The Power of a Positive Mother
Proverbs 14:1 “The wise woman builds her house; a foolish woman tears hers down with her own hands.” (NLT)
Proverbs 31:25-26, 28 “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue…Her children arise and call her blessed.” (NIV)
These passages of scripture in Proverbs describe my mother. I praise God for a mother who honored the Lord and looked at life through positive eyes and a positive heart.
My mother was an expert at managing her house and juggling her many activities.
During her early years of marriage my mother had most of the responsibility of raising my older sister and me. While others around us lived with modern conveniences we made due without. My mother had to wash clothes using a wash board. She had to heat water to wash clothes and the dishes. She had to heat the iron to iron clothes. She did baby sitting and eventually purchased an electric iron to do washings and ironings to make extra income.
My father was working at different jobs in various states and was gone more than he was at home. My mother for all practical purposes was a single parent raising two children.
A lady pastor of an Evangelical United Brethren Church we attended encouraged my mother to go to college and become a teacher. Mother took college courses during the summer and correspondence courses during the year and taught grades 1-8 in a country school house.
Jesus demonstrated love and care for his mother. John 19:25-27: “Near the Cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son, and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” Even as Jesus hung on the cross he cared for his mother.
The Apostle John lived long enough to care for Mary all the days of her life.
On Mother’s Day we try to show extra effort in showing Mothers our love. What we do on Mother’s Day we need to practice all year long.
Use words to tell your mother that you love her. Express you love with action by giving hugs and kisses.
The Proverb writer says that a “wise woman builds her house.”
My title for today’s sermon is taken from the book of a similar title: “The Power of a Positive Mom” by Karol Ladd. Positive mothers have several common qualities.
I. Positive Mothers Add Value to their Family
The financial value of a mother is hard to calculate. This past week K-Love Christian Radio quoted a research study that calculated that on the average a stay at home mother earned $131,000 a year. Total up the costs of being an animal caretaker, financial manager, food/beverage service worker, general office clerk, childcare worker, housekeeper, psychologist, bus driver, dietitian, property manager, social worker and recreation worker and $131,000 is a good deal.
There are some things that were left out of that list:
Kissing a boo-boo - Priceless
Making the family a special meal they all like - Priceless
Getting up during the night for feeding or illness - Priceless
Searching the entire house for a gerbil - Priceless
Cheering enthusiastically from the sidelines - Priceless
Scratching the back of children at bedtime - Priceless
Baking cookies for an after school snack - Priceless
Reading stories at bedtime - Priceless
Giving a hug, a smile, a word of encouragement - Priceless
There are many things a mother does than you can’t put a price tag on. There are things a mother does that money can’t buy.
Being a mother is a challenging job. One cartoon showed a mother with a crying baby in her arms answering the telephone. The sink is full of dishes, another toddler is crawling on the floor, the trash is overflowing, the mother has her hair up in curlers and someone is ringing the doorbell. She answers the phone and says, “No this is not the Shady Rest Retirement Home – it’s not even close.”
Motherhood is not for the light hearted. But being a mother does have many memorable moments.
If you’re no longer living at home, think back on your childhood memories. What event or experience stands out in your mind?
For me one of the memorable moments was a family picnic we went on. We traveled to a secluded place where we had our family picnic and then went swimming as a family. It was a happy positive time.
Are you building positive memories for your family? Every summer Carollyn and I work at building a positive memory for our grandchildren. Again this summer we will have our grandchildren visit for a couple of weeks. For us a highlight is the evening devotional time when I read a Bible story and ask questions of what we read and take prayer requests from each of our grandkids.
Why Kids love their grandparents… An Essay by 3rd grader- What is a grandma?
A Grandmother is a lady who has no children of her own. So she likes other peoples little boys and girls. A grandfather is a man grandmother. They go for walks and they talk about fishing and tractors.
Grandmothers don’t have to do anything. They just have to be there. They are so old they shouldn’t play or run. It’s enough to just drive us to the market where there are pretend horses and have lots of money ready.
When they take us for walks they slow down for pretty leaves and caterpillars. They never say hurry up. Usually they are fat!
But, not to fat to tie their shoes! They wear glasses and funny underwear. And they take their teeth and gums out.
They don’t have to be smart. Only answer questions like, why dogs hate cats and why God isn’t married. When they read to us they don’t skip. (How many skip?) Or mind if it’s the same story we want to read again. Everybody should try to have one, especially if you don’t have a TV, because Grandmas are the only ones that have a lot of time.
Mothers and Grandmothers you are persons of great value to your families. Both mothers and grandmothers play a significant role in the life of children.
Mothers not only have value to their family they have great influence in their families.
II. Positive Mothers have Influence in their home
Mothers have a significant impact and influence on their children. The way you accept your role as mother and your outlook on life whether positive or negative will rub off on your children. Have you watched a father and son or mother and daughter walking together? They seem to walk the same and have similar mannerisms.
There are some women who might send out this invitation: You are cordially invited to self-indulge in A Pity Party.
Place: At home or at meetings or gatherings with friends
Date and Time: Any time, any day
Please bring: A spirit of discontentment, complaints of every kind, a negative attitude, plus a detailed list of everything that is wrong with you life.
RSVP: to your conscience (only if declining)
By an act of your will you can focus on the good and positive things in your life. When my mother was experiencing trauma in her life I never heard her complain. She made the best of every circumstance.
The Apostle Paul praised young Timothy for his Godly heritage in 2 Timothy 1:5 “I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois.”
Thomas Edison, one of America’s greatest inventors, mother passed away when Thomas was a young man. He said this about his mother: “I did not have my mother long, but she cast over me an influence which has lasted all my life. The good effects of her early training I can never lose. If it had not been for her appreciation and her faith in me at a critical time in my experience, I should never likely became an inventor. I was always a careless boy. And with a mother of different mental caliber, I should have turned out badly. But her firmness, her sweetness, her goodness were potent powers to keep me in the right path. My mother was the making of me.”
Mothers, you have one of the most powerful jobs on earth. With God’s help, you can influence your children to become world leaders, talented inventors, creative musicians, great athletes, passionate preachers, devoted schoolteachers, committed physicians, etc.
Mothers remember your example speaks louder than your words. Two mothers lived next door to each other. Both had children the same age, and both were, at the same moment looking at the mess in their playrooms. The first mother called her children together and, getting down on her hands and knees, began demonstrating how to tidy up the room. Her children followed her lead, and they all finished cleaning up together. The second mother scolded her children, demanding that they get right to work and “do their part” to keep the house clean. With scowling faces and lead feet, the children put a few books back on the shelf then pushed the rest of the toys under the sofa.
Teaching by example goes much farther than teaching only by words.
Being a mother is a high calling. It’s not a worthless endeavor. Being a mother doesn’t mean you’re going to miss out on exciting things in life. What can be more exciting than having a newborn baby wanting to be held, or toddlers wanting to play hide and seek or a room full of energetic teenagers wanting to be fed?
A mother was approached by a young lady conducting a survey in a shopping mall. The interviewer asked the typical question, “What is your occupation?” The bold mother responded, “I’m a manager for human resources and development.” The young lady wrote down the title on her clipboard.
“And what exactly does your job entail?” she asked. The mother gave this response: “My job requires continuous research and management both in the office and out in the field (translation: in the house and out in the backyard!) Currently, I am busy with three important case studies (translation: I have two sons and one daughter.) It is a demanding job, and I often work around the clock to cover all of my responsibilities. Although the momentary compensation is virtually nonexistent, the rewards and satisfaction go far beyond words.”
Instructions for Housewives
A 1950’s high school economics book gives instructions for housewives.
1. Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious mean on the table – on time. This is a way of letting your husband know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs.
2. Prepare yourself. Take fifteen minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when your husband arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair, and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be joyous and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.
3. Clear away clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc. Run a dustcloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too.
4. Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces. If they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasurers, and he would like to see them playing the part.
5. Minimize the noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him.
6. Some don’ts: Don’t greet him with problems or complaints. Don’t complain if he’s late for dinner. Count this a minor compared with what he might have gone through during the day.
7. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing, and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.
8. Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.
9. Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his need to be home and relax.
10. The goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can feel refreshed.
Men you might say, “Oh for the good old days.” What year is this, 2005 not 1955. Many things have changed but it is still possible to be a positive wife and mother of value and influence.
III. Positive Mothers Give Encouraging Words in the Home
The Proverb writer wrote in Proverbs 22:6 – “Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.”
Positive moms guide their children on the right path and by their life and words give encouraging words. Encouraging words help your children stay on the path of righteousness.
The story is told of an elderly man who once approached the famous nineteenth-century poet and artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Under his arm, the old man carried a number of sketches and drawings he’d recently completed. He asked the great artist to look at his work and tell him if they showed any degree of artistic value or skill.
Rossetti looked over the drawings carefully for a few minutes before concluding that they did not show the least sign of artistic talent. Gently he broke the news to the old man, who seemed disappointed but not surprised.
The man then asked Rossette to look at just a few more drawings done by a younger art student. Rossette agreed, and this time he found the work to be quite good. With enthusiasm, he told the old man that this young student showed great potential and should be encouraged to pursue a career as an artist.
The man seemed deeply moved by the great artist’s words. Rossette asked if the drawings were perhaps the work of his son. “No,” the man replied sadly. “These are mine also, done forty years ago. If only I had heard your praise then! For you see, I got discouraged and gave up too soon.
Any encouragement you can give your children will make a big difference in their life and future goals.
As a mother your influence is much like the breeze that fills the sails of a beautiful sailboat. Your influence sends your children across the waters of life. Your positive words help your children achieve their God-given potential.
Help your children claim Jeremiah 29:11-13, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray tome, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
IV. Positive Mothers make Prayer a Priority. I was privilege to grow up with a praying mother. My mother was committed to praying for her family. She prayed for her children and her non-Christian husband daily. My mother died at the age of 62 and God answered her prayers for her children and her husband. My dad came to faith a year after my mother died. He regularly drove to a FMC in Salina, Kansas about 20 miles from Gypsum.
Never give up in praying for your family. God does answer prayer. When you pray for your family your prayers have a positive impact on your family. As parents we need to pray for wisdom. God promises to give you wisdom. (James 1:5) “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
God does not expect you to be a perfect mother. He does call you to be a good mother… a mother of positive influence and a mother of love.
In this month’s Church Newsletter –“In Touch” – I told the following story of a mother’s love.
A few years ago, a 12-year-old boy named Michael was swimming in a small pond near his family’s home in Florida. Paddling along with a snorkel and mask, head underwater, Michael didn’t know that an 11-foot, 400-pound alligator was bearing down upon him.
The creature lunged for the boy’s head. When its jaws snapped shut, the mask and snorkel were torn away. Miraculously, Michael’s head came free from the gator’s mouth; he began swimming frantically toward shore, with a hungry alligator following in his wake.
The boy’s cousin, Jill standing on the shoreline, screamed. That alerted Michael’s mother. She raced to the bank just as her son reached the shore.
Then the gator clamped onto Michael’s legs. His mother grabbed the boy’s hands and pulled—a fierce tug-of-war between a tenacious mother and a ferocious alligator.
Clutching Michael’s hands in a death grip, his mom pulled with superhuman strength. Suddenly, inexplicably, the alligator let go and returned to the depths. Michael’s mother than dragged her son up the bank to safety.
Three months later, Michael showed a friend the scene of the near-fatal attack. By then, almost all of his scars had healed. The gouge in his scalp was covered with hair; the gashes on his legs and feet had mended. Proudly, Michael showed off three small scars on the back of his right hand. Three marks of love. Those marks had been left not by the snarling alligator, but by his mother’s fingernails. She had drawn blood pulling her boy to safety.
Mothers don’t give up your grip on the lives of your children. Evil forces in the world will try to pull them down, but your grip of love will pull your children to safety. Your love will encourage them to live a life of moral values according to Biblical standards. Continue praying and loving. Don’t give up!
