True Grit: Traits Of A Godly Mom

True Grit: Traits of a Godly Mom

1 Samuel 1:1-2:2

Intro: [Tribute to the Pastor’s wife by H.B. London]

-Being a mom today is a tough job. It is hard, it causes sleepless nights, it brings trouble into your life, it is often a thankless job.

-God has designed moms with a caring heart and soul. But even though God has given them a heart of love for their kids, it’s not an easy task. Most moms make it through motherhood because God has also made them pretty tough. But the challenges that come with motherhood are great, and the greater challenge is to be a mom who honors the Lord with her life.

-This morning, in honor of all the moms here today, we are going to look at a woman who faced some difficult challenges, but became a model of motherhood to show how moms can be Godly moms.

-Today’s message is not just for mothers, however. It is something that applies to each one of us here, Mom, Dad, single or married, male or female, because ultimately this is about how we can be godly people.

1 Samuel 1:1-8: 1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim (Ray Muh thay uhm), a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?"

1. A Godly Mom will Face Problems

-I think too often people are thinking, and moms in particular, that if I have problems in my life, I must not be living in a godly way and I must be a bad mom. Let me tell you that simply is not true.

-Jesus told us that we are going to have trouble in this life.

-John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

-2 Timothy 3:12 … everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

-Throughout the Bible we see people who are striving to live for God who are facing problems: Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Esther, and here we see Hannah

-We see in these verses that Hannah’s husband Elkanah had 2 wives and his other wife had children. Verse 2 tells us that “Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.”

Now this is in an age when one of the main purposes of having a wife was to provide children.

-And not only was she not able to have children, but she faced ridicule for this year after year.

1 Samuel 1:6-7: 6 And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.

-“Hey Hannah, could you help me with my children, I have so many.”

Hey Hannah, would you mind helping me change a diaper, oh do you know how to change a diaper, since you have never had any kids?”

-And this went on year after year. Hannah I am sure felt feelings of inadequacy. She suffered bouts of depression. Lord, what are you doing here? What am I doing here? She wondered what her purpose in life was.

-I am certain there are people here today who feel inadequate, or are depressed, or don’t understand yet why the Lord has them in the situation they are in.

-Maybe there are some here today who haven’t been able to have children or who have lost a child or who are struggling to provide for their family