Faith Baptist Church
4258 Botetourt Road
Fincastle, Virginia 24090
(540) 473-2325
Of all the titles bestowed to mankind, mother is like none other. You can be a superstar, a professional, an athlete, a military person, a boss, a company president, maybe even a political leader of a nation, but none of these titles match the tone and import of the title, mom. Motherhood is superior to any other role a mother plays in society.
This word, mother, evokes memories of my childhood experience. There are thoughts of comfort, care, cleanliness, cakes, discipline and hugs. My mother was my whole world. No one set the tone for the kind of person I would become more than my mother. You are naturally attracted to the qualities of the one you count on for your daily needs. A child watches mom more than anyone or anything else in the world.
Prov.1:8-9 “My son hear the instructions (discipline) of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother; for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.”
The law of the mother refers to the teaching (Hebrew, tora) of the mother. Timothy’s mother taught him the Bible, II Tim.3:15; 1:5. Like a student to his master teacher, a child is a sponge who is to soak up his mother’s teaching and she is to remind the child as often as needed to inculcate that child. If she has to say no a hundred times a day, she says no a hundred times a day. If she has to remind you to brush your teeth everyday, she does it until you get the point and she does not stop until you do. She will check up on you to see that you do what you are supposed to do because she loves you. She is not worried if you like it or not, she knows what is best. She prepares the meals knowing what is best of her child, not what the child feels like eating. She is the nutrition expert in the house and you don’t argue with her. If a child had his way he would never eat the things he needs to become a healthy adult.
If the child is allowed to be absorbed with T.V. teaching and influence all the time the law of the mother will not stick.
What an awesome responsibility the mother has in this task. But the fruit of this labor, of both the discipline of the father and the teaching of the mother, they will be an ornament; accessories of grace and beautiful wisdom when they are grown.
The dangers of the present liberal societal trend to fuse the roles of moms and dads into one neutral role is damaging to the image a child needs to see in mom and dad. The Bible is clear regarding the roles of moms and dads, and the roles of both are equal in importance. If society fails it does not fail in the halls of congress or by improper military strategies; it fails because moms and dads did not do their jobs, or their children failed to obey their parent’s instruction and teaching.
The Bible states in II Tim.3:3 that apostate parents, in the end times, will not have a natural affection for their children; that these children will be disobedient to their parents.
Natural affection involves virtue love, a love that steers and disciplines their children when they are growing up. Natural affection is caring and sacrificial by nature. Of all the mammals, humans beings have the strange habit today of abandoning their young to pursue other interest, or the young are left without learning survival instincts, much less manners and respect for their elders.
Instincts are a learned behavior developed by watching your care takers habits. When children are toddlers and they are developing their motor skills you are there to protect them, but never forget that they are developing memory skills as they watch you.
You are there to nurture and instruct, and they are there to learn and obey.
Col.3:20 “Children obey your parents in all things; for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord.”
Eph.6:1-3 “ Children obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. Honor thy father and mother which is the first commandment with promise” ---what is the promise “That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”
If mothers cannot teach science, math, literature, art, and so forth this will not ruin the child, but if mothers cannot teach respect, patience, sharing and so forth then this will ruin the child.
It used to be that a child sought nothing more than the approval of their mother, but today it appears too many mothers are straining to receive the approval of their children. Years ago children waited on their mothers, but now mothers serve their children way past toddlerhood. Children today often look at their mothers as maids. They see them as employees good for nothing but doing their bidding.
I would love to see mothers elevated to status they held in society in years gone by. The modern day women’s liberation movement has done so much harm to the image of the mother. It has done so much to harm the respect deserving of motherhood. It has tarnished the image God intended motherhood to portray.
Too many men and women have bought into the notion that motherhood and all that is involved in raising a youngster, is degrading to women. But from God’s viewpoint motherhood is the most sacred human contact. The bonding contact between a mother and her child gives to the mother the greatest satisfaction and sense of purpose a woman can have. It gives to the child the sense of security and acceptance necessary for that child to realize its worth to the world. A child’s genuine sense of self-esteem is never greater than when they feel loved unconditionally by their mother. If a child senses resentment by the people who are to love him or her most in this world, then it is no wonder they are so confused.
Children have adapted to being put off as secondary priorities to parents and they have developed survival instincts contrary to normal childhood behavior. With the lack of discipline and instruction missing in the home children have sought out other sources to imitate.
God bless those mothers who take the time to teach their children real values, who emphasize personal character over looks, fleeting accomplishments and how to fit in with the crowd. I Sam.16:7b “for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
If mothers focus on developing what counts on the inside of their child, and not the superficial, the child will take care of what counts on the outside. If not, woe to the child who refuses instruction.
Prov.31:25-30. Happy Mother’s Day!