Titus 2:3-5
The Ministry of Motherhood
Motherhood is a sacred ministry where mothers shape their children's faith and character. Though imperfect and overwhelmed by competing demands, mothers profoundly influence their children's love for God and ability to honor Him throughout their lives.
Introduction
Our culture has celebrated mothers today. Much has changed in the last thirty years in regards to mothers. While many of us experienced growing up in homes in which mom was at home taking care of the house and home, most women today work outside the home. But there are some things about being a mother which has not changed. Samuel Taylor Coleridge said that a mother is “the holiest thing alive.” James Russell Lowell commented “That best academy, a mother’s knee.” Back in 1911, William Dillon composed the ultimate song lyric in tribute to motherhood—“I want a girl, just like the girl that married dear old Dad.” Mothers are an important part of our lives. We want to honor mothers tonight. Whether you have a mother or are a mother or just have fond memories of your mother, then we want to give her credit for the impact for good that she brings into our lives. We’ll begin with a time of thanking God for his blessings realizing that among those many blessings are mothers who love us.
Mothers Make a Difference
We are going to combine both the humorous and the serious tonight as we take a look at mothers. Mothers make a difference. Most of us when we honestly take a look at our lives recognize the profound impact our mothers had upon us. More than likely our mothers taught us about God; taught us about fairness and sharing; taught us to think of others; taught us about sacrifice. She did these things many times through demonstration rather than careful instruction, but she realized that values are often caught rather than taught and so she lived her life realizing that she was modeling a way of life which she would hope her children would want to emulate.
A mother will teach her child a number of important lessons, but none are more important than teaching your child to love God. Mothers who dedicate themselves to teaching their children about God’s love, God’s protection, God’s provision, God’s mercy, God’s will, and God’s purpose will go a long way in helping that child grow into a man or woman who will honor God with their lives. While mothers are not natural teachers, mothers naturally teach. A child will watch his mother and he will learn. A child will see how mom reacts to different situations. Early on a child sees if mom is able to handle pressure or if she releases the pressure onto her children. Mothers, allow your language to exalt God; allow your actions to demonstrate that you recognize the presence of God; revel in God’s peace. Teach your children that with God the pressures of life while real are not what drives you. Instead as you are moving toward honoring God with your life your children will be encouraged to follow you.
No Mother Is Perfect
There is nothing easy about being a mother. While there are moments of pleasure there are equally moments of testing. Most women will say that they have great memories of taking care of their babies, but most women probably do not want to return to diaper changes and 2 a.m. feedings. Even if there is a sadness because the child is gone, there is also a feeling of accomplishment as we watch our children grow into adults who love God and honor him with their lives. Moms would not change that aspect at all.
Having had a mother, married to a mother, and having listened to a lot of moms over the years, I would say without hesitation that most moms feel like they can never get everything done. There are always things to do in taking care of a house and to assisting children. There is another load of laundry, another button to sew on, another PTA meeting, another event that our child wants us to participate in, another book to read, another errand to run. Before long the “to do list” becomes overwhelming. Then moms have to choose which activities she will do and which she will hold to another day. And once those type of decisions are made the guilt begins. Add to this that many moms work outside of the home and the guilt multiplies.
In fact with the addition of children, some decisions seem less important than others. Can I state the obvious? No mother is perfect. Moms, if another mother came to you and said “I can’t get it all done. There is always more to do than I can possibly accomplish in one 24 hour period. My children need my constant attention. My husband feels like he is on the outside. Church has its demands. Meals, clothes, cleaning, running errands. It never stops. I just want the world to stop long enough for me to get off just for a day or so” what would you say? Would you tell her to try harder? Would you tell her that she needed to be better organized? Would you tell her that she is lazy? Or would you tell her to lower her standards?
Too many times guilt wins in our homes. Mothers don’t think they do enough. Each demand brings a belief that the demand must be done. No mother is perfect. No mother can do it all. In fact, no mother ever does it all. Paul says in Titus 2:4 that mothers have to learn how to love their children. This mothering thing is not natural. Having estrogen in your body doesn’t guarantee that you will be a good mother. Don’t let guilt win. You aren’t perfect. Learn what you can from the older women. If older women don’t teach you, then learn what you can from observation, but learn that in the demands of the day that each request does not have to be fulfilled.
The Ministry of Motherhood
This brings me to the third point—Motherhood is a ministry. Look at Titus 2:5 very carefully. When moms seek to honor God with their lives and through their children, then the word of God cannot be discredited. That is how important you are as a mother. Some preachers aren’t able to do this. But it is the special ministry of motherhood that allows you to uphold the beauty of God and his word. No other ministry is like this. Moms, you are important to the work of God. Teaching your children to love God is as important as leading your neighbor to God.
A missionary was trying to stir up interest to get people go to Africa to preach the gospel. At the end of the service, a woman dragging a little tow headed boy behind her, told the missionary, “I just feel like God is calling me to be a missionary.” The missionary said, “He is, indeed” and pointing to that little boy, he said, “And there’s the little heathen he wants you to preach too.”
Moms, you have a ministry which no one else can do. Hillary Clinton quoting from an African proverb says that it takes a whole village to raise a child. Certainly none of us grow our children in isolation. Others influence our children. But no one has a more profound influence upon their children than a mother. Such a responsibility must not be taken lightly nor must it be shunned for fear of doing the wrong thing. Instead God has entrusted mothers with a precious gift and important ministry—to help our children come to their own faith in the one who brought them into this world. Let’s end with a time of prayer for mothers.
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