Mother's Day Questionnaire

The welcome to Truth for Life this coming Sunday. Many of us will set aside time to celebrate our mother. So today Alastair Beck has a special message for all those of you who are listing who are moms to help you understand what the Bible says about your unique God-given role is titled this message Mother's Day questionnaire. The Bible makes it very very clear right in the fifth commandment, that we are to honor our mothers were to honor our fathers as well. We recognize that mothers are to be on Solomon when he writes the book of Proverbs makes it really clear that when our son or a daughter listens to their mother obeys their mother.

Then they bring honor and glory to their mom.

But whenever a son or a daughter denies the role that God is uniquely given to their mother when son or a daughter is left to itself.

It will bring disgrace not only upon itself, but upon its mother upon its home and upon those who are responsible with it and for given. The Bible has so much to say about the nature of motherhood is surely important to those who profess faith in Jesus Christ should lead is and where our culture such as our own, in the establishing and in the modeling of a biblical pattern of motherhood for those ladies who would be prepared to respond to that kind of challenge is to take on a task that is akin to swimming against a 10 foot swell as it comes against you in one of the major oceans of our world.

It is to swim against the prevailing tirade of so much that is represented as popular opinion so much that is. This morning, worldly wisdom and the consistent denigration of motherhood in our culture is at its most effective when it is subtle rather than blatant, because after all, saying hi to your mom is something that every professional footballer dies whenever the camera goes on him being nice to your mom and going to the card shop this weekend is as much a part of America as his apple pie and the Stars & Stripes. So therefore, any attempt to undermine the strategic place of motherhood must not come blatantly as it were, a full frontal attack but needs to come very subtly may come, even in such disguise as the governmental provided daycare situations which, in endeavoring to underpin motherhood begin to dismantle the very responsibilities of a mom by making it possible for her to fulfill a role that God never ever intend I'm speaking now, not of single mothers with pressing problems of finance and the absence of a father with all of this by way of background, I want to give you a Mother's Day questionnaire you can write these questions down the very simple the questionnaire is based on two Kings four verse 26 can read the story of the shooter might son who was restored to life and in the midst of the story, the servant of the man of God, get Hayes. I says look there's the shooter might. This is in verse 25 and Elisha replies run to meet her and ask her three questions.

Are you all right is your husband all right is your child all right as the Mother's Day questionnaire. I want to turn it on his head and change the wording ever so slightly. The questioners are these are your children okay is your husband okay are you okay, first of all, then, are your children okay what he said is a pretty broad question. Can you be a little bit more specific.

I'm glad you asked. Yes, I can.

There are three tests that I like to use with you. Number one is what I referred to as the protection text are your children okay take the protection text one of the loveliest pictures of protection which Jesus was happy to use to describe of his own compassion is that of a hen with her chickens.

If you think about it moms you are the whole protection thing from day one rights. After all, the child is born in you. God has determined that it would be within your frame that that child would be protected from the moment of conception, and that what is pictured in those nine months of private predelivery is virtually a picture of so large that will then follow in their early years, that child is dependent upon you in a way that they are dependent upon no one else. And while the father is to provide protection overall for the family and for his wife. Nevertheless, it is to the mom that the challenge falls of providing this kind of protection.

The prophet Isaiah says, can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child. She has born in the rhetorical question suggests the answer.

No, she can't.

There is no way in the world moms that you will be able to protect your children. Unless you are prepared at certain points in their lives to make them unequivocally different from every other child around and death and the fear of doing that which militates in the heart of a mother may introduce terror to our children no matter how much they may demand that that may be the case. Question mom. Are you prepared to make your son or daughter.

Different in order to protect them.

Are you prepared to go through the Friday night dance routine and say no if you have to.

Are you prepared to determine what is in and out in terms of what goes in to their moral consciousness and is stamped in their computer images protection protection tough enough mother tough enough to say no to the potential of farm tough enough to say yes to for that to the potential of benefit when I tell you about protecting them. I need to ask you this question.

Are you willing to protect them from overprotection.

Are you willing to protect them from not protecting them too much because if you protect them too much.

You will not harm them, rather than help them. You cannot wrap your children up in cotton will you cannot stash them in a ward of you cannot keep them from the world you cannot remove them from the lifestyle no matter what you endeavor to do with them.

Hey mom or your kids okay how about the protection text. How about secondly the presentation text first Samuel in chapter 2 first Samuel chapter 2 Hannah the grades story of Hannah. How like so many somewhere here today. She longed for children that she didn't have she was slated for this. She knew the pain of it all and eventually the Lord honored her crying. She became the mother of a boy Samuel and her desire was for his presentation. First Samuel one verse 22. Bell Canada has gone on to make the annual sacrifice to the Lord to fulfill his vow.

But Hannah did not go. She said to her husband after the boy is weaned.

I will take him and present him before the Lord and he will live there always.

I will take him and present him before the Lord and asking mom, have you offered your children up to the Lord.

Have you presented your children to the Lord, for if we do not, by design, offer them their we will by default offer them somewhere else. Our children will worship the question is where will they worship at what should writing, will they worship and to the mother falls the privilege and responsibility in large measure of determining the nature of that presentation, you need to read on the story of first Samuel to discover all that happened as a result of that second Samuel chapter 2 in verse 21. The result was the boy Samuel grew up in the presence all the Lord there is not a child on the face of the air. Whoever grew up in the presence of the Lord by accident there is that there are very few children that I know that are so zealously keen to be involved in children's ministry and youth ministry in any kind of ministry there about a scheme to be involved in that. Especially if there's challenge attaches to it as they are to visit the dentist or to attend their summer program of of of math curriculum, so if they are to grow up in the presence of the Lord in someone's going to have to present them in the presence of the Lord, and guess who's going to have to present them in the presence of the Lord the mom and the dad were talking moms this morning. The boy grew in the presence of the Lord, and he says in first Samuel three verse 10 and all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognize that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. He became famous. Maybe you'll have a boy or a girl that becomes famous.

The question is, what will they become famous for. Maybe there famous already in their school where they famous for.

And it spread far and wide that Samuel was attested as one follow the Lord your children.

Okay, the protection test. The presentation test the provision text still in first Samuel two in verse 19. A lovely verse each year. Samuel's mother made him a little role and to get to some interesting little detail as I love those little each year. His mother made him a little role and took it to now only mothers no the psyche that's involved in that creation process. That's why one of the great lax in our culture, our young women who know how to knit and know how to so all they know how to do is by Naomi that is a judgment.

If somebody does not teach about the knit and how to so that all that they will be left is to have as an alternative is purchase and what was represented in this role was probably far more significant than the robe itself. The robe itself would wear and go but the love and the care and the insights and the prayers and the longings of the mother for her boy was what was represented in the creative process year-by-year.

Many of us have a longing in our hearts if only we can get a chance to see a few things to our mothers that we never had a chance to say somebody said to me this morning since I walked in one you be sensitive to data people have lost their moms nice, and yes, I'll try my best, and so there are some who wish they could say to their moms. You know one more thing. Thank you for this or that one of the things I like to say is this mother. Thank you for providing my needs and only some of my wants. Thank you for not investing it and providing my wants, and only some of my needs moms are your children okay protected presented provided for. Are your kids okay secondly is your husband okay or you say the average man is 38 around the chest. 32 around the waist 95 around the golf course and a general nuisance around the house and what would we actually meet and you may have one of those husbands who started take over everything in your life. Now he goes to the supermarket for you because Ron with a calculator and coupons in these trying to save you the heat is defeatist. Can't believe that someone can spend $16 a minute without using a list.

He doesn't understand that shopping is meant to be a spontaneous compulsive madcap adventure. He just can get guy told me the other day said her ureter shopping Donya is an automated.

Should I drive Mike's wife to the mall parking car shipment car sleep letter go. I had a surprise and I say, you know, spend some quality time so is your husband okay you say asking wisely in a very subtle way. I am asking him your husband okay what about the protection test is he protecting you from the four fierce attacks of those who would seek to belittle you as one who because you committed yourself to motherhood is apparently doing nothing significant with your life is he protecting you from the snare of loneliness by his demonstrable commitment to be your how pal being a protective presence, attentive lover in all the dimensions of love is your pal, you know, is your pal or is he just tell you is your pal. Did you give your card and then live in denial of it is, he give you a call and never come home. Is he there to protect you from loneliness from emptiness from discouragement from pain from frustration from feeling as though the world is about to come right down. And on top of your head. How's he doing your husband. All rights is he protecting you from the temptation to self despair and to failure. Is he commending you in the role that you play as a mother.

What about the presentation test. How does he present himself to you mom does he present himself to you in the way that he was told to in Ephesians chapter 5 to present himself to his wife in the way that Jesus Christ presents himself to and for the church, namely purposefully sacrificially selflessly and exclusively. Do you know that your husband only has eyes for you.

Do you know that he is radically committed to faithfulness. Do you know that he is prepared to do what every mom needs him to do for her kids, namely love her with a passion, so that those children may never ever have cause to doubt the security and the stability of that whole is your husband okay see my husband isn't even a believer.

That's all rights make sure that you live before him in such a way that it intrigues him and that slowly and gradually he comes to open up the Scriptures for himself and reads the gospel of John to find out if his mother if his wife is really gone nuts or she has laid hold of the answer to life. What about in terms of the provision text, what kind of provision is your husband making for you is he providing for you emotionally, or does he not talk.

Why don't mean does he talk about the kids does he talk about whether the at ensemble does he talk about who's picking them up. Does he talk about what happened with the checkbook. Does he talk to you is he saying to you lean on me when you're not strong. I'll give you help help your carry-on or you are there on your own mom does he provide for you physically does he provide for you financially. Does he provide for you mentally is he prepared to read a book, although he doesn't like to read.

Just because you like to read or does he tell you hey you read the books in the sashes pr�cis them for me. Just tell me what the bottom line is I'm too busy that he's a Philistine and a vagabond and should hit him over the head with a large book when you go with no time left your kids okay your husband okay finally, are you okay take the protection test. The psalmist says your truth always protects me. Your truth protects me, says the psalmist Jesus prays in John 17 and he says father I protect them. I protect my children. I'll protect the moms out. Protect them from the lights that dazzle from the voices the tamped from the lies that accused, I will protect them.

Moms your protection is wrapped up in the Lord.

Ultimately, no matter how good a job, your husband is able to do one day he will be gone or about the presentation test, have you made a presentation of yourself lately to the Lord in the task of parenting and the task of motherhood you prepared to say with Mary when she found out the news of the arrival of Christ. I am the Lord's servant may be to me as you have said are you prepared to be on this Mother's Day Sunday that just in the silence of your heart to make a fresh consecration to the task of being a mom. Even though the world things at knots even though you may not get the applause that you could perhaps benefit from. Even though you may not have the support that you might long for you prepared today to say Lord you are my protector and I am here to present myself to you today in the few years that I have to invite my kids, I present myself to the high calling of being a mom. What about the provision test, you don't live for kisses. The deliver candy you don't live for car generally for bouquets if you're a godly woman you live to see your children walk before the Lord in righteousness. That's what you live for all of a godly woman's hopes in this world are bound up with the children of her motherhood. You will not be remembered by your kids because of the job you did in the marketplace of life, unless you did it because you are a single parent and had no other way to provide for your children they will thank you for making that kind of commitment success in the realm of mothering. It seems to me comes as a result of giving yourself. I don't want to be crude in any way at all, but in the process of childbearing. There is a major giving of yourself in the process of child feeding. There is a major giving of yourself in the process of child rearing. There is a major giving of yourself, your body will never look the same as it did in the end of the day, the memories your children cherish will not have to do with your qualifications, your education, your societal contributions nor their bikes nor their little glitch than that, but their memories will be because you passed the provision test, you provided yourself for them.

A woman may retain her figure by refusing to bear a child. A woman may sit in abundance and in affluence by refusing to care for a child or woman can give herself up to the most significant responsibility in the face of the air in the scheme of human relationships.

She can be a mom. Most of the beautiful things in life come by twos and threes by dozens and hundreds. Plenty of roses plenty of stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins but only one mother in the whole world. Take the Mother's Day questionnaire. Your kids okay your husband okay are you okay I hope you have a great great Mother's Day courage award, about the high calling of motherhood from Alastair Bragg listing to Truth for Life.

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Join us on Monday as we begin a new study in the book of Jonah titled man overboard.

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