewelry you can afford, she doesn’t want. 6. And, guys, do not fall into the traditional trap of buying her frilly underwear. Your idea of the kind your wife should wear and what she actually wears are light years apart. 7. Finally, don’t spend too much. "How do you think we’re going to afford that?" she’ll ask. But don’t spend too little. She won’t say anything, but she’ll think, "Is that all I’m worth?" SOURCE: Herb Forst in Cross River, NY, Patent Trader, in Reader’s Digest, Page 69.
“A Mother’s Tribute”
Proverbs 31:10-31
Introduction: Chapter 31 begins with a reference to two individuals so let’s identify them so we can read this text in context. King Lemuel is none other than King Solomon, the son of King David. The mother mentioned is his mother Bathsheba. We know the story of David and Bathsheba from 2 Samuel 11 where the sorted tale of the King’s adultery with her and the murder of her husband Uriah and the death of the child who died as a punishment from God. Solomon was born to David and Bathsheba after they had married following the death of Uriah.
I. A Mother’s Good
a. Her teachings
In verses 1-9 we see Bathsheba offering some words of wisdom to her son. It occurs to me that every mother is a teacher, that for good or for ill mothers are always teaching.
ILL - Mother’s teach on a daily basis… RELIGION: "You better pray the stain will come out of the carpet." FORESIGHT: "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident." IRONY: "Keep laughing and I’ll give you something to cry about." STAMINA: "You’ll sit there ’til all that spinach is finished." WEATHER: "It looks as if a tornado swept through your room." THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out." BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION: "Stop acting like your father!"
We teach by our words but we also teach by our walk and if the two do not complement each other then we open ourselves to the charge of hypocrisy and I submit to you that there is nothing that will do more harm to your children than for them to feel that you are a hypocrite. They will tolerate almost anything else, mistakes and missteps; but hypocrisy is something else entirely. Mother’s there is a song from the sixty’s that says, “Teach your children well…” You only have one opportunity to do teach the well because they will be gone before you know it!
Proverbs 31:26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. ESV
One of the most powerful testimonies is a Christian mother is that of Susanna Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley. Author Sharon Glasgow shared a story about this woman in 2013:
Susanna Wesley’s Prayer Apron- Powerful Life Story - Sharon Glasgow
Hidden behind the door of many homes is the reality of hardship. Secret things happen that few want the world to know. Yet, from some people (presently and historically) we are given the inside story, whether they want it told or not.
“A devastated home isn’t always apparent on first impression, is it? Susanna Wesley was married to a preacher. They had 10 children of which, two grew up to bring millions of souls to Christ. That would be John and Charles Wesley. It’s a powerful story if you stop there, isn’t it?
But, behind the door of her home, hopeless conditions were the norm. She married a man who couldn’t manage money. They disagreed on everything from money to politics. They had 19 children. All except ten died in infancy. Sam (her husband) left her to raise the children alone for long periods of time. This was sometimes over something as simple as an argument.
One of their children was crippled. Another couldn’t talk until he was nearly six years old. Susanna herself was desperately sick most of her life. There was no money for food or anything. Debt plagued them.
Sam was once thrown into debtor’s prison because their debt was so high, which doubled their problems. Twice the homes they lived in were burned to the ground, losing everything they owned. It was assumed that their church members did it because they were so mad at what Sam preached in the pulpit! Someone slit their cow’s udders so they wouldn’t have milk, killed their dog, and burned their flax field!
When Susanna was young, she promised the Lord that for every hour she spent in entertainment, she would give to Him in prayer and in the Word. Taking care of the house and raising so many kids made this commitment nearly impossible to fulfill. She had no time for entertainment or long hours in prayer! She worked the gardens, milked the cow, schooled the children and managed the entire house herself. So, she decided to instead give the Lord two hours a day in prayer!
She struggled to find a secret place to get away with Him. So she advised her children that when they saw her with her apron over her head, that meant she was in prayer and couldn’t be disturbed. She was devoted to her walk with Christ, praying for her children and knowledge in the Word no matter how hard life was…..
In the end, she knew that one day her hard life would be over and she alone would stand before the throne of God and give an account of how she lived her life.
We can be the best mom, wife, friend, person in the world and still have untold hardships. We need to take Susanna’s example, flip our apron over our head and pray in the middle of it all.
Her son’s John and Charles were powerhouses for the glory of the Lord. John Wesley preached to nearly a million people in his day. At the age of 70 he delivered the gospel message of salvation to 32,000 people- without the use of a microphone! He brought revival everywhere he traveled! His brother Charles wrote over 9000 hymns, many of which we still sing today.”
b. Her trustworthiness
In verses 11-12 we get a glimpse of her relationship with her husband. No union on earth is as important as that of a husband and wife. Marriage was established by divine design and in Genesis 2 we have God’s plan for the home:
Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Proverbs 31:10 A truly good wife is the most precious treasure a man can find! 11 Her husband depends on her, and she never lets him down. 12 She is good to him every day of her life, CEV
Someone has said the most important ability is reliability! The woman in our text has a testimony of lifetime of trustworthiness. She is faithful and he trusts her. I found out a long time ago that I could not watch my wife 24 hours a day. No one can but if she is trustworthy you don’t have too!
II. A Mother’s Grind
a. The variety of her labor
Mother’s had been multitasking for thousands of years before this word was ever coined. As I read verses 13-24 and I am amazed at all the things that she “juggled” yet many modern mothers do the very same thing. Think about all the tasks that a modern women deal with in a days’ time domestically and professionally, (many women work outside the home) today.
b. The vigor of her labor
Verse 13 says that she “worketh willingly with her hands” and that she “riseth also while it is yet night” This is not a lazy woman! “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.” I have been privileged to observe this kind of woman all of my married life. Sis. Judy is a perfect example of this kind of women. She has always kept busy doing something, usually for someone else, very rarely for herself. When our children were small she made their clothes; for years we put up stuff out of the garden; she has worked at a public or ministry position for most of our lives. Even at night when we would sit around watching TV she would have something in our hands; she has crotched dozens of baby blankets for newborns in the churches we have pastored. She is a Proverbs 31 woman in every way.
III. A Mother’s Grace
a. Her adornment
“Strength and honor are her clothing…” She understands that the most important “thing to put on” is spiritual!
Physical adornment is a billion dollar industry in our country. There is nothing wrong with doing a little “paint and body work,” but a woman’s primary focus should be on spiritual adornment.
1 Peter 3:3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
b. Her activities
As I read this text it is obvious that she takes good care of her husband and children but I also notice that she also takes care of those whom she supervises (15) mentions her “maidens” or her household servants and she goes beyond this to include those who are less fortunate (20) which states that she “stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yes, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy…” She has an inward focus but she also has an outward focus as well.
Proverbs 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
This woman has a heart for people and it is manifested in her care and concern for others.
IV. A Mother’s Glory
I want to close by reading the last four verses of this great chapter:
She is praised in three ways:
a. She is praised by her family
Her children honor her, respect her and reverence her and express their “appreciation” for their mother.
ILL - Two young children on mother’s day presented their mom with a houseplant. The older of the children said with a sad face, “There was a bouquet we wanted to give you at the flower shop. It was really pretty, but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said, ‘Rest in Peace,’ and we thought you would like it since your always asking for a little peace so you can rest.”
Her husband “sings her praises.” He praises her in the “spring” of youth and in the “snow” of age. His admiration for her grows as they grow old together.
b. She is praised for her faith
ILL - There is a story about four preachers discussing the merits of the various translations of the Bible. One liked the King James Version best because of its simple, beautiful English. Another liked the American Revised Version best because it was closer to the original Hebrew and Greek. Still another liked a contemporary version because of its up to date vocabulary. The fourth minister was silent for moment, then said, “I like my, mother’s translation best.” Surprised, the other three men said they didn’t know his mother had translated the Bible. “Yes,” he replied. “She translated it into life, and it was the most convincing translation I ever saw.”
Verse 30 declares that, “a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praise.” She may be the “weaker vessel” but she is strong in faith! Beauty may fade but faith is always attractive!
c. She is praised for her fruit
ILL - A boy got his first job. As he was boasting about the amount of work he did, he said, "I get up at 5 a.m. and have my breakfast." He was asked, "Does anyone else get up too?" He replied, "Oh yes, mother gets up and fixes my breakfast and then fixes dad’s breakfast." "And what about your dinner?" The boy said, "Oh, mother, fixes that too." "Does your mother have the afternoon to herself?" The boy replied, "No, mama cleans the house, looks after the other children, and then gets supper for me and dad when we come home. Then we watch TV before we go to bed." "What about your mother? What does she do?" The boy replied, "Mama washes some clothes and irons the rest of the evening." "Do you get paid?" "Of course, Dad and I get paid." "And what about your mother, does she get paid too?" The boy replied, "MOTHER, GET PAID?! MOTHER DON’T GET PAID. SHE DON’T DO NO WORK."
Jesus said, “by their fruit ye shall know them…” and this is certainly true of a virtuous woman. In this case she deserves the respect of everyone.
Proverbs 31:31 Give her credit for all she does. She deserves the respect of everyone. GNB
Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
The works of a godly woman will follow her here and in the hereafter.
