7 Traits of a Godly Mom

Introduction

I know the proper term for this day is Mother’s Day but I like to think of it as Mom’s Day. When I was a child I remember referring to my Mom as a mother one time and I will never forget her response.

She looked me straight in the eye and said “don’t ever call me mother, anyone can be a mother but it takes someone special to be a mom”!

It wasn’t until I got older that I realized what she meant by that but it holds so much truth. Anyone can go out and have a child and be called a mother but it takes someone special to be a Mom!

A Mom is someone who is always there when you need them, they will always make time to set and listen to your problems & they will do whatever it takes to help find a solution. When you’re sick they will go to whatever lengths it takes to find a cure and then they will spend every waking minute nurturing you back to health. When you are heartbroken, their heart breaks with you and they will set with you and console you until it feels like everything is better. When your world gets flipped upside down and it feels like there is nowhere else to turn, it’s your Mom who will come to the rescue.

God knew exactly what he was doing when he made women and I truly feel as if he took a little extra time and put a little more of Himself in in them because He seen the need for more love in the world.

Now, most people don’t realize this but scientific studies have proven that women’s brains and hearts are quite different from men’s.

When listening to someone, a woman’s brain uses both sides whereas a man’s only uses one.

Now you know the reason why when you ladies are talking to us we only hear certain parts of what you say!

But seriously it is proven that women listen better than men which would stand to reason why when we feel the need to vent, more often than not we go to our Moms or our wives!

It is also proven that women are also better than men at being able to discern facial differences as well as differences in the tone of your voice.

How many times have you heard your mom say “honey what’s wrong and you say “oh nothing” and they say, “yea right I can tell by the look on your face or the tone in your voice something ain’t right, so tell me what’s going on”!

It’s like somehow, they always seem know when life is handing you lemons instead of apples and they are always there to help turn those lemons into lemonade!

Now we know how they always knew!

Women are also better than men at controlling the emotion section of the brain that deals with anger.

Remember when you were a kid and you would do something you knew was wrong? If you were like me, you would much rather Mom find out that dad, right?

Us men like to just fly off the handle but most of the time, Moms are more reserved and don’t get angry as fast and even if they do get angry most of the time, women are better about forgiving and forgetting whereas we men like to hold on to things forever!

Us men can be walking through Walmart and see someone that we haven’t seen since elementary school and we’re like “honey, you see that guy over there? That kid stole my banana in Kindergarten, man I can’t stand him!” and you women are looking at us like “is he being serious right now? It was a banana for crying out loud, get over it!”

It’s hard for us men to let go, whereas most of the time women are over it and ready to move on by the next day.

You’ve all heard the old adage that dynamite comes in small packages, right? Well if you have ever wondered how a Mom could love as much as she does…it’s because of her heart. A woman’s heart is only 2/3 the size of a man’s heart and they are quite a bit more fragile than a man’s, so I like to think of this as why women are so tenderhearted.

You just can’t help it…God made you that way and to be honest, I’m glad he did!

See as much as I hate to admit it, you women are a notch above us men when it comes to your ability to love.

I couldn’t and don’t want to imagine a world full of men’s hearts! We would be fighting all the time and no one would be compassionate or loving. I truly believe a world without the kind of love that is shed forth from a Mom’s heart would be cold and miserable!

But even when a Mom has all of these wonderful characteristics, there is one other trait that sets certain Moms apart from all the rest and that’s when God is the centerpiece of a Mom’s life and that is what I want to talk to you ladies about this morning.

Although all the things we have just talked about are wonderful traits of a Mom, if God isn’t the main part of your life then you’re missing out!

You see, when God becomes the centerpiece of your life all of these other traits are all the more magnified!

You will listen more, understand more, console more and most importantly you will be able to love more!

Look at what the Bible says about a God fearing woman in:

Proverbs 31:30 — Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

There is nothing in this world that blesses my heart more than to set and listen to a Godly woman give her testimony and praise God!

I remember at Mt. Calvary, where my parents go, there used to be a lady who would come on Sunday night’s sometimes and she would always give her testimony and praise God for all the things he had done for her at the end of the service and she could quote scripture with the best of them and it would just bless my heart every time she spoke because it was just so powerful!

It was easy to see that God was number 1 in her life and this morning we are going to take a look at a woman named Hannah, who also put God first in her life and the 7 traits that made her a Godly Mom!

Introducing Hannah!-1st Samuel Chapter 1

Trait # 1 — Hannah was a Reserved Woman — (Vs 6-8)

In this day and time bearing children was a huge deal. If a woman couldn’t bear children, then she felt like she was letting her husband down. In Hannah’s case not only could she not have children but then she had Peninnah throwing it up in her face every year and making her feel even worse.

Now most of you women in here I believe would have probably done told ole Peninnah exactly what you thought of her and some may have even laid hands on her and I’m not talking about the healing kind but what I want you to see is how Hannah handled the situation.

Yes, she may have gotten upset and even started crying but she didn’t let Peninnah get the best of her. She didn’t fly off the handle at her or hit her or chew her out but she reserved her anger and took it to God as we will see in just a second.

The first trait of a Godly Mom is to be reserved.

A Godly Mom shouldn’t get caught up in the ways of the world and go around town gossiping and causing all manner of disturbances; a Godly mom shouldn’t act all crazy out in public; a Godly mom shouldn’t make fun of other people that are less fortunate than them as Peninnah did here...

A Godly Mom should be reserved and act like a lady not only inside the Church but outside also!

The Bible says in:

Proverbs 31:25-26 — of a Virtuous Woman — strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

Titus 2:3-5 — The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Psalm 34:13 — Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Leviticus 19:16 — Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the Lord.

Hannah was a Reserved Woman and not only was she Reserved but she was also Humble in Spirit.

Trait # 2 — Hannah was Humble in Spirit — (Vs. 9-11)

In these three verses we see the humble spirit of Hannah. In two verses she practiced the first 3 beatitudes that Jesus spoke about in the Sermon on the Mount. She was poor in spirit, she mourned, and she was meek.

Hannah knew exactly where to go to, who to talk to and how to talk to him when times got tough.

She knew that God was the only one who could change her situation and she knew if she wanted him to hear her plea that she was going to have to get humble and that’s exactly what she did!

It reminds me of the movie War Room. In the movie a young Mom is having trouble in her marriage and she tries to fix it on her own in the beginning but it only continues to get worse. It’s not until she heeds the advice from an older Godly lady that things to start turning around for her.

The lady tells her if she wants to see a change then she needs to get one on one with God and get humble and then He will listen and she was right!

When the Mom started getting away from the world and started getting humble with God then she began to see her marriage start to take a turn for the better.

Not only did their marriage get better but over time her husband even surrendered his life to God!

I know you Moms get pulled in a million different directions each and every day but if you want to be a good Godly Mom, one of the main things you have to do is make sure your prayer life is in order.

You will be surprised what getting on your knees and crying out to God with a humble spirit will accomplish!

David said in...

Psalm 51:17 — The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Hannah was a Reserved mother and she was also Humble in Spirit. Not only was she Reserved and Humble but she was also an Upright mamma.

Trait # 3 — Hannah was trying to live upright for God — (Vs. 12-16)

I love these verses because when Eli questions Hannah’s integrity she lets him know real quick she ain’t who he thinks she is!

She says, don’t think I am a daughter of Belial (wickedness)!

I just love how bold she is!

She knew she was child of God and she made sure he knew it too!

I also love how it says that she spake in her heart.

Hannah’s heart was where it needed to be with God and that’s why Eli didn’t hear any words.

When your heart is where it needs to be with God you don’t have to say anything, you just let your heart do the talking!

You can speak empty words to God all day long but when your heart is where it needs to be then God will listen!

Romans 8:16 — The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Because Hannah was living an upright life and her heart was where it needed to be, her spirit was talking with the Holy Spirit and that is why Eli didn’t hear anything.

If you are going to be a Godly Mom this morning, then you need to make sure your heart is in the right spot and you are trying to live as close to God as possible!

And let me say something to all you Moms, if anyone ever questions your integrity, like Eli did here, and you are walking as close to God as you possibly can be, then don’t be afraid to let them know just like Hannah did!

Stand up for yourself and be proud to be as close to God as you are!

Hannah was Reserved, she was Humble in Spirit, She tried living an upright life for God and next, trait # 4, Hannah was confident that God would provide!

Trait #4 — Hannah was confident that God would provide! — (Vs. 17-18)

After Hannah had poured out her heart to God she was confident that he would provide!

In order to be a good Godly Mom, when troubles and trials come your way, you must be able to do like Hannah and take them and lay them at the feet of Jesus, leave them there and know that his will, will be done!

To many times we try to fix our problems on our own and instead of leaving them at the altar. As soon as we ask God to help us with them, we pick them right back up and take them back to the pew with us!

If you want him to fix them, then leave them at the altar so He can!

If we would just heed the words to the old song we sing, Take it to the Lord in Prayer, we would be so much better off!

“What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer! Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear! All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer!”

Hannah knew there was only one person who could fix her problem and she also knew that if she poured out her heart to him that he would hear her prayer and answer it if it be his will.

She was confident in her prayer life and if you want to be a Godly Mom, then you need to be confident that no matter what situation you are in, if you will take it to God, then He will take care of it in His way and in his time!

The Bible tells us in:

Matthew 21:22 — And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

1st John 5:14-15 — And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Hannah was Reserved. Hannah was Humble in Spirit. She lived an Upright life for the Lord. She was Confident in His ability to provide and fifthly, Hannah was Faithful.

Trait # 5 — Hannah was Faithful in that she kept her vow to God — (Vs. 19-28)

In Hannah’s original prayer she vowed to God that if He would give her a child that she would give Him back to Him to serve Him.

God kept His end of the deal by giving her Samuel and she kept her end by returning him to the Lord when he was weaned.

Hannah kept her promise to God.

She didn’t have to, she could have just as easily said “I don’t think I will give him back to God” but she did it because she feared God and was a faithful servant!

If you want to be a Godly Mom this morning, stay faithful to God!

If you will stay faithful to him, He will stay faithful to you!

In the Parable of the talents, Jesus said to the servant who was faithful in his work while the master was gone...

Matthew 25:21 — Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Hannah was Reserved, She was Humble, She was Upright, She was Confident, She was Faithful and next, She was Thankful!

Trait # 6 — Hannah was Thankful! — (Chapter 2 Vs. 1)

Even though she only got to keep her son for a few years, Hannah thanked God and praised His Holy name!

We should thank God each and every day for what He has done for us!

To many times we only thank Him during the good times but when bad times come we don’t.

We should thank Him in every situation, good, bad or ugly!

Listen, when you are thanking God during the bad times you know what that does…it shows Satan that you know, even though this may be a difficult time in your life, that you are still faithful to God and you know that His plan is bigger than you and that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose!

It shows that you understand that God’s plan is bigger than your problem!

You see, God has foreknowledge and is able to see what is going to happen before it does and sometimes we ask God “why did this have to happen” and at the time we may not understand but if we will remain faithful, more often than not, He will open our eyes to it in the future and then you will look back and say thank you Lord for letting that turn out the way it did.

Now, with that being said, I understand that if you lose a child or a husband or wife that it may be hard to thank God but what we have to realize is that there was a reason He allowed it to happen.

We may not ever understand why but the Bible says his ways are above our ways and they are past finding out.

And when we truly understand and trust in the sovereignty of God, we can lay your heads down at night knowing that if we have lost a loved one who was born again, they didn’t go one second before God was ready for them to!

If you want to be a Godly Mom, be like Hannah and thank God daily for everything; good or bad!

Psalm 100 — Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Hannah was Reserved, She was Humble, She was Upright, She was Confident, She was Faithful, She was Thankful and lastly this morning Hannah was Rooted in the Word of God!

Trait # 7 — Hannah was rooted in the Word of God! — (Chapter 2 Vs. 2-10)

In this set of verses what you see before you is a woman who is rooted in the word of God.

I can’t think of anywhere else in the Bible that you will find a woman praying with this kind of intensity and insight into who God really is.

If you took her name out of this prayer and showed it to me and then asked me who wrote it, my first guess would probably have been David because it is so powerful!

It just goes to show you that not only was Hannah a Reserved, Humble, Upright, Confident, Faithful & a Thankful young lady but she was also very rooted in the Word of God and definitely knew who God was!

In my eyes she was a powerhouse for God!

I would have loved to have met her and hopefully someday when I step over onto Heaven’s bright shore I will be able to!

There is no doubt in my mind that every year when she came to make her sacrifices that her and Samuel probably set and talked for hours and I’m sure that a lot of Samuel's wisdom in God probably came from those yearly talks with Mom Mrs. Hannah!

If you want to be a powerful, Godly figure in your kids’ lives, then make reading your Bible a part of your daily routine.

If you want to be a Godly Mom, then get Rooted in the Word of God like Hannah did!

I know that you moms get pulled in a million different directions every day but reading your Bible and having a strong prayer life are two areas that you need to make a habit.

If you have to leave something else out then do it because if you leave these out, then everything else will begin to come unglued!

God is the glue that holds us all together!

Hannah was Reserved, She was Humble, She was Upright, She was Confident, She was Faithful, She was Thankful and She was Rooted in the Word of God!

Now question becomes am I all of these things? Am I even a few of these things?

Closing

As we come to a close this morning, the most important way to be a Godly Mom is by making sure you are putting God first in everything you do!

Luke 10:38-42 — Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Like many moms today and probably even some sitting here, you get pulled in many different directions.

You try to make sure the kids are taken care of then you try to take care of the house and cook and clean and run all over the place and make sure all the bills are paid and you just get so tied up in the ways of this world that most of the time at the end of the day all you want to do is go to bed and get some rest and God ends up getting left out.

Look at what Jesus told Martha. He said, “Mary has chosen the good part.”

That good part is putting God first and if you are leaving that out of your daily routine, then you are missing out on the only thing that can bring you true peace throughout your very hectic day!

This morning, if you are sitting here and you have realized that maybe as a mom you have been slipping in some of these areas or maybe some of these traits aren’t even a part of your life and are missing all together; maybe you have been so caught up in your day to day activities that you have been leaving God (the most important part) (the only good part) out of it.

If you’re that mom this morning, then I am going to ask you to come and get humble with God and get things back on track.

Make him #1 in your life again and I will promise you everything else will only get better!

And men, I realize this is Mother’s Day, but this message can be applied to and your life as well.