Every Day's a Mother's Day

Introduction

Aren’t you grateful for your mother? We celebrate Mother’s Day today because of a woman named Anna Jarvis who wanted to honor her mother. She was never herself a mother, yet she is credited for organizing the first official Mother's Day events in May of 1908. She wanted to pay tribute to the hardworking women who made sacrifices for their children. Her persistence to make it a national holiday came to fruition in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill that officially recognized the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. I applaud the work of Anna Jarvis. However she became quite agitated because of the fact that many retailers made such a profit on the holiday. It is now a $20 billion dollar making holiday!

Long before Anna Jarvis was even born, God designed Mother’s Day. In fact, God designed everyday to be Mother’s Day! Let me explain by sharing a couple of verses from the Book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 1:7–9 NIV84

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. 8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.

First notice God’s plan for moms.

God’s Plan For Moms (vs. 7)

God’s plan begins with moms, dads, and all His creation understanding that the best thing one can do, is to know the Lord.

To Know the Lord

The New Living Translation states verse 7 this way:

Proverbs 1:7 NLT

7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

The very foundation of knowledge is understanding that God is Mighty, powerful and we should reverence Him. Of all the things known, God is to be reverenced most! He is to be feared, served and worshiped. Therefore, with this foundation of knowing Him, we should build on it to live for Him.

To Live for the Lord

Are you living for the Lord? Moms, dads, children…by the way, we all fit in one of those categories, should all live for the Lord. If you are living for anything else, you are living for the wrong reasons. God’s plan for moms was and still is to live for the Lord. Romans 14:8

Romans 14:8 NIV84

8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

As we live for the Lord, we are to make Him known.

To Make the Lord Known

God’s plan for moms is for them to give wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7 tells us that fools despise wisdom and discipline. Those who reject the teaching of God are fools according to this passage. If one rejects the scriptures, they reject the value of God in their lives. As I look back on my life, there were times when my mother wanted to make sure that I knew the Lord she loved. She always made sure that my sisters, brother and I were in a good church where we could learn more about God’s love. She did so in our house as well by talking with us about God’s word and helping us rely on God’s word in every area of our lives. Quite honestly, I was the example of this verse because I was the fool it spoke of. There were times I didn’t want to do things of God because I wanted to do things of Mitch! Yet my mother persevered and her wisdom and discipline pointed me in the right direction! Whether you are a mom or not, you are still called as a Christian to make the Lord known. How are you doing with that? It is God’s plan!

Psalm 105:1 NIV84

1 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

Notice also God’s power through moms.

God’s Power Through Moms (vs. 8-9)

I noticed something in the study of Proverbs 1:8 It says

Proverbs 1:8 NIV84

8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

The word for instruction means discipline and correction. The word of teaching is torah. We know torah as being the ancient scriptures of the Old Testament, the law of God. Solomon, in his wisdom, it making a strong statement.

Undeniable Teaching

The mother gives us undeniable teaching. A close look at this shows us that moms, according to this verse, were to teach us about God’s law. As I thought more about this, my dad and I had many discussions about God’s word. My mom was really the one that taught me most about God’s word. We didn’t have Bible study every day, but I can remember watching her spend time in God’s word and reading devotional books that helped explain it better. She told me often of how her mom, my grandmother, systematically read every chapter in the Bible. I guess in God’s eyes, the mother spent more time with the children when they were young and it made sense for them to give torah or instruction.

Psalm 33:4 NIV84

4 For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

God’s way is always best. When a mom has raised her child in the ways of the Lord, she will have unprecedented honors.

Unprecedented Honors

Proverbs 1:9 NIV84

9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.

Garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. These were given to those who were triumphant. The teachings that moms give from the foundation of the knowledge of God are like symbols of honor, guidance and protection. There is no greater honor than to have the honor of God. My mother helped teach that when she led me to God’s word.

God’s word is saturated with unconditional love.

Unconditional Love

That is another aspect of God’s power through moms. He gives a mother the incredible ability to love her child unconditionally. Many of us gathered here this morning can attest to the unconditional love in our mother’s showed us over the years. Although it is not specifically mentioned in this first chapter of Proverbs, we can see it consistently throughout the Bible and it demonstrates the character of God and that superpower God gives to moms.

1 Peter 4:8 NIV84

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Did your mother’s love, like God’s love, cover a multitude of sins? Mine did too!

There are other promises that God gives moms as well.

God’s Promise For Moms (Proverbs 22:6)

One is Proverbs 22:6

Proverbs 22:6 NIV84

6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

What a promise that is! No matter how far one may run, God’s Word always comes to fruition. We can bank on it and trust it! Here is another promise, God leads moms gently.

He Leads Gently (Isaiah 40:11)

Isaiah 40:11 NIV84

11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Perhaps you can thank God for your mom leading you gently. If you are a mom now, rest assured in this promise of God.

Another promise is that God listens intently.

He Listens Intently (1 Samuel 1:26-28)

Hannah named her son Samuel because she asked the Lord for him. God heard her prayer.

1 Samuel 1:26–28 NIV84

26 and she said to him, “As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

God listens intently and God looks after moms as well.

He Looks After (Genesis 16:13)

Hagar leaves the household of Abram. She is pregnant and does not feel welcomed there anymore. She has an encounter with an angel of the Lord. The Lord speaks to her through this angel. Hagar expresses her gratitude to God by calling Him a special name.

Genesis 16:13 NIV84

13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

God has a plan for moms. God utilizes His great power through moms. God gives promises to moms. Lastly, God has a purpose for us to honor moms.

God’s Purpose For Us to Honor Moms (Leviticus 19:3)

Leviticus 19:3 NIV84

3 “ ‘Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.

Funny I don’t see in that verse the designation to do so only on the second Sunday of May. In fact, there are other examples in God’s word to honor our mothers and there is no date designated.

The Fifth Commandment (Exodus 20:12)

It is the Fifth Commandment, definitely making the top ten!

Exodus 20:12 NIV84

12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Notice the promise that comes with honoring? That we “may live long in the land your God is giving you.?

It is also the right thing to do.

The Right Thing to Do (Ephesians 6:1-3)

Ephesians 6:1–3 NIV84

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

It also pleases the Lord.

To Please the Lord (Colossians 3:20)

Colossians 3:20 NIV84

20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Yes, I see that there is evidence to say that everyday’s a Mother’s Day. We should indeed honor our Mothers.

I do feel it necessary to state that not every woman that has had a child was or is a good mother. This day my be painful in many ways for some of you. God’s design was not for it to be like that. His design is to be as we have just described. We do live in a fallen world. However, His design for those that were raised by ungodly mothers to practice forgiveness. You don’t have to forget, just forgive. Colossians 3:13 says, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” As you do, you will be released and experience God in a whole new way. All you have to do is trust Him.