Mother’s Day 2024

Biblical, Godly Mothers

Psalm 46 is our text today

(READ)

Men and kids here pray for the mothers here

And let’s remember those who may be mourning mothers who have passed

Biblical, Godly Mothers

Ladies, if you WANT to grow into the mother God desires - The Bible lays out what it looks like

Ladies, if you do NOT want this, please at least pray for those here who do

Today is not about me telling you how to do this

Just opening God’s Word and letting Him speak to you, to us, today

So much of this is also directed at fathers, just so you don’t get bored and check out :)

GODLY MOTHERS ARE COMMANDED TO BE

Available

Deut. 6:6-7

Morning, noon, night

Biblical, Godly moms are “always on”

Involved

Titus 2:4 NASB95

so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

“Love” here - “liking,” enjoying being around, the days spent with meaningful activity that is enjoyable

Teaching

Proverbs 1:8 NASB95

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

READ verses 7-9

Mothers are teachers

Teaching WHAT?

Teaching is easy if you teach kids to just go along with the world…

TEACHING WHAT?

Scripture

The Biblical worldview

Teach daughters how to be a godly wife and mother (in that order)

Teach sons what to look for in a godly wife

Teach children what culture is, what culture does, and why culture needs godly wives and mothers

Training

Romans 12:6 (NASB95)

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly…

Mothers help their children discover and use their gifts and strengths, for the glory of the LORD

If we had high-level Spiritual camps that train up champions, would you help them go?

We’ll get kids to baseball, football, dance, cheer, music, etc. camps

But they need your spiritual encouragement to desire to live for the LORD

Disciplining

Proverbs 19:18 NASB95

Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death.

Kids don’t just “turn out OK”

If you are not disciplining them, then they will learn what the world wants them to learn

So, YOUR kids are the ones who obey first time, they look weird to the world - OK!

Nurturing

That environment of continual verbal support

Freedom to fail

Acceptance, Affection

Nurturing directly affects the brain development, especially at early ages - Titus 2:4 again

Titus 2:4 NASB95

so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

Modeling life with Integrity

Integrity = living what you say

Modeling the behavior you desire to see in your sons and daughters

(You must decide what that behavior is)

Proverbs 10:9 NASB95

He who walks in integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

God knows your heart

Your children KNOW, too - they DO

Focus on inner beauty

Proverbs 31:30 NASB95

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

Yes, God says to care for the temple of the Lord, your body

1 Peter 3:4–5 NASB95

but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;

But what is truly attractive to your husband is the INNER beauty of a woman who loves the LORD

A mother who loves the LORD - MORE than she loves her husband and children

That is an amazingly attractive woman

Focus on the spiritual!

This beauty NEVER fades - NEVER

FINALLY - FOR MOTHERS, and ALL OF US

Be forgiving

Mothers - your children will likely hurt you

Your husbands will mess up

You will get plentiful opportunities to forgive

All of us - forgiveness is most difficult, and most important aspect of a faithful Christian walk

To not forgive, knowing that Jesus told us to forgive, is to tell Jesus NO

IF you strive to do all these, to be the Godly mother - wouldn’t it be nice to have an example?

Jesus demonstrated every one of these

Aren’t you glad He did?

Especially the forgiving one?

He forgave, and it was not easy

Ask Him, and He says YES

It took work for Him to forgive - He finished that work on the cross

So…why don’t all mothers strive for all this biblical excellence in motherhood

I don’t know, neither do you

The only one you can work on directly is you - so start there

Mothers who are working hard at this - prayerfully keep going

These all help you grow, spiritually, closer to the LORD

And yes, your children know if this is you

AND…for mothers who truly desire to raise Godly children, the NUMBER ONE aspect of your life, that children see EVERY day…

Love Your Husband

…the father of your children

First, passionately pursue Christ

Second, love your husband through Biblical submission

BIBLICAL submission (don’t know what that is?)

And all of this - All of this, is very hard work

And when you try hard, you’ll feel like you can’t do enough, can’t be enough, that you are not enough, and the LORD says:

Be still - Cease Striving

Psalm 46:10 NASB95

“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

There are days:

Mountains slip and quake

Kingdoms totter, wars rage on

The home is chaos

The world is wicked

And you are right in the middle of it all

Trying to love your husband and raise up Godly children

Yahweh is right there in the middle - WITH YOU

Wars rage on, nature rears its storms

God makes those wars cease

Yahweh hushes the storm

Cease striving - Be still

The very Lord of hosts is with you

Need strength? - It’s available

Need help? His hand is outstretched

It’s good to work hard at this “mother” thing

Just work God’s way, and He’ll make that work much easier

And eternally fulfilling - He promises!