North Anderson Baptist Church
Proverbs 1:7-9 NIV
No one wants to be a fool but wise in what they do. God has made it clear that if we are aware of what He wants us to do and do it, then we will be wise and attain great knowledge. But, we must fear God! We are talking about a reverential and respectful fear where we respect and appreciate the wisdom behind what is said and who said it. The term for fear can be used as dread (Deut:29), being terrified (Jonah 1:10), standing in awe (1 Kings 3:28), or having reverence (Lev 19:3). The Expositor’s Bible Commentary says “With the Lord as the object, the word captures both aspects of shrinking back in fear and of drawing close in awe.” This is not a paralyzing fear but it is not either the polite type of reverence but it is ultimately expresses reverential submission to the Lord’s will and thus characterizes a true worshiper.” We need to recognize how powerful God is and that He can do whatever He desires. God is all wise and has all knowledge and if we want to learn and become wise then we need to “fear” Him and become willing to listen to Him and His word.
His Word clearly teaches that we need to listen to and not forsake the teaching of our mothers. Because this is Mother’s Day, I know that if we went around asking those who are here if they have special things that their mother taught them or special sayings that their mother had, we could get quite a lot of volunteers. Since we don’t have time to do that, let us at least look at a few important things that our mothers taught us or said to us.
1. Wear clean underwear, you never know when you will be in an accident.
2. Don’t pick your nose at the table.
3. If you sing at the table you will grow horns.
4. Eat your vegetables; there are starving children all over the world that would love to eat them.
5. If you don’t have anything good to say about someone, don’t say anything at all.
6. Children are a great comfort in your old age – and they help you reach it faster, too.
7. I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then, I want to move in with them. (Phyllis Diller)
8. A mother’s hug lasts long after she lets go.
9. Life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a mother.
10. If you're old enough to critique what I put in your lunch, you're old enough to make it yourself.
We all know that when mothers do not have a job outside the home, we call her a “stay at home Mom.” Many people use that as a slur. Stay at homes moms don’t work, they just do what they want all day, right dads who work?
No Occupation
She rises up at break of day and through her tasks she races.
She cooks the meals as best she may and scrubs the children’s faces
While schoolbooks, lunches, homework too, all need consideration...
And yet the census man insists
She has— “No Occupation”
When breakfast dishes all are done
She bakes a pudding, maybe.
She cleans the rooms up, one by one,
With one eye watching baby.
The mending pile she then attacks
by way of variation.
And yet the census man insists
She has — “No Occupation.”
She irons for a little while, then presses pants for Daddy.
She welcomes with a cheery smile returning lass and laddie.
A hearty dinner next she cooks (no time for relaxation),
And yet the census man insists
She has—“No Occupation.”
When James Dobson was hosting the Focus on the Family radio show years ago, for one of his programs he received a letter from an 80 year old mother who wrote to her children the following letter for her birthday. Dobson used this as an example of loving your mother patiently.
To all my children:
I suppose my upcoming birthday started my thoughts along these lines...This is a good time to tell you that what I truly want are things I can never get enough of, yet they are free. I want the intangibles.
I would like for you to come and sit with me, and for you to be relaxed. We can talk, or we can be silent. I would just like for us to be together.
I need your patience when I don’t hear what you say the first time. I know how tiresome it is to always be repeating, but sometimes I must ask you to repeat. I need your patience when I think too much about the past, with my slowness and my set ways. I want you to be tolerant with what the years have done to me physically.
Please be understanding about my personal care habits. I spill things. I lose things. I get unduly excited when I try to figure out my bank statements. I can’t remember what time to take my medication, or if I took it already. I take too many naps. Sometimes sleep helps to pass the day.
Well, there you have it: Time, Patience, and Understanding. Those are priceless gifts that I want. Finally, in his letter, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” I know I can, too! It’s a wonderful feeling to know His eye is on the sparrow and I know He cares for me. I guess being old isn’t so bad after all!
Love,
Mom
I believe this is great advice for anyone who plans to see their mother on Mother’s Day.
We have several examples of mother’s in the scriptures: Mary the mother of Jesus, Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist, Hannah the mother of Samuel, Jochebed the mother of Moses, but I would like to look at three other mothers today. The first, is Nelle Reagan, the mother of president Ronald Reagan. Nelle was a faith follower of Christ even though she had married a drunkard who was of a different denomination than she. She was faithful to teach her child “Dutch” all about the scripture and what faith in Christ was like, along with giving him an example of serving and even leading in the local church. When Reagan was 11 he was baptized on July 21, 1922 and started what he said was a “a personal experience with Christ.” She lived by example and taught young Reagan to love immigrants by helping a Russian church, in New York City, to raise money for a building in which to worship and to care for the poor and those in prison.
You might say that because of his mother’s teaching regarding the Christian faith, one of the great things he did while president of the United States was to fight for those who were in need. “As President, Ronald Reagan opposed abortion on Biblical grounds. He said, I believe no challenge is more important to the character of America than restoring the right to life to all human beings. Without that right, no other rights have meaning. “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for such is the kingdom of God.”
“Godly mothers, throughout history, have greatly influenced their children. President Theodore Roosevelt said, “The good mother, the wise mother, is more important to the community than even the ablest person; her career is more worthy of honor and is more useful to the community than the career of any other person, no matter how successful.” Amen!
I would like to tell you then about two other mothers who through their teachings and their lives have made a great impact in the lives of their children and through them the communities in which they live.
The first is a precious woman who was from a small town in the middle of South Carolina. She came from a family where the love of Jesus was expressed and lived. She learned of Jesus early in her life and was a part of a family who loved the Lord. She loved early and married young to a man whom she has continued to call her “special man.” They had five children, each of which has come to a personal faith in Christ because of the leading and teaching of their parents. A goal of their lives is to live to honor their father and their mother. This special lady lives her faith through prayer not only for her family but for all she knows who need that special blessing that comes from prayer. She loves unconditionally and has had many opportunities to prove it. Her unwavering love for her husband and children are constantly on display by words and deeds. This special mother lives her life for the honor and glory of her Lord Jesus and will give Him that special due to her last breath. She truly is an example of a Godly woman and mother.
The second mother was of a different kind. She had very few opportunities to see the love of Christ in her very hard and difficult life as a young child, as well as a young woman. She found herself without a father not because of death but because of desertion which left her and her two siblings alone with her mother to try to survive. After a lot of trial and trouble, they had to move to another place far away to be close to relatives to try to make life work, but when they got there her precious mother died and she and her younger brother were all alone. Her older brother ran away like her father. After being bounced around for awhile, finally relatives took the two of them in but life did not get better but more challenging for her and her brother.
Although there was a semblance of religion in the home and in the church where they lived and attended, there was very little true religion of love to go around for her and her brother. Step children they were and treated as such. Life was hard back then but it became harder without the love and tenderness of the mother she once had.
This young lady eventually made her way on her own with not much to show for life but studied to be a nurse which she felt would take her away and give her hope to care for others and be of service to them. She was found by a man who was to become her knight in shining armor and he would take her away to never be hurt again and to live a life with more love than she ever thought possible. She became a mother of three and loved them to “life.” What a mother she became, she showed daily wonderful love for the three children and she was a wife full of joy for the husband that she loved. But, there was not church or Christ in the home. Her past had brought a halt to all that had to do with religion from those when she lived her life with as a girl and teenager. Her husband who was saved and knew Lord’s blessings, decided not to approach the subject for the family and therefore for a good while never discussed faith in the family.
What a mother she was though; loving the children with unconditional love, teaching them right from wrong and always showing the acceptance for those who were different from them. She and her loved husband, raised the children and allowed them to go their way, each to very different lifestyles. This beloved mother always held a soft spot for the Lord but it hardly ever showed. Once when she was in a worship service with one of her sons and his family, she heard the Gospel, the truth about God and His love for everyone and the need to have Christ as Savior and Lord and she began to ask questions and think seriously about her relationship with God.
It was many years after that time, after her love of her life had died and she had moved to be closer to one of her sons, that she was watching and listening to preacher on television, that she heard the Gospel again and gave her life to the Lord Jesus Christ. This precious mother was in her mid-seventies when she gave her heart and life to the Lord.
Dear friends, can’t we all see that God can take a mother and give her great influence in the lives of her children and teach them right from wrong and what is good and bad and how to live one’s life for good. These three mothers had a wonderful influence on their children; Nelle Reagan on her son Ronald Reagan, Jennie Williams on her daughter Lynda Rigsby and Delores Rigsby on her son Bill Rigsby. Even though they all lived different lives and had different relationships with God, they all showed the love that God gave them for their families and sought to teach them well. Our families are most thankful for my mother who has been gone many years now and we are so grateful to the Lord that Jennie Williams, Lynda’s mother, is doing so well living in Rock Hill.
Mother’s day is a day to remember and to say thank you to God for giving us a mother. Some mothers have been not the best but without them we would not be here and we still need to be thankful for them. But others have become the most wonderful people in our lives and we can forget to give them the honor due them this day. In closing let me make an important point about these last two mothers. Mrs. Williams came from a family who knew the Lord Jesus and taught about His love from her very beginning. We are so thankful that at an early age she gave her heart and life to the Lord Jesus and it has made quite a difference not only to her life but to all who have known her. God has shown His faithfulness to her in so many ways.
Looking at my mother’s life I can see the great disadvantages she had but that was not God’s fault but of man. She should have been told and shown the love of God the way the Word of God declares so she could have come to know His love early in her life. Unfortunately that did not happen. But her love and example of being a mother was great. Could it have been better, yes. We could have had quite a different life had my parents chosen to love the Lord God in our family and share Jesus with us all. A lot of things would have been different. But hear this. God in all His mercy came looking for my mom several times that I am aware of and when she truly was willing to give her heart to Christ, He accepted her just like He accepted Jennie when she was a young girl. I am confident that this example of God’s love He has given to us, that even a mother in her 70’s can finally come to saving faith in Jesus Christ, will help someone who is struggling with making a decision. Are you that person?
Whether you are young or old today, you can know the love of Jesus and become confident that you have eternal life, IF you give your heart and life to Jesus Christ, who died for your sins and was buried but then arose from the dead to gift us with life forevermore. By faith trust Him today. Stop worrying whether He loves you or not, He does. Stop thinking that He won’t accept you today, because He will.
John 6:37 NIV
John 6:35 NIV