Mother’s Day

The Far-Reaching Affects of Godly Moms

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

and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15

On this Mother’s Day I want to honor the two moms that have had a profound impact on our family – my own mom and the mom of my husband.

Billy’s mom had an intense love for the Word. Billy remembers her always pouring over the Scriptures. She was even my Sunday School teacher as a child.

One of my best memories of my mom is that she always prayed with me at night when she tucked me in. We prayed together for years for my dad to be saved until God miraculously answered and we saw Dad eventually become the men’s Bible teacher in our church!

Our being blessed with such Godly moms has had a profound impact on our family. Those of you who know my husband know what an intense love for the Word he has and how God has gifted him as a Bible teacher. His mom’s love for God has definitely been passed down to him.

My mom’s faithfully praying with me produced my desire for prayer and influenced me to have pray each night with our children and now our grandchildren.

And now we get to observe our moms’ legacies continue on in our adult children as they share the Word and pray with their children each night.

Our family has been extremely blessed by our mothers.  If you did not have a mother like ours, let go of your hope of a better past and purpose to be the mom who has a far-reaching affect on your family for many years into the future.

Here are some previous Train Up the Child Mother’s Day blog posts.  Take some time to read these and be encouraged in your awesome privilege and responsibility as Mom:

Scriptures to Encourage Moms

Be a Joyful Mom – Even If the Job is Hard (And it Is)

Learn from Mothers in the Bible and in History

God Wants You to Have a Happy Mother’s Day

What Makes a Happy Mother

A Prayer for Mothers

We Have This Moment as Mom to Make a Memory

 

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Mothers

We as mothers have been called to the hardest, most overwhelming responsibility EVER!  However – it is also the greatest privilege that God bestows – to love and influence a life from the womb to the tomb! God really loves mothers!!

Here are previous Mother’s Day blog posts you might find encouraging if you have some reading time this weekend.

Train Up The Child From the Womb to the Tomb

The Far-Reaching Affects of Godly Mothers

God Wants You to Have a Happy Mother’s Day

What Makes a Happy Mother?

We Have This Moment as Mom to Make a Memory

Just a Mom???

A Prayer For Moms

                      Happy Mother’s Day!!

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Be a Joyful Mother – Even If the Job is Hard (and it is)

Truly there is no greater privilege and joy than being a mom, but with this comes no greater responsibility! 

Motherhood is the hardest, most demanding job in the world! Genesis 3:16 tells us this is one of the consequences of  the original sin  – women will have much pain in having children –  I don’t think it means just in child birth – it is a never ending life of pain in one way or another – sometimes physically and sometimes emotionally.

To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children;”

Ok, so we have established motherhood is hard.  But what do you do? Once you have taken the position, it is not a job you can quit – no, but –

  • You can quit saying it is hard
  • You can quit complaining
  • You can quit having a sour disposition
  • You can quit being negative
  • You can quit losing your patience
  • You can quit doing it alone

But how do we accept the most demanding job in the world without complaining?  The answer – we don’t have to do it – God promises to do it through you!!  He has not left you alone to accomplish this sometimes seemingly impossible task.

1 Thes. 5:24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

That’s right!! –  God has promised to mother through you. Realize that the One who gave you the job is faithful and will do it.  Wow – Does any other boss offer you a deal like that?!  🙂

It would be helpful to memorize that scripture and claim it often – that’s what has gotten me through 37 years so far of motherhood!!  

Here are other scriptures to memorize and think on when you are feeling overwhelmed with your motherly tasks:

  • Exodus 33:14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 
  •  Psalm 94:13 That You may give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit is dug for the wicked. (rest means power to calm myself)
  •  Psalm 94:19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul. 
  •  Psalm 131:2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
  •  Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You,  Because he trusts in You. 
  •  Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” 
  • Col. 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 
  •  2 Tim. 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 
  •  Philip. 2:17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 
  •  Psalm 34:5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;  no shadow of shame will darken their faces.  

So Moms – doers of the hardest job in the world – look to God and radiate with joy  – be glad and rejoice – because God has trusted you with the greatest privilege in the world – you get to mold, love, and be loved by His little children  –  don’t miss a moment of it!!!!

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.”

 

This post was inspired by the following two posts..  Please read them:

Stop Saying Being a Mom is Hard 

Why Being a Mom Isn’t Hard

 

 

 

 

 

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What Makes a Happy Mother?

Philip. 2:12-16

  1. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence,
  2. work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
  3. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,  
  4. holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

As I was running recently I was questioning if all the efforts to get up and out early to get a run in was really making a difference.  Then I heard the above scripture as I was listening to Philippians on my iphone.  My thoughts immediately went from physical to spiritual and from efforts for my physical health to my efforts for my children’s spiritual health through the years.

Paul’s source of joy and desire for his beloved Philippians should be every mother’s joy and desire for her children:

  1. That they would obey not only in her presence but much more in her absence
  2. That they would take charge of their own spiritual lives, allowing God to work in them His good pleasure
  3. That they would shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation
  4. That they would hold fast the Word of Life until the day of Christ so that she can rejoice that she has not run in vain or labored in vain.

This reminded of the time my sister and I decided to surprise Mom and Dad with new living room furniture as theirs was completely ruined from the pets they so lovingly allowed me to have all through my childhood :-). When Dad sat down on the new furniture he said with tears in his eyes, ‘We must have done something right to have children to treat us so kindly.’  I was thankful that we gave my Dad and Mom cause to feel they had not run or labored in vain.

Now on this Mother’s Day I want to say to my four beloved children, “Thank you for holding forth the Word of Life and giving your Dad and me reason to rejoice that we have not run in vain. We see yall taking charge of your own spiritual lives and shining as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.  Yall have made me a happy mother!!!!”

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
3 John 1:4

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A Prayer for Mothers

Wow, Father, how can we ever thank you enough for calling us to the greatest profession in the world!! Forgive us when we get busy and distracted from this most awesome privilege of molding a little life for you.

Help us when we get weary from the unending tasks, to rest in the promise that in persevering we will see results from all our efforts:
Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Help us not to compare ourselves with other moms, but to enjoy being the mom You made us to be:
Galatians 6:4 Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.

Father, like you, we have no greater joy than to hear that our children walk in
3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Help us to first of all love You with all our heart:
Deut. 6:5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

Help us to surround our husbands with our love:
Proverbs 5:18 & 19 So be happy with your wife and find your joy with the girl you married – pretty and graceful as a deer.  Let her charms keep you happy; let her surround you with her love. (Today’s English Version)

Help us to be diligent to train our children in the Way they should go and consistently discipline them to be like Christ:
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go ,And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 29:15 To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.
Galatians 4:19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

Keep us aware that even as grandmothers, our jobs continue:
Deut. 4:9 Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren,
Psalm 71:18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation,Your power to everyone who is to come.

Help us to radiate with a meek and quiet spirit and with joy from having spent time with you:
1 Peter 3:4 You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
Psalm 34:5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;

And then as we radiate, help us to equip our children to shine as lights in the midst of a wicked world:
Philip. 2:15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Thank you, Father, that all these things you have called us to do, You have promised to do through us:
1 Thes. 5:24 God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this.

Thank you that when we are distraught by all our cares and anxieties, you will console us:
Psalm 94:19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.
1 Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Thank you, Father, that as we fulfill this sometimes overwhelming responsibility and privilege of motherhood that you are with us, always perfecting that which concerns us, and ever gently leading us along the way!
Isaiah 40:11 And gently lead those who are with young.
Psalm 138:8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Matthew 28:20  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

And ultimately, thank you for sacrificing your Son in the place of our sons and daughters so we all can come boldly to your throne to ask these things in Jesus name!!!

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

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