Life Lessons from Godly Mothers

Intro

First, let me reiterate: Happy Mother’s Day!

Each year as we celebrate Mother’s and soon, Father’s day I am keenly aware of how that makes us feel. Some of us cherish these days, some of us dread them.

However, no matter how we feel about mothers day, know this today: in this church, God has given you many godly example of mothers to whom you can look for a mother figure. Look around you!

If you may not have a godly mother, be thankful that the Lord has given you these examples around you.

Mother’s, continue taking up that mantle. And thank you!

Motherhood is one of the greatest gifts in this world. God instituted the idea of motherhood from the beginning of time when He told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply.

Today, that gift is still just as great. Whether you are an adoptive mom, a biological mom, a harvest mom, or any other mom, you are fulfilling the greatest gift that God has imparted on you.

Today, I want to look at a few mother’s from Scripture and pull some life lessons for us today.

Model Christ to your Kids

2 Timothy 1:3–5 “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”

When we look into Scripture at mothers, the first two that come to my mind are the mom and grandma of Timothy, Paul’s protege.

Lois and Eunice are spoken of here in 2 Timothy very intentionally by Paul for one reason: They modelled Christ well to their children.

Lois accepted Christ, modeled it to her daughter Eunice, who then modeled it to Timothy.

And, what was the result? Timothy was a servant of God!

Modeling Christ to your kids is the best way to ensure that they live for Christ for the rest of their lives.

Now, we now there are outliers out there who, no matter who models what to them, they will do what they want.

But, the proof is in the pudding here!

Modeling Christ to your kids is the key to seeing your kids become servant.

But, there is a way to model Christ well and … not so well

How not to model Christ

So many people work so hard to ensure that their children are part of God’s kingdom that they miss the whole point of it all. And, the fail at modeling Christ well.

Instead, they run a rigid household, life like a pharisee, and scare their children away from legalism.

Just because you do mandatory bible reading at the kitchen table every morning does not mean that you are modeling Christ to your children. For modeling Christ isn’t about making them read the Bible, it is about them seeing you live out the Bible in a way that shows the joys of Christ.

An uber-legalistic household may not draw your kids to Christ.

There is, however, another danger on the opposite side of the spectrum and that is not ever making Christ a real priority to your children. If your kids only see you worship at church, they will think that Christians are a bunch of phonies. If you allow sports to be their god, you are not modeling Christ well. If you are showing them that it doesn’t matter what they do or believe in, you are not modeling Christ well.

So, how do you do it?

How to model Christ

You do what Lois and Eunice did and you model a real and joyful faith in Jesus Christ.

You life like Christ. You life for Christ. You live in such a way that your children not only see the importance of following Jesus, but the joy and peace that can be found therein.

Following Christ is a good thing! Don’t make it seem unimportant or miserable.

when you live life in a way that shows that following Christ is truly the best way, your children are more likely to follow.

So, don’t place anything in your life above God. Don’t allow sports to rule. Don’t allow your anger to rule. Don’t allow your foul mouth to rule.

But, allow your Jesus to rule and model Christ well to your children.

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Remain Loyal

Next, you must remain loyal to your children.

Ruth 1:14–18 “And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.”

We know in this passage that Ruth, the daughter in law, is really the one pledging loyalty. But, we know that Naomi reciprocates it as we read the rest of the book.

She remains loyal to her new daughter, and believe it or not, that loyalty actually helped her daughter follow God.

Your kids are going to have moments of rebellion, they may stray from God completely, but just like God, we are not called to leave or forsake our children.

You do not have to approve of a lifestyle in order to remain loyal.

God gave you that child, remain loyal. Love them. Protect them. Teach them.

In doing so, they will see Christ in your like never before.

Luke 15:20–24 “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”

The prodigal son left, he rebelled, he strayed. But his father in this scenario kept watching for him.

He knew that his God-fearing, God-loving parent would love him anyway.

So, the prodigal son returned.

The prodigal son returned expecting to be cast out as a servant. However, he was recieved back as a child.

This is loyalty.

The father disapproved of the son’s behaviors, but he still stood watch, waiting for him to come back to his senses and to God. And, when he did, he didn’t meet his son in the field with scolding, but with celebration.

It is one of the hardest things a parent can witness when a child leaves God. But, that is no excuse to write off your children.

Remain loyal. Remain in prayer. Remain watching.

Like Naomi, when you had this child, you in essence vowed to protect them forever, to never leave them. So, don’t. Pagan Ruth found God through a faithful mother figure.

Moms, there are going to be some children, or even adults, that come into your life that need you to be the mom that nobody else has ever been for them. When moms pass away, leave, or whatever, take up the mantle and be Naomi.

Be the mom who vows to care for those that are yours and those that you choose to be yours.

Don’t abandon them.

Don’t leave them.

Patiently work with and wait on them.

Pray for them.

They need to see Christ in you. They need to see loyalty in you.

Meet them in the field, clothe them with your protection and love, and celebrate.

Let Your Kids Follow God

Finally, one of the hardest things moms can do it to let them follow God into the unknown.

John 19:24–27 “They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

For 33 years, Mary had watched Jesus grow up, live a life, go into ministry, and follow God.

But this was different.

Now, all of the sudden, following God was going to cost her child something: His life.

Mary didn’t protest. Mary didn’t try to discourage Him from following God’s will.

Mary quietly submitted to the Father’s will and watched at the Father used Jesus in a mighty way.

Letting your kids follow God may cost you something. It may cost them something.

But, when you remember that this life is not about you, it is not about them, it is not even about this life, but the next. You will allow God to use your children in mighty ways.

Send them to a Christian college, plug them in at your church, let them start to lead in the family.

If they have the call of ministry, don’t second guess it, pour into it.

Pray for them, and do so often!

Watch as God uses them in a mighty way.

Quietly submit to the Father’s will as they do the same.

Mary did. Mary watched as her little boy was crucified on the cross for her sin and ours. And it hurt!

It is going to hurt, it is going to be painful, it is going to break your mama’s heart sometimes.

But, it is going to fill your heart with joy all the same.

For when you model Christ to your children, when you remain loyal to them, then you can sit back and watch the God of the universe use them in a great and mighty way.

Mother’s this is your call. This is your station. Mount up and take your kids by the hand, take those kids who need you by the hand, take those kids who aren’t your by the hand, and model the Savior to them. Remain loyal to them. And let God use them.

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Conclusion

All while praying for them.

Pray for those kids, I know you do!

For your children need the Lord, not just for salvation but for sanctification everyday.

Church, will you pray for your mothers? Will you pray that God will strengthen them, protect them, guide them?

I want all of our moms to come down to the front today.

Once they do, Church, let’s gather around them and labor with them. Let us pray over them this morning as they take up the mantle of motherhood, as they model Christ to their families, as they remain loyal when it is hard, and when, like Jesus’ mother, they watch as God uses them in a mighty way, even if it scares them absolutely to death.