1. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed
the 2nd Sunday in May as Mother's Day (Anna Jaruis'
suggestion)
2. Since that time, the popularity and importance of
Mother's Day has soared.
a. 20.8 million Americans will call their Mother today.
b. 125 million Mother's Day cards will be given (only
75 million to Father's on Father's Day)
3. Even though Mother's Day is in no way a religious
holiday to be observed, the Bible does tell us to "Honor
your father and mother" Ex 20:12 Mother's Day is
appropriate way.
4. Today we want to give special recognition to our mothers
as we consider some "thoughts on motherhood".
. "A Mother's Work From A to Z, by Bob and Meredy Dockery
Fayetteville, AR.
"A mother's work is never done..." It's true!
A mother
has to wear so many different hats! At one time or
another she has to perform an amazing range of tasks...
A Mother is:
A - Artist - as she arranges and beautifies the home...
B - Beautician - as she clips, cuts & curls a little
beauty's hair...
C - Chauffeur - as she delivers one child to his piano
lesson, picks up another after his ballgame and
hurries to meet her husband's train...
D - Dietician - as she plans endless menues...
E - Engineer - as she keeps the wheels of the home well
oiled and running efficiently...
F - Fashion Designer - as she alters hand-me-downs &
creates originals...
G - General Practitioner - as she treats a variety of
ills from scraped knees to broken hearts...
H - House Keeper - as she straightens and cleans and
wipes up spills...
I - Information Bureau - as she answers thousands of
youthful questions, ranging from "Do caterpillars
yawn?", to "Where's my socks?"...
J - Judge - as she is called upon to settle the daily
disputes that erupt wherever two or more children
congregate...
K - Keeper at home - as she seeks to serve in the God-
given roll. Titus 2:5...
L - Laundry Worker - as she battles the dreaded "ring
around the collar"...
M - Musician - as she sings lullabies to coax droopy
eyes to sleep...
N - Nurse - as she maintains a vigil beside frequent
sickbeds...
O - Organizer - as she arranges birthday parties,
shopping expenditures, ball games and work projects
P - Pharmicist - as she dispenses bandaids, children's
aspirins and iodine...
Q - Queen of the home - as she serves as the center
around which the home revolves...
R - Recreational Director - as she plans activities for
school, scouts, church groups, and home...
S - Seamstress - as she patches, mends, darns and sews
the inevitable holes, rips, and tears...
T - Teacher - as she instructs little minds in the
first lessons of life...
U - Uphosterer - as she re-covers old furniture to try
to make it last a little longer...
V - Vocational Counsellor - as she offers advice about
possible future occupations...
W - Waitress - as she graciously serves over 1000 meals
a year...
X - X-Ray Technician - as she sees right through
excuses, evasions, and cover ups, to get to the
truth underneath...
Y - Yard Worker - as she plants, prunes and trims to
keep things outside looking neat...
Z - Zoo Keeper - as she feeds the pets the children
solemnly promised they would take care of...
Being a Mom isn't the world's easiest job.
a. more than 1/2 of mothers with children under 18 work
b. 7 out of 10 of these work full-time outside the home
c. Samuele Bacchiocchi, in "The Call to Motherhood",
says that "the call to motherhood is being endangered
today by many subversive forces"
(1) ungrateful husbands
(2) economic necessity
(3) professional satisfaction
II. Thoughts from the Bible on Motherhood
1. We all should appreciate the great privilege of
motherhood
a. The Law of Moses taught to honor mothers, Ex 20:12,
Lev 19:3
(you'd think this would come natural, but it has to
be learned)
b. Her teaching was not to be abandoned, Prov 1:8
c. She is not to be despised, mocked or scorned.
Prov 15:20, 17:25, 19:26, 23:22, 30:17
d. Motherhood is not merely a biological function,
but also a sacred calling.
(1) no one can love a child like a mother (not a
Father; baby-sitter)
(2) God compares His love for us with that of a
mother (discipline compared to fathers)
Isa 49:15
(3) Mothers can communicate self-worth in a way
no one else can.
2. However valuable motherhood is, God intended motherhood
to be experienced only in marriage
Paper Article: Non-Traditional Families:
(Times-Picayune 10 May 92)
* Traditional Family only 25% of the U.S. households,
down from 40% in 1970
* # of children in single-parent homes has doubled to
25%
* 15% of all children live in stepfamlies
* Single adults head 25% of households.
a. more and more children are being born to unmarried
women
(1) 14% of new mothers are single
(2) A mother of 3 said, "I'm not ready for marriage
yet, but I love children and wanted to have them"
(3) a list of 10,000 are waiting to be mothers of
test tube babies at Eastern Virginia Medical
School.
b. sexual relation outside marriage is sinful, Heb 13:4
c. Matt 1:18,19 - example of where motherhood before
marriage not acceptable.
3. Mothers are to love their children
a. Even though no one can love a child like his mother,
some mothers need to be taught to love their
children.
b. Titus 2:4
c. "An Adored Mother" by Carolyn Beaucamp
4. Mothers are to teach their children about the Lord
a. The first perceptions of right and wrong are taught
by moms.
b. this is a grave responsibility, one that should not
be delegated to a baby-sitter
(money can buy groceries but it cannot buy character)
c. II Tim 3:14-15 "A Tribute To Young Mothers"
d. Boy stopped at the zoo by a sign "Wildcats"..why
are
they called wildcats? Because their mother and
father were wildcats!
Conclusion:
1. Great blessings are in store for godly mothers
2. Today, we honor all our mothers..but don't let it be
for this day only
3. The greatest honor you can give is to live your life
by the principle taught in the Bible.
4. There are some mothers here today praying that their
children would obey the gospel..recommit themselves
to the Lord.
To be a great mother...
M - Marry the right man
O - Obey the gospel
T - Train your children to love God
H - Honor your parents
E - Enjoy Christianity
R - Request Wisdom from God.
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