A Godly Mother

[Shylynne]

Proverbs 31: 10-31

In the mid 1700's, there lived an old saintly woman,
who everyone called 'Mama Newton.'

She was a lady that all the children in the neighborhood wanted as their mother.
She had hair like a halo of silver, hands worn with calluses,
and cheeks that were stained by tears.

Every day , and every night, you would find Mama Newton
crying, and praying,  over her washtub for her son, John.

John had run away from home as a rebellious teenager, to become a sailor.
John had become an ungodly, wicked man, who was disowned by his father,
and everyone knew him as wicked.

Yet, day and night, Mama Newton kept praying that
God would save,  and use her wayward boy.

She believed in only two things: the power of prayer,
and the conversion of her son.

One day God answered the prayer of Mama Newton,
by working a miracle in the heart of her son, John Newton.

John Newton, the drunken-sailor, became John Newton the sailor-preacher,
who at age 54, penned the Christian’s national anthem: Amazing Grace!

God greatly used John Newton to reach thousands,
including a man by the name of Thomas Scott,
who with his voice and pen, was used by God to lead thousands to Christ.

Included, among them, was William Cowper,
who penned the immortal words, "There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood,'
which has brought thousands to the One who died at Calvary.

All this, because of a believing, godly old mother, and her washtub prayers.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "Behind every great man, is a great mother."

Napoleon said, "Let France have great mothers, and France will have great sons."

D. L. Moody, one of the greatest evangelists who ever lived said,
"All that I have ever accomplished, I owe to my mother!"

At a memorial service for her mother, on May 10, 1908,
Anna Jarvis gave a carnation, her mother's favorite flower, to everyone in attendance.

Within the next few years, the idea of a day to honor mothers caught on;
and, on May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed
the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day!

I am grateful that I had a godly mother!

Godly mothers are difficult to find today.
There are good mothers and there are great mothers.
Yet, there is all the difference in the world between a good mother,
a great mother, and a godly Mother!

The author of our text could be writing his own mother's resume.
In these wonderful verses, he distinguishes a godly mother
from all others to convey the truth that a godly mother is different from all others.

The Godly Mother Has Great Worth.  (Verses 10-12)

 She Is Virtuous. (10a)

She is "virtuous."
She is "worthy, or valiant."

This word has the idea of a wounded soldier
who is deserving of the reward that he will receive.
She loves the Lord.
She lives for the Lord.
She is godly

These are the reasons that she has great worth.

She Has Great Value . (Verses10b-12)

She is a lady of value.
The Scripture says, "her price is far above rubies."

In the days of our text, rubies were considered priceless.

A  godly mother is priceless -- worth far more than fine jewels.
The husband, of this godly mother, realizes how valuable she is.
He is able to trust her chastity.
He is able to trust her conduct.

 Someone has written:
"The most creative job in the world involves fashion, decorating, recreation,
education, transportation, psychology, romance, cuisine, literature, art,
economics, pediatrics, geriatrics, religion, entertainment, energy, and management.

Anyone who can handle all those jobs has to be somebody special.
She is.
She's a mother!"

Abraham Lincoln said, "No one is poor who has a godly mother!"

She Is A Willing Worker!
 
She "willingly worketh with her hands."
She works with pleasure and with desire.

This is a woman who volunteers.
This woman is motivated to be and do her best.
She works out of a desire of her own heart.

She does not have  to be pumped up.
She does not have to be flattered.
She doesn't have to be bribed.
She works willingly.

It's not a matter of compulsion - it's a matter of conviction!

She loves God, and the family that God has entrusted to her.
She seeks to provide for them, and please them.
This a work in which she delights.

She Has True Wisdom. (Verse 26)

The Scripture says that her mouth is filled with wisdom.
There is wisdom in what she says.

She speaks words of truth, words of help, and words of wisdom .

 G. Campbell Morgan's four sons were all preachers.

A friend of the family asked one of the sons,
"Who is the greatest preacher in your family?"

The son, who had great admiration for his father,
the greatest Biblical expositor who ever lived,
looked straight at his father, and without hesitation, replied ,
"The greatest preacher in our family is Mother!"

 Her family knows how valuable she is. (Verse 28)
"Her children arise up, and call her blessed."
She is not receiving praise, necessarily,
for what she has done; but, for who she is.
 
They're aware, and appreciative of all her acts of kindness and love.
But, they're praising the woman.
They are the first to to praise her person.

After one of the devastating battles of the Civil War,
a dying, Confederate soldier asked for the chaplain.

When the chaplain came, to his surprise,
the first thing the soldier asked was for him
to cut off a lock of his hair for his mother.

Then, he asked the chaplain to kneel, and thank God.
The chaplain asked, "What am I thanking God for?"

The wounded soldier replied,
"Thank Him for giving me such a godly mother,
that so influenced my life, and prepared me to meet the Lord!"

"Do you want to be a godly mother?"

Then, memorize Proverbs 31:30.
Then apply it to your everyday life.
It will make you a godly mother.

Mom, do you want to be the best mother you can be?
Do you want to be the mother that God wants you to be?  

Then follow the instructions of Proverbs 31.
You will be a godly mother and your children will praise you,
and God will bless you and your family!

Sermon by Dr. Harold L. White

[Shylynne]

"There is a story about four preachers discussing the merits of the various translations of the Bible. One liked the King James Version best because of its beautiful, older, English. Another liked the New American Standard version best because it was closer to the original languages. Still another liked the New International Version because of its up-to-date vocabulary. The fourth minister was silent for a moment, then said, “I like my mother’s translation best.” Surprised, the other three men said they didn’t know his mother had translated the Bible. “Yes,” he replied. “She translated it into life, and it was the most convincing translation I ever saw.”

[sincereheart]

 

Proverbs 31 is awesome! Neat sermon!

"There is a story about four preachers discussing the merits of the various translations of the Bible. One liked the King James Version best because of its beautiful, older, English. Another liked the New American Standard version best because it was closer to the original languages. Still another liked the New International Version because of its up-to-date vocabulary. The fourth minister was silent for a moment, then said, “I like my mother’s translation best.” Surprised, the other three men said they didn’t know his mother had translated the Bible. “Yes,” he replied. “She translated it into life, and it was the most convincing translation I ever saw.”

What an awesome reminder!  

[Shylynne]

 The following is one of the most excellent online articles I have read on parenting, thought I would share it.

A PRIMER ON CHRISTIAN PARENTING

Over the past few years, there has been increasing confusion as to what it means to be a "Christian parent," or what is "God's way." Many churches offer advice and even prescriptions for proper, biblical childrearing. If you don't follow these systems, you're told, you will not raise a godly child. But the Bible is surprisingly nonspecific about the day-to-day aspects of parenting. It would be easy if God's word, the Bible, laid out a list of parenting commandments, but it does not. There are no specific references on whether to let a baby cry, how long a mother should breastfeed, or where a baby should sleep.

Still, many well-meaning advisers have taken it upon themselves to presume to know God's intent for parents, producing elaborate programs for parents to follow. Some parents welcome this. Others wonder if their newborns really are benefiting -- and whether anyone else can know God's intentions for their family.

As a pediatrician, Christian, and father of eight children, I would like to reassure all worried parents who find themselves asking, "Will I be a good parent? Will I be able to raise a godly child?" God would not give you a child without also giving you the ability and means to raise that child. He would never give you a child with, for example, a temperament that you couldn't handle. This would violate the very concept of "creator." God, as creator, designed within every mother and father the necessary tools to parent each individual child.

The key to compassionate, successful Christian parenting is simply to discover your tools and use them according to the plan that God has for you and your child. This may be a different plan than your neighbor's or anyone else's in your church. That's fine. Just trust in the concept of creator and know that within you He has put the tools to become an expert on your baby.

Let me only say that being a parent is a dynamic process, not a series of dictated recipes. It is a relationship built on mutual knowledge and trust between parent and child, an ability to read and respond to the cues of one another. Different children, however, offer different cues. Bear this in mind if you begin to be swayed by the Christian baby trainers. Systems that make no allowances for differences in temperament eventually become one-size-fits-no-one systems. Children can't be made to conform to someone else's view of what a child is supposed to be -- even if those views spring from deep and sincere spiritual belief.

Those who promote child-raising "systems" have no biological relationship to your child, no investment in your child's future, and no responsibility for your child's outcome. Tragically, those parents who adopt "systems" too blindly can lose their own sense of investment, of responsibility, even of unique love for their child. The system creates distance, not closeness.

An ideal parenting relationship mirrors the profound relationship that we have with God. As young people, we grope our way towards faith. And as new parents, we move slowly and hesitatingly toward greater knowledge of our children. We grow together -- the child growing in size and strength, the parents growing in wisdom and empathy. This is the journey that leads to understanding. And that is the surest way to grace.

...cont`d

[Shylynne]

RELATED ARTICLE: WHO IS YOUR SHEPHERD?

AND OTHER QUESTIONS TO ASK ALONG THE WAY

As you are working out your own parenting style, be discerning. Remember, your deep love for your baby makes you vulnerable to advice that promises to turn out a better baby. Your love opens you to importuning from false prophets, Don't blindly follow anyone else's teachings. Instead, ask yourself:

1. Does this advice fit with my intuition? Before accepting any doctrine of parenting, run it through your internal sensor. God gave you intelligence as well as love. Use both in raising your children.

2. Does the approach sound authoritarian? Beware of classes that offer quick fixes and boast that theirs is "God's way." Complex parenting problems do not have easy answers. Shun rigid classes in favor of those that give you basic tools on which you can build your own parenting style.

3. Is the approach working for me? If not, drop it at once. If, for instance, the teachings of the class seem to be creating a distance between you and your child, they are not succeeding. Listen to your heart not your teacher, and act accordingly.

4. Is the Bible being twisted? Be wary of scriptural commandments about childrearing. Scripture can too often be used to fit a teacher's biases instead of to instruct usefully.

5. What are the credentials of the "shepherds"? Do the teachers have practical or professional parenting experience? Do they seem to be both knowledgeable and sensitive? It's okay to be a sheep if you have a wise shepherd. Christ provided such a model, and he had impeccable credentials.



-William Sears, MDAmong the more than 20 books he has written or coauthored are The Baby Book, The Family Health and Nutrition Book, Parenting the Fussy Baby (all from Little Brown), and The Complete Guide to Christian Parenting and Child Care (Broadman & Holman, 1997). He lives and practices in San Clemente, California, with his wife and eight children.

[Shylynne]

The subject of Titus 2:3-5 has been on my mind for quite some time now, and because it keeps coming to the forfront, in so many various articles I read, it seems God is pressing this matter upon my heart for whatever reason, so I may share some of that in this thread. Would love to read any input you ladies may have as well, wether your own thoughts, or as I usually find, a article where someone may have said it better than I ever could  

The Plan/Gods Wisdom

We do not need to look at the whole plan for the present purpose. It is only the transmission of the womanly arts within the church body which interests us here. Here is the relevant portion of the plan.

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored. [Titus 2:3-5]

According to this plan, who was to teach the womanly arts? Who was to teach the young women how to love and be subject to their husbands, how to love their children, how to be sensible, how to be pure, how to be a worker at home, how to be kind within the home and to extend kindness from the home? It was the older women. The womanly arts were to be transmitted from the older women to the younger women.

Please note that no male was assigned this task. It does not appear in the overseers' (pastors') job description. It does not appear in the older men's job description. It does not appear in the young men's job description. It does not appear in the bondslaves' job description.

The pattern for the church specified to Titus was that the womanly arts should be transmitted from godly older women to the younger women in the church--male involvement in this process is conspicuously absent from this plan.

- excerpt from the following link, the entire article is an interesting read!

http://www.fix.net/~rprewett/womantowoman.html

[Shylynne]

I think this is a excellent study to do, beginning perhaps with a daughter of grandaughter,  personally i`m going to print this out and hopefully spend some time with my own 16 year old girl. As I posted earlier, I agree the Word gives mothers this job to teach our daughters how to be Godly women, not the sunday school, or ladies group, or the church, no matter how helpful these are, it does`nt lessen our own responsibility. There is so much I wish I had known in the early years, not that I didnt have a good mother, but basically walked into marriage, and adulthood leaning more on  example only, than on sound Biblical teaching to guide me as a christian wife and mother and friend.


A Titus2 Journey
A personal or personal-group journey & study in Titus 2.3-5
arranged by pamela spurling

The following questions are for your personal use or for use in a group setting.  Feel free to print them out and broaden the spacing or write your answers on your own paper or in your journal. New questions/projects added each week.  Newest weeks' questions are at the end of this page.

http://www.achristianhome.com/Titus2Study/ATitus2Journey.htm

[LMarsh]

Thanks for the posts Shy, I've been enjoying reading them!
Your sister in christ,
Lmarsh

[nChrist]

I'm sneaking into the Women's Forum area to say:

Happy Mother's Day!

I give thanks for a Godly mother and a Godly wife. I give thanks for all of the Godly mothers and wives. You have a tremendous impact on your children, your entire family, and the future. This world would be a sad place without you.

Thanks Sincerely - Love In Christ,
Tom

[Shylynne]

Thank you Tom!  

Psa 127:3  Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

[sincereheart]

To the Point
The Power of a Mother's Prayers

by Franklin Graham
   
  I'll never forget the first time my mother heard me preach. It was 10 years ago at an amphitheater in Raleigh, N.C. Standing at the podium and seeing her in the shadows, I realized just how much that moment represented an answer to her faithful prayers. To follow in my father's footsteps, I had to go through my mother's knee prints.

Even in my rebellious years, I never doubted that Mama loved me unconditionally. I knew she prayed for me earnestly. She knew when to lecture me, when to punish me and when to hug me.

As my father was busy in his worldwide ministry, my mother was equally busy in her version of home missions -- raising our family in an atmosphere that was wholesome, fun and God-fearing. She gave up her dream of becoming a missionary to Tibet because she realized that God was calling her to serve Him at home. She taught us to memorize Scripture, to think for ourselves and to care for others. No one could look at her life and doubt that she chose God's will for her life.
 
These days, our society is struggling with the very definition of marriage and family. It's a sad day when such a God-ordained principle is reduced to a divisive political issue. The Bible uses the example of a bride and groom to describe the eternal relationship of the Church and Christ. In marriage, the two become one, bringing out the best in both.

The Bible also honors motherhood, giving us a glimpse of the unique relationship between Jesus and His earthly mother. Some of His very last words from the cross showed His abiding concern for her. "He said to his mother, 'Dear woman, here is your son,' and to the disciple, 'Here is your mother.' From that time on, this disciple took her into his home" (John 19:26-27, NIV). Jesus wanted to make sure not only that His mother was cared for, but that she would have someone on whom to bestow her love, insights and prayer.

Children give mothers moments to ponder and reasons to pray. I know my life and ministry have kept my mother on her knees in prayer. To me, her prayers are more than an example. They are channels of God's power.

She once wrote a poem about how I had worn out my guardian angel. Any angel assigned to her prayers would stay busy. A few years ago, a Gospel music group had a song that went like this: "When mama prayed, heaven paid attention. The angels spread their wings and stood prepared." That's the way my mother prays. I think that's the way we all should pray.

Bible verse marked NIV is taken by permission from The Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, Colorado Springs, Colorado. ©2004 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Photo/Illustration: Russ Busby/©BGEA

[Shylynne]

Children give mothers moments to ponder and reasons to pray.

Any angel assigned to her prayers would stay busy.

amen!  I love it!  

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to Sincereheart,

Sister, thank you sincerely for sharing that with us. I feel extremely blessed to still have a loving and Godly mother living as an example to our entire family. She is 84 years young, loves Jesus first, and has plenty of love left over for us.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[sincereheart]

Oklahoma Howdy to Sincereheart,

Sister, thank you sincerely for sharing that with us. I feel extremely blessed to still have a loving and Godly mother living as an example to our entire family. She is 84 years young, loves Jesus first, and has plenty of love left over for us.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Thank you! What a wonderful legacy!  

[sincereheart]