Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day! Today is a wonderful day that we get to express special gratitude to and to remember our mothers. I hope that before the end of the day, that you make your mother feel very special. That is not just for those of you who are grown, but that goes for you children as well! Some of you may no longer have your mother living, but I am sure you wish you could express your love and greetings to her anyway. For some of you, you may have just become a new mother of a baby or maybe you have very young children. Motherhood is new for you. For Some of you this day may be hard as you may want to be a mother, but for whatever reason, God has not allowed for that to happen for you. Some others of you who have been a mother for a long time, you are well aware of the joys and the burdens that come with being a godly mother. I am sure that you can echo the words of Psalm 127:3 “…Children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward”.

The love of a mother is a wonderful reflection of the Love that God shows to all His children.

John Killinger wrote a book called: Lost in Wonder, Love, and Praise. In it he gives this kind paragraph about mothers.

“I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God,

who was born of the promise to a virgin named Mary.

I believe in the love Mary gave her Son,

that caused her to follow him in his ministry

and stand by his cross as he died.

I believe in the love of all mothers,

and its importance in the lives of the children they bear.

It is stronger than steel, softer than down feathers,

and more resilient than a green sapling on the hillside.

It closes wounds, melts disappointments,

and enables the weakest child to stand tall

and straight in the fields of adversity.

I believe that this love, even at its best,

is only a shadow of the love of God,

a dark reflection of all that we can expect of him,

both in this life and the next.

And I believe that one of the most beautiful sights

in the world is a mother who lets this greater love

flow through her to her child,

blessing the world with the tenderness of her touch

and the tears of her joy.[1]”

Our mother’s impact us in so many wonderful ways. To start, while God is the giver of life, our mothers in a real are the ones who sustained that life as they gave us birth and nourishment. Our mother’s fed us and taught us how to cook. You can travel all over the world, but nothing is quite like mom’s cooking.

Mom helps you when you are hurting. Whether it is kissing you when you fell down and scraped your knee or when she gives you a hug and prays for your heart that is hurting, mothers know how to help you when you are hurt.

Our mother’s gave us love and encouragement on our best days and on our days when we were most sad. When somebody has the opportunity to be on television, who do they say hello to first? “Hi mom!” Moms are our biggest cheerleaders and they love to celebrate our accomplishments.

One of the biggest roles that a Christian mother has is to leave a spiritual heritage to her children.

Proverbs 6:20, 21

20 My son, keep your father’s commandment,

and forsake not your mother’s teaching.

21 Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck.

-Mothers must share God’s truth with their children and children are commanded to listen to and obey that teaching

Even the great missionary Paul gives credit to the mother of Pastor Timothy who left him a spiritual heritage.

2 Timothy 1:5 NKJV

“5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.”

When a woman follows the godly example of her mother, and then teaches her children to know and serve God, they are building a household of faith and a heritage that can be passed from generation to generation. While all of the roles of a mother I talked about are important, your spiritual heritage is one of the most important. How you model a prayer life. How you show that reading your Bible is important. How you love and respect your husband. How you faithfully serve in your church and how you make church attendance a priority. It has been said that actions speak louder than words. This is also true in your role as a mother. The way which you show your husband and children your love for Jesus and putting that faith into action is more important than words alone.

Pray for your children. Pray that they would each know and love Jesus as their own savior. Pray for their protection, but even more important, pray that they would be victorious over sin through the power of Jesus. Pray that God would use them to bring God’s truth to others. Even if your children do not desire to follow God, continue to pray for their heart. The Holy Spirit can still be working on them and making them ready to accept the gospel. I have heard story after story of mothers who would not quit to pray that their children would accept Jesus and God rescued them out of very bad sinful situations. Never stop praying for your children.

God designed the family. Even from the beginning, God said that it was not good for the man to be alone and that together they were to have children. Mothers have a very important role in their family. You are not just a wife and a mother, but an important part in the design of God. Strong Christian families make strong churches and strong communities. Satan wants to destroy our families more than he wants a politician to not tell the truth. The way that you love and serve God, how you love your husband, and how you love and guide your children are some of the most important things that you can do with your life. Never forget that. You are made by God and used by God for a special purpose as a wife and mother.

I would like to give a challenge to all of us no matter if you are a mother or not. Our mothers had a vital role in giving us life. You as a church and you as individuals have a role in bringing spiritual life to others. Jesus told his disciples in John 4:35 “look to the fields, they are ripe and ready for harvest.” I want to give you the same challenge today. God wants to use you to share the life-giving truth of the gospel with others. Suriname has many churches, but God is looking for believers and churches that are on mission for Him. Is this church ready to raise up the next generation of church leaders? Is this church ready to bring the truth of the gospel message to our neighbors and to our community? I saw your church stand up at the Church Game event and say that you want to focus on the gospel and to bring new life to your church. Do not wait any longer. Start today!

I want to encourage you as individuals as well. Fathers and Mothers, make your home a household of faith. Lead by example in how you are faithful to read God’s word the Bible and to pray. Be willing to invest in your children to help them grow to become godly men and women of faith. God has given us our children as a gift to grow them into disciples of Jesus. It is our job to be the shepherd of our children. Be dedicated to a godly and healthy marriage. Love each other and be faithful to each other the way God designed you to be. When we have godly households of faith, lives are changed. When others see our homes and families, they will also be faced with God’s truth and love in the words and actions that come from your homes. Next, love your neighbor. Be willing to help your neighbors and friends when they need you. Christians should be the friend that everyone wants to have. As you love and serve your neighbors and friends, love them enough to tell them how your life has been changed by Jesus. Tell them the truth that comes from God’s word the Bible. Help them see how much God loved them that he gave his son Jesus as a sacrifice for sin that if anybody believes upon the name of Jesus for forgiveness of sin, they will not be separated from God forever but will have eternal life. You have a role as an individual to help people have new spiritual life through Jesus.

So, this Mother’s Day, we think about and give thanks for our mothers. I want to encourage you as an individual and as a church to not forget your mother’s teaching and also to be a light and example of the truth of the gospel to our community who needs to hear it. I also want to give a final encouragement to you mothers. Continue to be the godly example to your children that God designed you to be. God has given you the wonderful opportunity to share His love and truth with your children. Teach them the word of God and teach them to pray. Show your children the love of God, even if they grown and are no longer living with you. Even if you have regrets about your parenting, every day is a new day. God fixes what is broken and God will use you to Share His love and truth to your children. God has given you a wonderful gift in your motherhood so use it to love your family and to honor God. May we all bring the love and truth of the gospel to a world who needs to hear it.

-Pray…

[1]Craig Brian Larson, 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers & Writers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 363–364.