Pastor’s Corner: “Rise Up and Call Her Blessed!”
Proverbs 31:28 (NIV) “Her children rise up and call her blessed…” Proverbs 11:16 (NKJV) – 16 A gracious woman retains honor,
If there’s one attitude families are guilty of more than any other when it comes to moms….. it’s presumption . We can take them for granted and are blind to the load that they carry. This was reinforced in my mind as I was looking through a row of greeting cards at the store. Time and again the joke in the card drew its humor from this obvious attitude: Forget the housework, Mom. It’s your day. Besides, you can always do double duty and catch up on Monday!
Mothers play such a vital role in our society. Not only do they impact their children, but they also impact their grandchildren and maybe even their great-grandchildren. They impact generations because of the truths and love they pass on. President George Washington said, “The greatest teacher I ever had was my mother.” Abraham Lincoln said, “All that I am or hope to be, I owe it to my angel mother – he is not poor who has had a godly mother.” Scripture says of the godly woman, “Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: ‘There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!’” (Proverbs 31:28–29 NLT).
The apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy about the impact of Timothy’s mother and grandmother on his life: “I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you” (2 Timothy 1:5 NLT). This shows us the importance of a godly heritage. For Timothy, it started with his grandmother, Lois, went to his mother, Eunice, and next to Timothy. And then Timothy passed that faith on.
Three ways mom’s remind us of Jesus: “You are Always Loved.” No matter what mistake we make, no matter how grumpy we are, no matter how grumpy she is, she never stopes loving us. The portrait of God that Jesus paints is simple: God loves you so much that he will never give up on you and always love you. We can recognize this love of God because we have seen it in our moms.
“You are Always Welcome.” More than just welcoming us into her home, our mom’s welcome us into her heart and life, totally unconditionally. Just like Jesus showed us in the parable of the prodigal son: no conditions – no interrogations – just a warm welcome home.
And my favorite: “You Will Always be Fed.” A lack of food was never a problem in our home. My mother was the first one who showed me what the ministry of feeding can look like. Sometimes a person just needs to be offered a hot meal, whether that person is your child, a guest in your home or a stranger in need. Food brings life to the body. Think about how often God worked on Israel’s hearts through food – He gave them manna in the wilderness!
Mom’s, don’t diminish the impact you have on your children. Your children are a work in progress, so keep praying for them and never give up, because your impact is greater than you may realize!
MOM, we thank you and honor you this Mother’s Day weekend!
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton