THE ETERNAL IMPACT OF A MOTHER
Please turn in your Bible to 2 Timothy 1:5 for this special Mother’s Day message. For the past several weeks, we have looked at how the life we are living now will result in future rewards. On this Mother’s Day, I want to show you how mothers can have a great impact on eternity.
Most mothers see their lives as being small and insignificant. But at the Judgment Seat of Christ, I believe mothers will be among the largest group of those who will reap great rewards. With that thought, let’s stand together on this Mother’s Day and read …
2 Timothy 1:5 I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. NKJV
THE ROLE OF A MOTHER
Being a mother is not a casual walk in the park… It is estimated by the time a child reaches 18, a mother has handled some extra 18,000 hours of child-generated work. Studies have shown that women who never have children enjoy the equivalent of an extra three months a year in leisure time! To me, that’s just one example of the unique role of a mother.
A Junior High science teacher gave his 7th grade class a lesson on the properties of magnets. The next day he gave his students a quiz. The first question read: “My name begins with an “M;” has six letters, and I pick things up. What am I?” Many students wrote, “Mother.”
A father was showing his 6-year-old daughter the family wedding pictures. When he came to the page that showed him and her mother standing together at the altar, his daughter pointed to her mother and asked, “Daddy, is that when mommy came to work for us?”
I am very much aware that for some, Mother’s Day is a bittersweet day.
For some of you, your mother has already crossed over into eternity.
Some of you were not blessed with a loving, godly mother who guided you.
Some mothers are suffering from the aching pain of a wayward child.
And some mothers, are flying solo to raise their children by themselves.
With all of that in mind, I want to give you some beautiful words of encouragement, how you as a mother can have a great impact for eternity. This is just my personal opinion, but I believe that mothers will be among the most rewarded and honored people in heaven.
God has uniquely blessed mothers with the gift of having a spiritual impact on their families. For example, there is the picture of Moses’ mother who had the courage to trust God and place her son in a basket and set him upon the current of the river.
We see another picture of a mother who appeared before King Solomon and told him she
would rather give up her son to another woman than for him to be killed.
There is also the picture of the mother of James and John whose love for her sons drove her
to plead with the Lord for her boys to sit with Him on His throne.
There is also the Syrophoenician mother who pleaded with Jesus to heal her daughter. These
are a few of the many pictures in scriptures that reveal the love and sacrifice of a mother.
THE ETERNAL INFLUENCE OF A MOTHER
I cannot overemphasis the importance and influence of a godly mother in the family.
Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous wife (mother)? For her worth is far above rubies. NIV
I think most mothers, look at their simple lives and think, that what they are doing is small and unnoticed. But God says the value of a godly mother is so great that it cannot be measured by earthly treasures. God sees the little things mothers do. He sees your sacrifice to love and guide your children. Thank God for mothers who loved us and guided us.
In 2 Timothy 1:5 we see Timothy’s grandmother Lois. Lois was a Jew, and yet somehow, she came to firmly believe in Jesus as God’s Messiah and the Savior of the world. She then passed on this light of truth to her daughter, Eunice, and together they raised young Timothy to know the scriptures and to be a godly man. Some people have the idea they are too old to do anything of importance for God’s kingdom. Ladies, as long as you draw a breath in your body, you can still have an impact on your family for the kingdom.
As a result of their godly teaching, we find in Acts 16 that Timothy became a disciple of Jesus, and when the opportunity came for him to travel with Paul, Timothy was prepared to answer that call. By teaching young Timothy these divine truths, they greatly impacted not only his life, but many lives for eternity.
Capture this thought; it is possible there is someone here, who may be a spiritual descendant of Timothy, because of the influence of his mother and grandmother.
Something as small as teaching your children the love of God, can have an eternal impact that gains great eternal rewards. This is exactly why you cannot measure motherhood by the world’s standards. This is why God says the value of a godly mother can only be measured by the greatness of eternity.
With that in mind, I want to highlight four vital keys of how you as a mother or grandmother can make a significant eternal impact on your children that will equip them for the future. I realize for some of you, your children are grown, but you can take what you hear this morning and use it as a prayer guide to pray for your children.
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST
First, the greatest gift you will ever give your children, is to teach them to believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life.
Susana Wesley was an extraordinary godly woman. She raised 13 children and said the only way she could have any quiet time was to throw her apron over her face. She personally led every one of her children to a relationship with Christ. Two of her sons, John and Charles Wesley became ministers of the gospel, whose preaching covered 2 continents and led millions to Christ. The results of their preaching are still felt today over 250 years later.
One of her favorite guidelines as a parent was to teach her children to pray as soon as they could speak, and then to pray with her children, and for her children as often as possible.
Consider that a mother has the unique privilege of teaching her children anything she chooses to teach them. God has placed in the life of every mother the ability to impact her children and the generations that follow, whether it be for the glory of God or not.
Some of you may feel you are just an ordinary mother, struggling with life’s problems and trials. But I want you to hear this deep in your soul; God is an expert at taking the ordinary and doing the extraordinary. Through your commitment to be a godly influence to your children, God can do extraordinary things.
The saying, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world,” is very true.
Abraham Lincoln’s mother died at the age of 35 virtually unknown. But in her short life, she left behind a powerful influence that would be felt by thousands for many generations. Her son, Abraham Lincoln said, “The success of my life and my relationship with God was influenced by my mother, who was a godly woman and taught me the scriptures.”
At a critical turning point in our nation’s history, when America desperately needed godly leadership, God provided us with Abraham Lincoln who had been greatly influenced by the faith and teachings of his mother. Praise God for such women of faith. Remember this; it’s not how long you live, but how you live, that matters.
What if Timothy’s grandmother and mother had not taught him the gift of God in Jesus Christ? Would Timothy had become a believer and preached the gospel?
What if Susana Wesley had not shared her faith with her children? What if John and Charles Wesley had not become Christians and preached the word of God? What would America be like today if Abraham Lincoln’s mother had not given him a solid foundation in God’s word? The influence of a godly mother has huge, eternal implications.
Mom, your role in the home as given to you by God, is among the most powerful roles on this earth. So, the first and greatest thing you could ever do for your children, is lead them to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD
A second, powerful way for you to influence your children for the glory of God is to instill
in them the faith to believe in God’s word. There is nothing greater than for you to instill in your children a respect for God’s word.
President Harry Truman is a great example of that… President Truman’s mother began teaching him God’s word at an early age. One of the great truths she taught him was about the Jewish people and how God blesses those, who bless His people, Israel. In 1948, Israel called upon the world to be recognized as a nation. President Truman wanted to cast that vote and make it happen. But every single person in his cabinet and most of his closest friends told him not to do it. But He said, I could hear the words of my mother, “God will bless those who bless Israel.” In that moment, President Truman chose to trust God and was the first to cast a vote in Israel’s favor for them to become a nation. That miracle moment that shocked the world happened exactly 75 years ago today.
This is what Paul saw in Timothy when, he wrote;
2 Timothy 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, (What had Timothy learned? He had learned and become convinced that God’s word was true and that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.) because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. NIV
Because of the influence of His grandmother and mother, Timothy became convinced of God’s truth and its power to change lives.
Timothy saw their faith. He grew up learning God’s word from them. He grew up knowing Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world and as the Son of God because his mother and grandmother taught him these things. Of all the blessings you could ever give your children, there is no greater blessing than for them receive from you the truth of God’s word.
You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to teach the Bible to your children, but the more truth they have, the greater their wisdom, and the more tools they will have to fight against the lies and deceptions of this world.
Perhaps you feel inadequate about teaching your children the great and powerful truths of God’s word. Let me make this humble suggestion to you.
Use the resources God has put in your reach. For example, we have Jennifer Black, who is doing all she can to teach our children God’s word and the way of salvation. I encourage you to bring your children to Sunday School and let them grow in the wisdom that comes from God’s word. Jennifer also leads a women’s Bible study group where you can be with other women and grow in your walk with Christ. Just those two things will add great dimensions to your spiritual life.
DEMONSTRATE YOUR FAITH TO YOUR CHILDREN
A third way to impact your children for eternity is to show your children why you have faith in God and in His promises. Show them why you believe…
2 Timothy 1:5 I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your
grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. NKJV
Just as Timothy’s grandmother and mother passed their faith onto young Timothy, even so, you can do the same for your children.
It takes great faith to raise godly children in a society that is morally bankrupt. The phrase ‘genuine faith’ in the Greek literally means a faith that is real and true. Your children need to see that your faith is genuine and that you believe God regardless of what the world says.
When your kids see you reading the Bible, praying, attending church, and participating in the life and mission of the church, they will see that your faith in God truly matters.
For us to pass onto our children this sincere faith, we must first take our own faith seriously. We cannot give to our children something we ourselves do not have.
Show your children by how you live, that your faith in Jesus Christ is real and genuine.
ENCOUAGE AND PRAY YOUR CHILDREN
Mothers, I encourage you to teach your children about Jesus Christ.
I encourage you to teach your children to know God’s word for godly living, and…
Demonstrate to your children the sincerity of your faith in Jesus Christ.
A fourth and very important aspect is for you to pray for your children and encourage them.
Pray for them to be godly men women who will impact their families and the world for Jesus Christ. Continue to encourage your children to live a godly life. Encourage them with your love, your prayers, and your godly wisdom.
Many of us had mothers who did all of this for us, and that is why we should always remember and honor our mothers for the sacrifice and love they have given to us.
IN CLOSING… OUR GIFT TO OUR MOTHERS
In closing, I have said a lot about our mothers and their gift to us.
But I want to share with you that the greatest gift you can give to your mother is for you to make a commitment to Jesus Christ and to live a godly life. For you to make that decision on this Mother’s Day would be the greatest gift you could ever give to your mother.
Proverbs 23:25 May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice! NIV
Your mother is praying for you to walk the straight path of faith. It is important that you live your life so that your mother will know that the years she invested in you were not in vain.
Don’t do anything that would disgrace her, embarrass her, or bring her heartache or pain.
Someone may say, my mother doesn’t deserve that. She might not. But it is God’s will that you forgive your mother and love her as Jesus Christ has forgiven you and loved you.
Love your mother. Forgive your mother. Pray for your mother. Give God thanks for your mother. And very importantly, give your mother the great gift of living a godly life. Living a godly life is truly one of the greatest gifts you could ever give to your mother.
On this wonderful Mother’s Day, in honor of your mother,
