Mother’s Day is a special time when we honor those special women in our lives. It is important that we think of all that our Mother’s do for us. It is said that by the time a child reaches 18, a mother has had to handle some extra 18,000 hours of child-generated work. A Junior High science teacher lectured on the properties of magnets for an entire class. The next day he gave his students a quiz. The first question read like this: “My name begins with ‘M’, has six letters, and I pick things up. What am I?” Half of the kids in the class wrote, ‘Mother’. There was a father who was trying to explain the concept of marriage to his 4-year old daughter. She pointed at a picture of her mother and asked, “Daddy, is that when mommy came to work for us?” Mothers certainly do a lot. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Men are what their mothers make them.” An old Spanish proverb says, “An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.”

                Mother’s Day can also be a very difficult day for some. Perhaps you want to be a mother but you have never been able to have children. Others have not had the best mother in the world. Some of you have mothers that have died. Some of you mothers have lost a child to death. There are some mothers who are feeling the pain of a wayward child. Some mothers are all alone in raising their children. You need to understand that a mother can make a significant spiritual impact on their children with or without a father. Those women who do not have children of their own can also have a tremendous impact on the lives of many children.

                There are many examples of great mothers in scripture, but one example stands out above the rest in my mind. Look at 2 Timothy 1:3-7. Here we find two women who had a significant impact on a very important young man. Timothy was raised by his mother and grandmother. They were women of great faith who planted seeds of faith in the life of Timothy. The impact that these women had on Timothy is that same impact that any woman of faith can have on those who God has placed in their life whether they are a biological mother or not. There are several seeds of Motherhood that we see here in this example in scripture. These are seeds that should be planted in all of our lives and is most effective when they are planted by Godly mothers.

                Plant a respect for God’s Word. Look at 2 Timothy 3:10-17. In verse 15, Paul mentions that Timothy knew the scriptures from childhood. Who taught Timothy the scriptures? It was his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. The term ‘childhood’ refers to infancy. These two extraordinary women taught Timothy the scriptures even before he could walk. They were living out the commands of Deuteronomy 6:4-7. They constantly talked about the things of God. These mothers had internalized the truth of God’s word into their own lives in such a way that they were able to impress them upon young Timothy. Mothers, it is never too early to start teaching your children God’s word. Nothing can replace the role that a mother has in the life of a young child. There were four scholars who were arguing over Bible translations. One said he preferred the King James Version because of its beauty and eloquent old English. Another said he liked the New American Standard Version for its literalism and how it moves the reader from passage to passage with confident feelings of accuracy from the original text. The third scholar was sold on the New Living Translation for its use of contemporary phrases and idioms that capture the meaning of difficult ideas. After being quiet for a moment, the fourth scholar said, “I have personally preferred my mother’s translation.” When the other scholars started to laugh, he said, “Yes, she translated the scriptures. My mom translated each page of the Bible into life. It is the most convincing translation I have ever read.” Mother’s are you translating the scriptures to your children through the way that you live? For all of us, what kind of Bible do people read when they observe our lives? Are you planting seeds of respect for God’s Word in the lives of your children?

                Plant authentic faith. Look at 2 Timothy 1:5. Timothy had a genuine faith that was first found in his mother and grandmother. One thing that needs to be understood here is that faith is not hereditary. You do not become a Christian just because your family is Christian. However, the environment that is created in the home of a Godly mother makes it much more possible for a young person to come to faith in Christ. Their faith was also noted as genuine. They did not just talk the talk but they walked the walk. They lived out their faith on a daily basis. What about you? Do you have a genuine faith? Is it real? Is it evident in the way that you live? Can your children see Jesus, not just in your words, but in your actions as well? If you want to plant authentic faith in the lives of your children, then you must take your own faith seriously. A mother with authentic faith will be more concerned with: her children’s souls than in their bodies or in their clothes, her children’s eternal life than their success in life, her children’s relationship with Jesus rather than popularity in the world, her children’s standing before God than their social status. Timothy’s family environment was fertile to his faith development. What about your home? What are you most concerned about? Are you planting seeds of authentic faith?

                Plant a servant’s heart. Look at Acts 16:1-5. Timothy had a willing heart to serve. This was no doubt planted in him by his mother and grandmother. Our children need to learn the Bible, not just so they can go to heaven, but so they can make a difference in the world. Your home is a training ground for ministry. In order for your children to have a servant’s heart, you must have a servant’s heart. Do your children see you actively involved in the ministry of the church? Do they see you telling others about Jesus? Do they see you openingly and lovingly caring for those in need? Older children, we have been served by our mothers for years. Now it is time that we take up the mantle and serve.

Your love, I know-I’ve seen your tears;
You’ve given to me my life.
You’ve walked through hours and days and years
Of heartache, toil, and strife.

To see that I could have the best
That you could give to me,
You gave up needs and often rest
You viewed eternity.

To do His will my highest call
And by your special care
I stood and walked and did not fall,
You held me up in prayer.

Though strands of gray may brush your hair,
And miles divide our way
I know that by your quiet prayer
You’ve helped me day by day

You’ve shown me how to give, to share
To put my own needs last.
You’ve helped me see and be aware
That life is so soon past.

To spite your love I would not dare,
For there’s not another
Who spreads her gentle love and care
Like you- My loving Mother.

Proverbs 31:28 says, “Her children arise and call her blessed…” May we truly honor our mother’s this Mother’s Day!