The Importance of Mom

Today is Mother’s Day.  And, always the case, today we focus on the importance of moms.  Today I want to start with Four Questions About Being A Mom.

Knowing that men don’t have a clue when it comes to being a mom, I thought I should bring a mom up here to talk a little from an actual mom’s perspective.

1.     What are the greatest rewards of being a Mom?

2.     What are the greatest challenges of being a Mom?

3.     What is the one thing that a mom wished others knew about being a mom?

4.     What is the one thing that the moms of the next generation need to know?

These are important questions.  Questions that need to be answered to have a better perspective of being a mom.  Today, I want to take a look at another mom, one from Scripture, that we should study to find what those key ingredients are that make a great mom!  And, those same ingredients that will apply to all of us, even if we’re not a mom.

Luke 1:30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”  35  And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Then, let’s skip down to verses 46 and 47.

Luke 1:46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,  47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

Luke 2:25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,  28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:  29             “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;  30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation  31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,  32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”  33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.  34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

From these verses, we see a very clear representation of what it takes to be a great mom.  Today, I want to share those three truths with you.

1.  Be Committed to God’s Will!

Mary was fully committed to what God had revealed.  In verses 46-47, she clearly stated that her desires were God’s desires.  She exalted the name of Christ even in the midst of uncertainty and confusion. 

Luke 1:46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,  47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

Here was Mary, a young mother to be, who was probably still in shock over the announcement that she would have a child.  She wasn’t married, She knew basic biology and was fully aware that it was impossible for her to have a child at that time, yet she fully trusted God’s direction.

Can you imagine if you were the one visited by the Angel and it was announced that you were going to have this baby?  Can you imagine if the Angel appeared to you and told you that what was physically impossible was definitely going to happen to you?  What would you have said?  Would you have echoed Mary’s words?

My friends, today we live in a culture where we need a brand new generation of moms willing to be committed to God’s purposes for their lives.  We need to raise up moms who are fully committed to God’s Word, fully committed to God’s Will, and are fully committed to a powerful prayer life. 

Our generation and the next are going to face challenges like never before.  We see it every day.  We see the degradation of our morals and our values and we so desperately need moms everywhere to say…As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

Be committed to God’s purposes!

2.  Be Committed to Humility!

In looking at the life of Mary, we see the perfect example of a humble woman.  We see the perfect picture of what it means to decrease our own self worth and to increase the worth of others!

Think about it.  Here she was, a young unmarried woman who was approached by an Angel and was told, you’re pregnant.  In that culture, she faced certain humiliation.  She faced the anger of her family and her friends.  She faced the loneliness that anger would bring.  And, she faced the rejection that just might come from Joseph.

Other things that must have gone through her mind would include the giving up of her dreams, the house and the picket fence with a couple of kids and a wonderful husband were in jeopardy.  Everything she had longed for were being threatened by this revelation from an Angel.

But what did she do?  She heard his words, she heard his decree, and she submitted.

Luke 1:38  Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”

I can see a lot of people in today’s world who would tell that Angel…there’s no way!  People will make fun of me.  They will hurt me.  They will say mean things about me.  I don’t want this for myself and my future.

But Mary was different.  She was humble.  She knew that her desires and her wants were not nearly as important as those of God’s…and she was willing to submit to His will.

Today, there are so many people who are far more concerned about how they look, far more concerned about their public persona, their public relations, and they would sacrifice God’s plan for their lives in the interest of making themselves look better.

They are far more worried about what others might think than what God might think.

Phil. 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

We need people who, like Mary, will not be concerned about what people think about them and be far more interested in what God has for them!

3.  Be Committed to Sacrifice!

Luke 2:25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,  28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:  29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;  30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation  31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,  32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”  33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.  34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Simeon told Mary that you will be hurt as a result of God’s plan.  You will suffer because of what God has done in your life.  You will suffer for His sake.  Mary had no idea what lay ahead for her little boy.  She had no idea the pain and heartache that were certain to come.  But Simeon sensed it.

Mary could have walked out and abandoned that little boy.  She could have walked away saying…”I’m not willing to suffer.”  But she stayed, fully committed to sacrifice her comfort, her joy, her plans…for His!

Mary witnessed the humiliation that Christ went through at the hand of the religious leaders of the day.  Mary witnessed the mocking and sarcasm that they threw at Jesus.  She witnessed the beatings and the trial.

And, she witnessed his death upon that cross.  And, she felt the pain.  Her soul was pierced, just as Simeon predicted.  Even though she knew what Jesus had said, even though she had heard his statements, she still sacrificed her joy and watched Jesus, her son, die on that cross.

The pain of losing a child is so severe.  I’ve witnessed it just in the past week.  I can’t imagine what it must be like.  Yet, Mary endured.

She didn’t sit there at Calvary as Jesus drew closer and closer to death ready to start the three-day clock to His resurrection.  She, and the disciples, really didn’t even know what that meant.  All she knew, was that her son was dead…and she must have wondered how this fit into the plan that the Angel presented to her 33 years prior.

Today, there are many who are hearing my voice who are going through that kind of pain.  Maybe you’ve lost a child in death, maybe you’ve lost a child to drugs or some other form of addiction.  Maybe you’ve lost a child from walking with God.  They’ve walked away from Christ.  Maybe you’ve lost that relationship with your child that want so desperately.  What once was a beautiful parent-child relationship has given way to bitterness, strife, anger, and arguments.

Maybe you’re sitting here today and you’re not a mom, but you so desperately want to be.  You’re saying that you’ve cried out to God asking for a child, but He hasn’t given you one.

Maybe you’re sitting here saying that I did commit myself to God’s purposes for my family.  I did humble myself, I wasn’t trying to lift myself up.  I did sacrifice so much.  I did exactly what Mary did in her situation.  I did what you told me today I should have done. 

What went wrong?  Where was God?  Why is this happening?  Why am I going through this kind of pain?  And the last question, what do I do now?

Maybe you’re sitting here today saying, Jonathan, I’ve blown it.  I haven’t followed Mary’s example.  I’ve not been committed to God’s will, I’ve not been humble, I’ve not sacrificed…in fact, everything in my life has always been about me!  What do I do now?

Earlier today, we talked about the rewards of being a mom.  We talked about the challenges that face moms today?  We talked about the things that are so important for moms to be committed to doing?

But the one thing that I think is so vitally important for every mom to grasp is what Mary said in Luke 1:46 and 47.  My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

Mary didn’t know what was ahead.  She couldn’t see the end of the story.  And neither can we!  All we can do is trust the heart of God in every situation.  All we can do is believe His words, count on His promises, and depend on His care.

Today’s message has related to moms, but the truths in this message relate to every man, woman and child who are hearing my voice.  We all need to trust God.  Trust Him in the good times and the bad.  Making sure that our souls magnify Him in every situation.

The importance of moms in our society can never be underestimated, but the importance of Godly moms can never be overemphasized.  And, the importance of Godly men, women and children is how we will secure the next generation.

On Mother’s Day 2007, in what would be my dad’s last sermon, he made the statement that his job as pastor has always been to raise up Godly men, Godly women and Godly children who will change the world.  The definition of Godly will always point back to Luke 1:46-47.

In everything, my soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.  Let us all have that spirit, that commitment and that desire…and let’s together change the world.