Mother's Day 2022

You know you’re a good mom when...

QUESTION: What do you want for your children? What would you like their futures to look like?

Statistics show that having mom, and dad, is important in a child’s emotional health

Women/moms are important to the LORD

Psalm 139:13–14 NASB95

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

Proverbs 31:30–31 NASB95

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.

Mothers: Faithful examples to children

1) Widow of Zarephath

1 Kings 17:7-16 - READ

She is starving with her son

Little food/supplies left

Elijah asks for bread (the brook nourishing him has dried up, after he called for drought)

GOD, through Elijah, asks for bread - she knows he is a man of God

ASIDE: Jesus said, when you do for the one such as these, you do for me - not just about feeding the poor

Imagine their situation - we never even come close

CHOICE - Trust? Or rely on self?

She decides on unwavering trust

She gave - God multiplied

Notice - “until it rained again”

She was not blessed and “set for life”

She gave what she had, to give

Her son SAW - He was being taught, learning to trust

(She didn’t do this just to teach, she was ingrained with faith, her faith defined her, and her son saw it)

OUR POINT - when you give to God, He takes care of you

2) Shunammite woman

2 Kings 4:8-37 - taking care of Elisha

Took care of Elisha, she and her husband, when he came through town

Generosity defines her

Some people respond to a need (missions plea, but a product to support a cause)

She looked for needs

Generous without being asked

Dependence on the Lord - Her son SAW

Miraculously had a child

When he died, she bypassed all the key people and went straight to God (Elisha)

She believed, when all hope was gone

She never gave up on God

Prayerful mindset - never too late when God is there!

ASIDE - We are not promised miracles, but when there is an issue, where do you turn first?)

Her son SAW her generosity, her dependence on the Lord, and her prayerful life

3) Mother of James and John (sons of Zebedee) - Salome?

Matthew 20 account

v.21, her request is a mistake (likely prodded on by her sons, REM they could be older teens)

She made a mistake - then she faces the choice as to how to deal with it

Learn and grow

Defend herself - be indignant and “apologize”

Servanthood - She learned - that the most important aspect of life is service - to the LORD

Not fame, power, popularity, successful happy life

She wanted fame and power for them (maybe because that’s what they wanted)

She would learn that the greatest part of life for her sons would be for them to serve the LORD, no matter where they were or what vocation they would choose.

How do we know she learned? See 27: 55, 56

Look at the cross - Who is there?

She had been corrected, her sons rebuked, and she decided to stay by Jesus till the end

Mistakes happen - mothers (parents) make them

And children SEE - and they want/need to see how you deal with them

BIBLICAL MOMS

Trust the Lord - children know who and what you trust

Generous - knowing He will provide - kids will worry, when you do

Dependent on the Lord - they see where you turn when tough times come

Prayerful to the Lord - pray for, and over their children, specifically - and they know you first line of support, and you first line of thankfulness

Servants - know the highest service is to the Lord, and serving their children, by raising them Biblically

Learning - from mistakes - and Titus 2:4-5 even shows that moms need to be reminded to love their children

Growing - comparing selves to Word, not world

All the while, your children see, regardless of their age

Biblical moms are tired, because they are working to get it done, God’s way

Teaching, disciplining, kids might get angry while watching their Biblical mom love them through life

Holding kids to God’s standards, sets you apart, I’d tell your kids that you just might love them more than other moms love theirs, simply because you follow the Lord.

So where do you struggle?

Do you feel overlooked? (God sees)

Where are you encouraged?

Are you tired, because you are pouring yourself into the Biblical nurture and training of your children, according to the Word?

That’s a Biblical mom. God says, keep pressing on, pushing through.

Then God will say “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”