Mother's Day 2025

Good morning

Happy Mother’s day to all of the mothers.

This is a day to honor mother’s and celebrate everything they do, their hard work and their sacrifices.

God made men and woman very different, and ultimately as parents, a father and a mother have unique roles in the family.

There’s so many different things we could list out on the incredible things a God fearing mother does for her family and everyone around them.

So for scripture we’re going to read through a list, and this isn’t a specific mother in mind, but ultimately a God fearing mother. We’re going to go through proverbs 31, starting in verse 10. Many of you probably know these verses already, and some may even dread it because it’s this list of woman, wife, and mother who just appears to be perfect. But I want to clarify that this is not a to-do list for women or saying if you don’t hit all these marks you’re not a God fearing mother or bad mother. That’s not at all what this scripture is saying. I’ll dive in more detail after we read through it.

But first I want to share a short little story of a mother and her daughter. I heard it first from another sermon, but I found it posted all over social media. I think it’s nice small glimpse of the things a mother deals with and goes through.

A man in a grocery store notices a mother with her 3 year old girl in her cart

As they pass the cookie section, the little girl screams for cookies. The mother says, "Now Missy, we only have a few more aisles to go. Don't throw a fit, it won't be long."

In the candy aisle, the little girl whines for candy. She takes one and puts it into the mother's cart, but the mother calmly puts it back on the shelf and says, "Missy, don't cry. Two more aisles and we'll be checking out."

When they get to the checkout counter, the little girl howls for gum. She once again grabs one and places it in the cart, and once again her mother places it back on the shelf. The mother says reassuringly, "Missy, we'll be done in 5 minutes, then you can go home and have a bottle and a nice snooze."

The man sees all of this and is absolutely stunned at the mother's incredible patience with her screaming child. After what seems like ages, the mother finally checks out. She goes to her car and starts packing everything into the trunk, but then the man runs out and stops the woman to compliment her.

"I couldn't help but notice how patient you were with little Missy," he says. "She was very annoying but you acted perfectly."

The mother then says with a smile: "My little girl's name is Francine. Missy is my name."

[ Prayer ]

Proverbs 31:10–31 NLT

10  Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. 14 She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls. 16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. 18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night. 19 Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. 20 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. 21 She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes. 22 She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. 23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders. 24 She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. 26 When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. 27 She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. 28 Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: 29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. 31 Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

The woman listed out here is a wife and importantly a mother. Now as I said before many times woman may look at this as a list of comparisons, a to-do list. And this is of course is a list of a lot of great characteristics, but ultimately it boils down to one thing.

The context here is a lesson from a mother to her son, king Lemuel. And she’s getting the point across in who to look for in a wife, which ultimately is a God fearing woman instead of following the flesh and only going after what he sees on the outside.

Also, this was an acrostic poem. Now what is an acrostic poem? It’s a type of poem where the first letter of each line, when read vertically, spells out a word, phrase, or the alphabet. And the first letters of each line in this poem, in the original language of Hebrew, spell out the Hebrew alphabet.

Although not a super popular belief, there are some commentators that believe the list of virtues here actually honor a different woman in biblical history for each line. Such as the wife of Noah, Sarah, Rebekah, Leah. There’s a list of potentially 20 different woman.

Another interesting thing about this passage.

In Judaism when they gather for the weekly sabbath, also what they call Shabbat, this passage is read.

So why do they read it every week? It’s not to remind mother’s what to strive to be, it’s to honor and celebrate them for all they have already done. That is the intent of the reading.

And that’s why I chose this passage today.

Regardless of whether a mother stays at home taking care of the family full-time or works on top of being a mother, and I’m not trying to sound like I’m stereotyping, but a lot of times they seem to end up getting much more done at home than the rest of the family, they do a lot for the family that doesn’t always get noticed.

And I don’t know about anyone else, but often I think I add to the challenges. I always tell my wife, you basically have two kids because you take care of Ellie but I’m just as much of a toddler at times.

Mother’s I think are the glue that holds a family together. And they do so without asking for any praise or reward.

Mother’s sacrifice from the moment they become a mother. The lifeline for the child that grows inside of them is the Mom. Everything the mother does, they have to also think, how am I going to impact the baby. Can I eat this, can I drink that, can do this activity? All while often times at least, feeling sick. Potentially for 9 months. And the entire time anything could go wrong that would then put even the mother’s life in danger.

Speaking of their bodies, oh you just worked really hard to get fit and in shape, well you’re going to have to hit the reset button.

I don’t need to go into much detail here, but when the day finally comes for the child to be born, you might be in immense pain for hours or days and without sleep. Exposed to people, being groups of nurses and doctors, in ways you’d never want to be exposed.

They experience a physical and mental battle that none of us men will ever be able to understand.

My wife was in labor for a long time, about 36 hours and awake for about 60 hours.

And everyone probably has their own stories of things that didn’t go exactly right on that day.

But you don’t really hear mother’s bring that up. They’re strictly focused on the blessing of the child.

John 16:21 NLT

21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world.

Woman take on all the risks and challenges and the only joy they seek is for the arrival of their baby, which once again as soon they arrive, who do they need to feed them and survive? The mom.

And I throw out what woman go through physically as an example of the sacrifice they are willing to make, but I also want to point out someone who hasn’t gone not have a biological child but instead adopted a child is also a mother.

Biblicaly speaking, we are all children of God through adoption.

God gifted woman with a special tender caring love.

The statistical comparison for fathers-to-mothers in single parent homes out there is about 81% are mothers. Only 19% of the time is a father the single primary provider.

Now obviously both roles are crucial, a child should have a father and a mother in their household. And yes it’s much easier for the man to disappear. But I bring that up as I do think it is because of the unique display of love and connection a mother has to a child.

One verse that I think may often be read through quickly without much thought, but really is a huge testament the special love a mother has is in Isaiah.

Isaiah 66:13 NLT

13 I will comfort you there in Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child.”

When God spoke to his people through the prophet Isaiah, trying to encourage them that were exiled, the best way God, who loves us unconditionally, could help the Israelites understand how he’ll love and comfort them was to use the example of a mother comforting her child.

A God fearing mother has a special kind of love and tender care for her children, that cannot be replaced.

Proverbs 31 is a praise of celebration for all you mothers and all the incredible ways you serve and support and lead your families.

There’s the famous saying, “count your blessings” to take a second and acknowledge all the wonderful things in your life that you might otherwise take for granted. So I just wanted to drop that in with a twist to make a reminder today to stop and take a second to think of all the things your mother has done for you or has taught you.

We’re a diverse group of age here, some of us can still call on our mothers and others might have to wait to see them again.

But regardless, reflecting on what our mothers have done for us and the sacrifices they’ve made, I’m sure you’ll be encouraged or reminded of a good lesson.