Mother's day

Intro: Breaking the Stereotype of Mother’s Day Messages

There is saying in ministry that says on mother’s day we tell women how great they are and on fathers day we tell men how aweful they are. So today instead of just giving a shallow mother’s day sermon with all the niceties and platitudes. I want to give you something that is both thought provoking and encouraging. In fact, men you will find these truths to be universal and apply to you as well.

As a kid I loved lego, I would spend hours in my room building almost daily. My parent’s soon learned that sending me to my room by myself was not a punishment but a reward. They would often have to force me to come watch TV with the family on a friday night.

I would build these complex castles, spaceships, cities and etc. I learned very quickly that if I wanted to play with what I built and it not fall apart, I had to devote time to the design. I had to look into the future and know what it was that I wanted to accomplish and then create a plan in my head to build it. If I was in a hurry to play and quickly put something together in the moment that it would break and It would take me twice as long to pick up the pieces and rebuild it.

Did you know parenting is much like this process? Did you know that mothering is very similar to this as well. As parents, we need to have a plan to build up our households

Proverbs 14:1 CSB

1 Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

In this proverb we see a contrast between a foolish woman and a wise one. We see that a wise woman strives to be a home construction expert. We see the foolish ones own hands are responsible for the tearing down of the home.

Trans:

The first thing that I want you to notice in this proverb is the elevated position of women. Proverbs often personifies wisdom as a woman but in this case she is seen as the builder of the home.

I. The Undeniable Influence of women

This proverb suggest that woman are extremely influential. A Woman’s character has the ability to build up her house or destroy it.

While the world likes to make it seem that the Bible makes a woman a second class citizen, The bible honors Godly women.

🕊️ Biblical Foundation for Women’s Dignity

Christianity introduced revolutionary ideas about women in the ancient world:

1. Equal Worth Before God

Galatians 3:28 (NIV): “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

This was radical in a time when women were legally and socially inferior.

Christianity taught that men and women are equal in value and spiritual inheritance.

2. Jesus' Respect for Women

Jesus consistently treated women with dignity, breaking cultural norms:

Spoke to the Samaritan woman (John 4) openly and respectfully.

Healed and taught women (e.g., Mary and Martha in Luke 10).

Appeared first to women after His resurrection (John 20:11–18)—a profound endorsement of their role as witnesses.

🌍 Historical & Cultural Impact

As Christianity spread, it elevated women’s roles in tangible ways:

🏛️ In the Early Church

Women like Priscilla, Lydia, Phoebe, and Junia played prominent leadership and ministry roles (Acts 16, Romans 16).

Early Christians rescued abandoned baby girls, contrary to Roman practice.

📚 Through Education & Healthcare

Christian missions brought schools and hospitals to many parts of the world, especially for girls and women.

Literacy among women rose where Christian missionaries focused on Bible teaching.

💍 Marriage and Family Reforms

Christianity promoted monogamy and opposed polygamy, protecting women’s rights.

It condemned practices like widow burning and child marriage in various cultures.

✝️ Missionary Impact

A major study by sociologist Robert Woodberry found that Protestant missionary work (especially where there was a focus on Bible translation and schooling) strongly correlated with:

Women's literacy

Legal rights

Health improvements

Democracy and civil society growth

Christianity hasn't always been perfectly practiced, but where its core teachings are taken seriously, women consistently gain value, voice, and visibility.

The Bible honors woman and verse like we just read show the real biblical understanding of a woman's influence

Woman have a huge influence in creating and shaping the atmosphere in the home and by extensions the culture around them. Your children, by in large will become who you have trained them to be.

Key Point: “The Bible honors godly women. They shape not only their homes but culture itself.”

II. A Wise woman(person) will add stability to her household.

Proverbs 31:25–26 CSB

25 Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come. 26 Her mouth speaks wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue.

Strength and honor are her clothing. This has the idea is that she is not just known for being a pretty face. When her husband, family and friends think about her they see a strong and honorable person. She is a person that doesn;t easily fret about the future but instead plans for it. She is strong and worthy of honor yet...

She is wise and loving.

We live in a time where the term “strong woman” is synonymous with loud and brash. A woman who speaks her mind. A strong woman in our culture is often synonymous with someone who lacks self-control and the ability to control their tongue.

Yet scripture does not describe a person with this disposition in a favorable way. In fact, proverbs often describes a fool in such terms.

Proverbs 29:11 CSB

11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise person holds it in check.

Wisdom = restraint and love in correction.

Instead her mouth speaks wisdom.

A wise woman will reserve her words for things that are useful. Things that build up the household and others around her. She speaks wisdom. She is known for her self-control.

but also, Notice how in vs 26 scripture describes this strong woman's mode of communication, she speaks with loving instruction.

Did you know, how we communicate instruction is just as important as the instruction itself.

This of course is a universal truth that doesn’t just pertain to women but also men.

How we give instruction to those around us, the tone we use and the motivation behind what we say matters. A wise woman’s motivation in giving instruction will be love and her tone will follow.

One thing that I have noticed as a parent myself, It is easy in certain circumstances to be self-focused in our correction of our children.

Have you ever corrected a behavior because the behavior bothered you.

Sometimes Our desire to stop the behavior that bothers us, becomes the number one reason why we are communicating instruction or disciplining.

Then because we are annoyed and frustrated our tone follows. instead of

Proverbs 31:26 CSB

26 Her mouth speaks wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue.

SO What is the purpose of instruction and correction?

Proverbs 1:7 CSB

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.

The purpose of correction is to speak wisdom and give discipline for the purpose of helping our children fear the Lord. If our kids only fear us and not the lord, chances are we have been disciplining and correcting only to stop bad behavior. Most likely the behaviors that most directly impact us.

so Instead our focus should always be to instruct our children so they will learn to be obedient to the Lord. Our households should consider God in their decisions. We need to remind our children that they are not just disobeying mom and dad but God himself.

Out of care and concern we instruct them out of love. If our focus is mostly to stop the annoying behavior we are not parenting with goal of Godly instruction in mind.

We are parenting with ourselves in mind. Our kids will learn very quickly how to avoid annoying us or how to annoy us to get a desired reaction. Instead of learning to fear God and obey out of a heart of love and respect.

Love has to be the vehicle of instruction. This vehicle will determine our tone.

A wise woman will add stability to her house by they way she instructs and gives discipline.

III. A Wise woman(person) will embrace accountability.

Listen to this account by author Nancy Ortberg

Today’s Best Sermons, Volume 3: 52 Sermons on Holidays & Special Events I. God Will Shatter Our Illusions

◆ A few months ago I called my friend Sue. I said, “As a result of books I’ve been reading and sermons I’ve been hearing and observations I’ve been making,”—and I approached this tentatively—“I think I might struggle with anger with my kids.” I’m not a screamer, and I don’t hit. That may be what you struggle with. I struggle with that tone of voice that in a short time can communicate to kids, I’m busy. You are bothering me. What I’m doing is more important, and I wish you would leave me alone.

I hoped Sue would say, “Gosh, we all do that. It’s not a big deal, Nancy.”

Her silence was deafening. After a couple of seconds, she said four words: “I can see that.” Wow. That was a mirror to me. But as painful as that was to hear, in my ten years of being a mom, I have not changed so dramatically in my toning down the anger toward my children as I have when Sue said those words, because I saw it in myself and she saw it, and I didn’t want that in my life.

We often know what things we struggle with. True?

The problem isn’t that we struggle, but rather that we are justifiers of our sin. We often will call friends so that we can hear them say, everyone yells at their spouse, kids, etc. from time to time. Don’t worry about it your a good mom or dad, husband or spouse.

When we talk to others, We are often looking for comfort instead of honesty and help.

Instead of letting our mistakes change us we either justify them or we allow the enemy to discourage us in them. Sometimes both.

We then operate out of a mindset of failure instead of In christ, strength and honor.

A failure mindest then produces what? Failure.

You want to be stuck in the same cycle justify your mistakes or allow the enemy to discourage you. Neither are Godly responses.

Just as our children need loving instruction, we too need loving instruction.

A wise woman will seek advice and instruction, not just comfort, from those who care about her. A wise woman/man will humbly listen to both the good and bad about themselves in order that they may grow.

Proverbs 1:5 CSB

5 let a wise person listen and increase learning, and let a discerning person obtain guidance—

Proverbs 9:9 CSB

9 Instruct the wise, and he will be wiser still; teach the righteous, and he will learn more.

Proverbs 12:1 CSB

1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but one who hates correction is stupid.

In the same way, I think their are so many mothers and women who are walking around today feeling like failures.

IV. A Wise Person will Reject the Lie of Failure

The adversary has convinced them they are incapable as a person, mother, or wife. The enemy tells them they powerless to change.

The enemy tells them their worth is found in their successes/failures. So instead of believing their is hope they just continue in the status quo.

Did you know that this mindset neither Godly or true. Women you need to remember what God says about you. You need to remember your worth is not found in your actions but in your status as a child of God.

In Christ you have everything you need to walk in victory and strength. God will give wisdom liberally to any that will seek it.

God’s desire for you is not live in a feeling of failure but you to walk with joy and purpose. If you are struggling seek out Christ-centered instruction and listen to the advice.

We may fail from time to time but heir are no people who are failures among those who are truly seeking Christ. Walk with Him and you will have victory.

So ladies I want you to walk out of here this morning, confident in who God has made you to be. Walk out of here understanding your influence, value and worth. Walk out of here wiling to accept Godly correction. Walk out of here knowing that in Christ, we are more than conquerors.

Romans 8:37 CSB

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

I want you to Walk closely with christ...and then tell the enemy to shut up!