Quote from Forum Archives on May 16, 2006, 8:00 am

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

 

A MOTHER’S TEACHING

May 14, 2006

 

TEXT: 2 Timothy 1:3-14

 

Motherhood is easy… a snap… a piece of cake. Right? OK, maybe those aren’t exactly the right words to choose. But motherhood does present lots of opportunities for creative thinking, doesn’t it? Like the grandparents who were surprised to receive this thank you note from their daughter: “Mom & Dad, Thank you for the wonderful playpen. It is such a perfect present for the twins at this age. Every afternoon, I climb into it so they can’t pester me while I do some reading.”

Not only does motherhood provide those unique opportunities for creativity, it also provides great opportunities for other folks to get to know you better - whether you want them to or not. A Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Johnny interrupted. "My Mommy looked back once while she was DRIVING," he announced triumphantly, "and she turned into a telephone pole!" Yes, we all know what a blessing motherhood can be.

Not only is motherhood a blessing; it is also a responsibility. All children are willing students, and they are always learning. And, like it or not, they are always more than willing to share their education at just the right moment. Another Sunday School teacher asked her pupils, "Now, children, do you all say your prayers at night?" One little boy excitedly answered: "My Mommy says my prayers." "I see," said the teacher, "and what does your Mommy say?" "Thank you Lord, he’s finally in bed!"

Well, some days are like that, aren’t they? Still, the reality is that our children are natural students. And mothers do have the joyful and vital responsibility to teach. A mother’s teaching is a significant part of growing up that will stay with us our entire lives. Paul acknowledges this to Timothy as he commends Timothy’s mother and grandmother in verse 5: “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” In this beginning portion of Second Timothy, Paul points out some of the context that a mother’s teaching should have.

A mother teaches her children about salvation. When Paul writes that the faith of Timothy’s grandmother and mother has been passed down and is living in Timothy, we can be certain that he is referring to salvation. For Paul, any faith apart from salvation that comes through Jesus Christ would not be faith at all. He writes almost immediately in this letter, “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

This saving faith lived in his grandmother, his mother, and now in Timothy. Christian mothers cherish the salvation of their children and long to see them walk with the Lord. One of the leaders of the early Christian Church was Augustine. Even though he was a rebellious, sinful young man, his mother implored God through her tearful prayers to bring her son into precious salvation. Through her answered prayers, Augustine turned from sin and became one of the Church’s greatest leaders.

In another era, W. P. L. Mackay was seventeen when he left his humble Scottish home to attend college. His mother gave him a Bible in which she had inscribed his name and a verse of Scripture. Unfortunately, college was only the beginning of a downhill slide. At one point, he pawned the Bible to get money for whiskey. His mother continued praying for him until she died. Eventually, Mackay became a doctor. While working in a hospital, he encountered a dying patient who repeatedly asked for his "book." After the man died, Mackay searched the hospital room to find what book had been so important to a dying man. He was surprised to find the very Bible he had once pawned! Mackay went to his office and stared at the familiar writing of his mother. He thumbed through the pages, reading the many verses his mother had underscored in hopes her son might heed them. After many hours of reading and reflection, Mackay prayed to God for mercy. The physician later became a minister. (God's Little Devotional Book for Mothers, Tulsa, Oklahoma: Honor Books, 1999, p. 111) A mother teaches her children about salvation.

A mother teaches her children to honor God. Paul writes and teaches, “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.” We are called to a holy life, and Christian mothers know that. They teach that. And we are better off for it.

Of course, it seems that every generation replays the same struggle where sons and daughters resist their mother’s teaching at some point. We teach ourselves that we have grown “too big to listen to such fuddy-duddy” advice anymore. But that doesn’t mean that mothers give up their responsibility to teach the truth about honoring God. They can be quite stubborn about it, and it is a good thing that they are.

One day as a mother was scraping and peeling vegetables for a salad, her daughter came to tell her that she wanted to hang with her friends at an amusement center that had a bad reputation. Of course, her mother immediately raised her objections. Defensively, her daughter admitted it was a questionable place, but "all the other girls were going." As the teenager argued and pleaded to go, she suddenly saw her mother pick up a handful of discarded vegetable peelings and toss them into the salad. Startled, she cried, "Mother, you are putting garbage into the salad!" "Yes," her mother replied. "I know. But I thought that if you did not mind garbage in your mind and heart, you certainly would not mind a little garbage in your stomach." Thoughtfully, the girl removed the offending material from the salad, and with a brief "Thank you" to her mother she went to tell her friends that she would not be going with them. If you have spiritual indigestion and a poor testimony, maybe it’s because you haven’t heeded your mother’s teachings and have tossed too much garbage into the salad. (Author Unknown) A mother teaches her children to honor God.

A mother teaches her children to serve God. Paul writes to Timothy, “And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet, I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” Paul was an open book about his Christian faith. There was nothing that he did not give up for service to God.

It is not unusual for mothers to sacrifice a lot for their children. In times of great peril, they often sacrifice themselves in order to do everything they can to protect their children. Examples of this abound throughout history. In December 2005, the BBC gave this report: “Bernadette Mimura, 37... was diagnosed with breast cancer one month into her pregnancy. Doctors urged her to try life-saving drugs, but this would have meant terminating the pregnancy. Ms. Mimura refused the drugs and gave birth to her fit and healthy baby, but lived just long enough to see her son, Nathan, baptized. …doctors urged her to try life-saving drugs, but she would not give up on her baby.”
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tees/4515202.stm)

Mothers’ sacrifices for their children reflect what Paul wrote about living for Jesus. “That is why I am suffering as I am.” When Christian mothers teach and model sacrifice, they teach about serving God. Mothers - and fathers - I know want their children to succeed. But Christian parents want their children to serve God in their chosen fields of work. Christian service doesn’t have to take place in vocational ministry, necessarily, but our children should be taught to serve God in the vocation or profession they choose. Quite often, major contributions to Christianity occur as a result of a mother’s teaching. Every hymn that George Beverly Shea sings is a testimony to the saving power of Jesus Christ and the faith we have in Him. Shea composed the music at age 23 to one of his best-known solos, "I'd Rather Have Jesus." The words were written in a poem by Mrs. Rhea H. Miller, which was left on the family piano by Shea's mother. After reading the words, he sat at the piano and composed the tune. George Beverly Shea's desire was to be a famous singer. In pursuit of his goal, he was offered a job at a radio station that provided financial security. His mother place the poem "I'd Rather Have Jesus" on his piano and changed the course of her son‘s life. As they say, the rest is history. (www.billygraham.org/about/georgebshea.asp)  A mother teaches her children to serve God.

Motherhood is a demanding occupation. One “ad” I ran across announces position available: Mom. Job Description: Long term team players needed for challenging Permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be able to work various hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in faraway cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required. You will be expected to carry with you at all times those things needed at any given moment in odd locations such as, but not necessarily limited to, tissue, batteries, chap stick, paper clips for broken zippers and snacks when someone will die from starvation.

Responsibilities: This is for the rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily until someone needs $5 to go somewhere. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph to three in seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets, and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, and an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility. Illness or chronic pain is accepted in this position but will not be excused as a reason to not fulfill all of the job requirements; however, those you work for are allowed excuses.

Advancement and promotion: Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining. You must constantly retrain and update your skills without forgoing your current duties, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

Previous experience: None required, unfortunately. But you must have the patience of a Saint when you accidentally get pinched or bopped in the head by an energetic and oblivious little one. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

Wages and compensation: You pay them, offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

Benefits: While there is no weekly pay check, no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays, and no stock options offered, the job does supply limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right. (found at http://members.tripod.com/dovebird38/id52.htm)

When we include in this help wanted “ad” that mothers teach their children about salvation and honoring God and serving God, then we have a complete description of a mother. Thank God for Mothers. Happy Mother’s Day! “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”

 

Rev. Charles A. Layne
First Baptist Church
Bunker Hill, Indiana

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