Happy Mother's Day!

Pastor Jeanne  Miller

 One of the greatest joys of my life is having been a mother. I know I didn’t do everything right, but I also know I tried my best at all times.  I just loved (and still do) being with my children and watching them grow.  It was so exciting to watch their personalities develop and help them become who God wanted them to be.  It wasn’t an easy task as any mother will tell you, but it was rewarding.  There were sorrows and there were joys but, in the end, it is worth every minute spent working with your children.  It’s worth being diligent with discipline and constant with rules and behavior, even when you think you cannot discipline them one more time! 

 The job of raising children normally falls to the mother and I believe God has equipped her for it.  Women tend to be more nurturing than men and more relational.  I believe that when God took Eve out of Adam these personality traits were given to her.  Remember that Adam was made in God’s image and was complete, like God, before Eve was taken from him.  (Gen. 5:1-2) It falls to the father to be the main provider for the family and the head of the family in making final decisions, after listening to input from his helpmate.  I think we have all seen what can happen when roles get reversed for any reason—it makes it hard on the whole family.

 A family without a mother is a poor reflection of what God intended.  Children grow and develop best when in a nurturing, supportive atmosphere.  In many ways a mother sets the tone for family life which is why it is so important for her to have a spiritual life with God along with her daily responsibilities.  How many of us have had a mother who prayed for us daily and we lived better lives for it?  A mother needs to know what God’s plan for her family is and the way He wants to bring it about.  God’s plans are always the best and bring the best results so being aware of them is vital. 

 A mother’s words will be remembered for a lifetime—for good and for evil.  To speak encouraging, faith-filled words over our children is so important, even when we may not be seeing the result of those words as yet.  That’s what faith is all about.  When we speak words that pull down and tear apart, we are imparting a force into our children’s lives that will do just that—pull them down and tear them apart.  If we tell a child they are stupid or slow, they grow up with that belief and some never overcome those words—even if it is not true.  How much better it is for them to hear that they have the mind of Christ.  They believe what they hear and so become what they believe.  What would you have your children believe about themselves? 

 Words spoken in the morning will be with you all day long.  What is the last thing you say to your children as they leave the house?  I tried never to let my children go from the house with strife sown in them for the day through my words.  I also made a point to try and be there when they came home to sit and talk with them about their day.  It builds for a close relationship where they are free to express their feelings and needs openly.  I believe that a son treated in this manner will have a better chance at expressing himself later on in marriage.  This is a complaint of so many women where their husbands are concerned—they don’t and can’t communicate.  Well the answer starts long before they are ever old enough to get married—it begins with being drawn into conversations as children by their mothers who encourage them to communicate.  The importance of words cannot be underestimated!  Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver”.  What a beautiful, poetic way to express the need to watch our words.

 We give our children a picture of God by who we are and how we act.  They will grow up and be like their parents.  What an awesome responsibility!  How hard it can be to look at your children and see your own shortcomings.  Better to work at being who you need to be so they can become who they should be.  I used to fall back on the scripture that says “With God all things are possible”.  That gave me peace of mind!  There were times when I felt it would have to be all God if they were to turn out right, but He always came through. 

 The greatest compliment a mother can have, I believe, is when as in Proverbs 31:28, “Her children rise up and call her blessed”.  It’s wonderful to see the end result of your years of hard work as your children become parents themselves and endeavor to put into their children what was put into them.  It truly is a blessing and one to work towards diligently when you feel you cannot do one more chore at the end of the day or speak one more word of encouragement because you really don’t feel like it!  Children are truly a blessing from the Lord, but more than that they are a sacred trust given to a mother from the Lord.  He gives them to us to mold and to build into a great woman or man of God.  That is the greatest compliment of all—that our Heavenly Father trusts us to do the job!  Happy Mother’s Day to all our moms!
 
 
 

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