Make Your Mother Proud!

Introduction

Series: Thinking together about the ways God calls us to love and serve the family we we’re adopted into, married into, or born into.

Today is Mother’s Day, and it goes without saying that God uses mothers mightily. We honor the God-designed role of motherhood. We honor our mothers. Someone recently described Mothers’ Day as a holiday for everyone, saying: “Mothers Day is not primarily about being a mother and receiving honor, but about thanking God for the mother he gave you, and giving honor.” Mothers are also daughters. Today, we thank God for his goodness in giving us mothers, and if our mothers haven’t gone to be with the Lord, we express our gratitude to them in tangible ways of special honor.

I heard on the radio this week that the official test determining if Mom likes her gift is whether she says aloud what it is. If she says, “Oh. A... toaster,” that is a sure sign she doesn’t like it. I hope that works out okay for all of you today.

Even if it doesn’t, there are more important ways of showing honor than nailing it on her Mother’s Day gift.

When Momma Ain’t Happy...

Make you’re mother proud! That is The Message paraphrase of - “Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.”

That is The Message paraphrase of - “Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.”

That is The Message paraphrase of - “Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.”

What brings a mother joy? (When Momma Ain’t Happy…)

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine was valedictorian of his senior class, and so he was one of the speakers at his H.S. graduation. His mom, no doubt, was proud. He explained in that speech that she was a key factor in his getting to that place. He had once come home with a 6-week report showing a B in 4th grade science. She wasn’t proud. She wasn’t angry either, but for the next 6 weeks, every day after school she made him study science, and she studied with him to make sure he was studying. He said: “I didn’t enjoy that too much!” What impressed me most about what he said though (and because I knew his mom), was that he later understood her displeasure was not because he scored a B, but because she knew he had not given his best.

It wasn’t about a grade. It wasn’t even about science. It was about the development of a character and about dealing responsibly with all one’s God-given potential.

Here’s why ‘making Momma happy’ is so important: because mothers (and fathers) have a God-given vocation that goes well beyond keeping kids warm and well-fed and seeing that they graduate—they show us the “way to life.”

Proverbs 6:20–23 NIV

My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life,

Prov 6:20-

How would a godly mother grade your living? Not your boss. Not your peers. Not your children. The wisdom of a godly parent is meant to be with you and guide you always.

Proud Momma

Make your mother proud! To make a mother proud in the sense we are talking about today, has very little to do with her personality, preferences, or political views. It has to do with understanding her vocation: What job has God given a mother?

I think motherhood should have featured on Mike Rowe’s TV series on the Discovery Channel called “Dirty Jobs” where he attempts difficult, strange, disgusting, and messy jobs alongside workers in those occupations.

After changing a particularly messy diaper, one young mother said, “Motherhood is gross.”

Mother’s are called to deny themselves daily in love and service in ways that are draining, mundane, messy, and physically demanding. There are non-stop needs: diapers to changes, meals to prepare, messes to clean, doctors visits, ball games, a long list of stuff to worry about it, arguments to mediate, etc.

This gross, mundane, and exhausting service is profoundly significant work. Our mothers spit and cleaned our faces and taught us how to use a Q-tip, but their influence isn’t skin deep—it’s soul deep. They deal with dirt; and they prepare us for the real dirt.

Those that study these things explain that a person’s sense of morality is largely shaped by their mother. It has long been a common-sense observation, but contemporary research backs up that mothers have a strong God-designed influence on the development of a child’s moral faculties: conscience, guilt, empathy, and sympathy. God uses mothers to mold and mature a child’s sense of right and wrong, and why right and wrong matters.

is a wonderful example of a mother’s / grandmother’s influence, but more than this it gives motherhood (and grand-motherhood) a beautiful example a mother’s main job.

“from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings” - Grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice () . His father was a Greek ().

they taught him what would “make [him] wise for salvation,” mature / complete, and “equipped for every good work.”

“knowing from whom you learned it” - A study by Robert Blum (University of Minnesota) cites that ‘connectedness’ between mother and child as being the key factor in whether a teenager engages in premarital sex.

If you are a mother / grandmother, I just want to encourage you in this. Don’t discount the influence you have in the faith formation of your children. You have more influence than you may realize. Keep faith formation front-and-center.

To all of us, as sons and daughters, “continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it.” Continue to let godly parental wisdom shape and firm up your faith. I think that’s what makes a momma most proud, and what truly honors God’s intent and purpose for motherhood: when you and I continue through life with firm faith.

3 John 4 ESV

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Mothers have a powerful role in forming faith; and firm faith honors them.

The Measure of a Mom

I asked earlier: How would a godly mother grade your living? I ask because the direction and correction of godly parents is crucial. But some of us may not feel like we’re getting an A+. Some of you moms may feel like you are failing or have failed.

“Being a parent is hard.” — CTCC young mother

Being a mom is beautiful, and it is hard. It does not all depend on you: God is working always. He has the lion’s share (the heavenly Father share) in raising your kids. Part of his work includes giving you a wonderful responsibility, but he is also patient and gracious and forgiving. He cares about you.

I was reading a little book by author Bob Goff this week and he wrote something that hit home with me, maybe it will with you as well. He was reflecting on his daughter’s kindergarten grading scale: M - mastered the curriculum; G - at grade level; N - not yet.

Many of us are not yet the parent / the person we want to be; that’s okay.

“Instead of beating myself up, wishing I were the guy who had it all figured out, I hear the gentle and kind voice of Jesus reminding me once again to stop laying sod where He’s planting seed in my life. He’s more interested in making us grow than having us look finished.” Bob Goff

The important thing is not that you are Mom-of-the year, A+, but that you are letting little seeds of God’s instruction work on you and slowly, steadily grow you.

Conclusion

What are the little seeds you sense the Lord is sowing in this season of your life?

Now, you want to talk about something that’ll make a momma proud: come and give your life to the Lord this morning!