Motherhood is a hard balancing act. Mothers are not only concerned with the growth of one single child, but in balancing the good of many who are in their care. If married, they nurture their husbands. In some cases they provide care for sick parents or relatives as well as filling needs in their communities. For all these things, there are no daily hours, no pay raises, no paid vacations. In spite of all their work, too often the house may look like the scene of a robbery, with toys, shoes, clothes, food, newspapers, magazines, and mail lying about. When you add that many moms are also working outside the home, no wonder that some moms are tempted to see death as an alluring option. They think, “Hey, I’ll finally be able to sit down.” No question about it, mothering is a tough balancing act.
But the job is so critical. When a mother fulfills her calling well, her family, her church, her community feels the positive power of her influence. We must learn to value motherhood more in our world. We must have a vision of the enormous potential of the mothering role.
Next week’s talk will be “Dealing with a Difficult Child.” But today, we’re exploring how mothers are the molders of men and women. Remember that a mother is not merely raising her one, two, or four children. She is also affecting future generations for good o evil. All the love, nurture, education, and character-building that come from a mother will work its way into the lives of her own children and her children’s children. Many great men and women could say with Timothy Dwight, former president of Yale, “All that I am and all that I shall be, I owe to my mother.”
But I want to direct your attention to another Timothy who was greatly influenced by his mother. He’s in the Bible. He was a great man. Let me introduce him to you.
Timothy is a name that means “honoring God.” He certainly did. He was a young man who was trained by the great leader of the early church, the Apostle Paul. He was spotted by Paul in a city named Lystra. It would be like Billy Graham coming to Cleveland, meeting a teenager at CVCC, seeing lots of potential and spirituality, and inviting the teen to join his team. That’s what happened to Timothy. He traveled with Paul on many of his missionary journeys. Paul called him “his son in the faith” (I Timothy 1:2) and his fellow-worker” (I Thessalonians 3:2). Timothy became a great evangelist himself (I Timothy 4:14) and did missionary work in Corinth, Thessalonica, and Macedonia. He finally settled in Ephesus and pastored the church there (Acts 17:15: 1Thessalonians 1:1, 3:2; Acts 19:22). He died as a martyr. Truly, he lived up to his name - he honored God!
Why? What are some of the keys to his God-honoring life? The Bible points us to his mother.
In the verses we’ll think through today, we will meet Timothy’s mother, “Eunice.” That name might sound funny to some of you, but it’s really a great name. It comes from two Greek words - “Eu” meaning “good” or “happy” and “nike” meaning “victory” or “conquering.” Her name is “Eunike”: “good victory” or “happily conquering.”
In mythology, Nike was the Greek goddess of victory. The Roman name for that winged goddess was Victoria. So, if you don’t like the name Eunice, then replace it with Victoria.
God gave us this mother’s name to give us some insights about some important principles necessary for victorious motherhood. Do you want to be a victorious mom? Here are three insights.
1. A victorious mother gives her children roots of faith.
Eunice had a sincere faith.
For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.
II Timothy 1:5
I want us to focus a little on three word in this verse: “sincere,” “dwelt,” and “faith.”
“Sincere” is a great word. It literally means “without hypocrisy.” It means that she didn’t play act. You didn’t see one woman at church and another one at home. There was a consistency in her life.
“Dwelt” comes from two words in the Greek: “in” and “house.” Who’s “in the house?” When a victorious mom looks inside her life, she doesn’t see hypocrisy. She doesn’t see fear. Who’s in the house? A non-hypocritical faith is in the house!
“Faith” was deeply rooted in the life of this victorious mother. The demonstration of that faith so deeply impacted Timothy. Her faith was a primary tool that God used to touch Timothy’s life.
Do you have faith? Hebrews 11 defines it for us.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe
that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:1, 6 (NASB)
A victorious mother has a faith in God that hopes.
A victorious mother has a faith in God that envisions.
A victorious mother has a faith in God that prays. It causes her to “come to God” in prayer. I want to spend a little time here.
We tell our kids that we have faith in God - that He’s real, that He’s powerful, that He forgives, that He cares. But how do they see us demonstrate that faith? Sure, we go to church. Sure, we try to lead a good life. Sure, we say you believe in God. Sure, we seek to give our sons and daughters a moral foundation. But how do we best demonstrate our faith?
One of the best ways we show the world - and our kids - that our faith is real is throgh our prayers. Hebrews 11:6 says that we must “come to God.” Our faith is clearly seen in our prayers. I believe in God. I show that belief through my prayers.
Are you a praying mom?
Did you know that over 30,000 groups of mothers worldwide meet on a weekly basis to pray for their children?
It all started in 1984 when Fern Nichols, then a Canadian, grew concerned about her sons, who were about to enter junior high school. Nichols found another mother to join her in weekly prayer sessions for their kids and their kids’ schools. And so the ministry “Moms in Touch” was born.
The moms stay in touch with their target school in practical ways - like attending PTA meetings, volunteering as teacher’s aides, working in the lunch room, and running concession booths at ball games.
But once a week, they meet to pray. They say, “We don’t cat and we don’t chit-chat. That’s the beauty of the program. We’re all so busy, we don’t have much time. But we can set aside one hour a week to pray for our kids.”
After a few minutes reading Bible passages aloud, they spend about 10 minutes in adoration, about two minutes in silent confession, about eight minutes in thanksgiving, and finally about 25 minutes in supplication, interceding not only for their children, but for everyone and everything from the principal to the athletic program.
The prayers sound like this:
• “May our children see the importance of working hard for the Lord”
• “Thanks, Lord, for caring enough about our children to allow difficulties to come into their lives.”
• “Help our children to remain sexually pure.”
• “Help me know when to push my kids, and when to hold back. It’s so hard for me sometimes to know when to do what.”
• “I need to know, Lord, when to pull back and give my children more freedom, so they can mature. Please help them to stay on track.”
Do you want to find out more about “Moms in Touch”? Call 1-800-949-MOMS.
Several months ago, the staff sang a song together. It was “Thank You for Praying.” I still remember the words.
Thank you for praying, praying for me.
I never could repay the time you spent down on your knees.
I’m where I am today because you chose to pray and intercede.
Thank you for praying, praying for me.
Mom, will your children one day be able to say words like that because of you? Do they ever see you by your bed on your knees in prayer? Do they ever hear you calling our their name to the Lord? Have you ever spent a sleepless night in prayer for the conversion of your little ones?
Moms! Demonstrate and pass on a sincere faith through your prayers.
A victorious mother gives her children roots of faith.
2. A victorious mother gives her children words from God.
Eunice taught the scriptures.
From childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
II Timothy 3:15
Timothy’s mother started early. And she didn’t depend on someone else to do this job for her. In fact, Acts 16 tells us that Timothy’s dad was not a believer. So, with her own mother’s help, Eunice must have taken the lead responsibility in teaching her child the sacred writings.
She must have known the commandment given in Deuteronomy 6.
These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them
when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way
and when you lie down and when you rise up.
Deuteronomy 6:6, 7 (NASB)
Are you teaching the scriptures to your children? Don’t know where to start? Why not start with the ten commandments? Make them the values in your home. This week I spent some time with the ten commandments seeking to state them as positive values.
Christian Family Values
(Based on the 10 Commandments for Exodus 20)
• We will put God first.
• We will serve only God.
• We will speak about God reverently.
• We will worship God weekly.
• We will honor our parents.
• We will value life.
• We will love others loyally.
• We will live unselfishly.
• We will speak truthfully.
• We will seek contentment.
Dr. G. Campbell Morgan was a great pastor in London. He has four sons and they all became ministers. At a family reunion, a friend asked on of the sons, “Which Morgan is the greatest preacher?” While the son looked at his father, he said, “Mother!”
A victorious mother gives her children words from God.
3. A victorious mother gives her children wings to fly .
And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him…
Acts 16:1-3a
“He took him.” Think about this with me. Paul shows up in Lystra for a second time to help the newly formed church become stronger. No doubt he had develop some type of relationship with Timothy and his mom. But now the invitation comes, “Timothy, I want you to go with me. What about it Eunice?”
This was no cruise. Keep in mind that Paul was inviting Timothy to join him for what he describes in II Corinthians 11: 24-27. “Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”
“What about it Eunice? Can I take your son with me?” Don’t think for a minute that it was easy for her to let her son go. The text doesn’t tell us about the questions, the struggles, the doubts, the fears, and the pain Eunice must have experienced. What it does tell us is that Timothy left home to fulfill his calling.
All the tired cliches express how hard it is to let go. It’s called leaving the nest, cutting the apron strings,
The Bible gives us another image. It’s found in Psalm 127:3, 4.
Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.
Psalm 127:3, 4 (NASB)
What is a warrior to do with an arrow? It’s to be used to win a battle. In Bible days, the didn’t mass produce arrows. Each one was carefully crafted from a stick. It was sanded smooth so it would fly straight. The arrow head was attached and feathers applied. It was placed in a quiver until the right moment. Then it was sent into battle to defeat an enemy.
The image is clear. Moms, dads, we are to see our children as arrows. By God’s grace and under His direction, we shape and fashion them. But they aren’t to be kept in the quiver. They are to be sent out to fulfill God’s calling.
Why is it that son many mothers have such a hard time giving their children wings? Why can’t moms “let go?” I believe it’s because too many moms are child-centered rather than God-centered. Our calling as parents is to equip our kids to glorify God - to be all they can be for Him. He is the One who is to be served.
What could be greater than seeing your child go out - move away if necessary - being equipped to serve the Lord in the marketplace or in the ministry?
A victorious mother gives her children wings to fly.
Roots of faith. Words of God. Wings to fly.
Some of us are here today and we’ve had moms who haven’t been perfect. But they have given us some, if not all, of these things. Let me encourage you today to thank them in specific ways. Tell them that you are proud of them - proud to be her son or daughter. “Mom, you have been a victorious mom. Thank you!”
For the moms here today, God’s call is clear. Would you say to God, “Please help me give my children roots of faith, words from God, and wings to fly. I can’t do it without Your help, Lord. So, right now, I ask for the forgiveness that Jesus secured on the cross for my failures to be the mom I always wanted to be. I need Your help, Jesus, to be a victorious mom. Amen.”
