James 3.13-18

Much of what James says here about the wisdom from above echoes what Jesus said in the beatitudes, which in turn comes straight out of the OT. Shouldn’t surprise us…because it’s the wisdom that comes from God. From His Word.

So moms, if you want to be wise, spend time in God’s Word. Make it a daily habit. Ask God to use it to change you…to change the way you think, to change the way you see the world around you, to change your attitude and your responses to those around you, to transform you to live and love like Jesus.

That’s not just good for moms. It’s good for all of us.

Moms…you have the incredible responsibility of caring for your kids, and one of the most significant of  your responsibilities when it comes to raising them is not only the time you spend in God’s Word, but also passing it on to your kids by training them up in the fear and admonition of the LORD…teaching them by your words and example to follow God and love Him with their whole heart. That’s where prayer and Bible stories and taking them to church and a lived-out faith come into play.

The world is interested in performance, appearance and influence, and we as parents can fall into that same trap…putting too much pressure on our kids to be the best student or athlete or most popular kid on campus. Making them earn our favor. Moms…pray for God’s help in placing value on the things that God does. Show your kids that their value comes from pleasing God, not from their achievements. 

Moms…as much as you want to, you cannot protect your kids from everything forever. So, take advantage of every one of those teachable moments. Teach your kids to be in the world, but not of the world. You won’t always do it perfectly, and your kids won’t always respond the way that you would have hoped, but moms, when you have done all that you know to do, continue to pray for your kids and be in the Word. You won’t always see the fruit of your labor…it may not seem like it’s “taking”, but remember…when they are in distress, when they are alone, when their worlds are crumbling they will remember what their momma taught them. So take courage.

Finally, Moms…know that your church family wants to support you as you raise your kids. We want them to see this place as their second home. We want them to have lots of examples of folks who are following Jesus as best as they can. If you are a single mom, we want to give them godly men to look to as an example. We want to pray alongside you for their spiritual, emotional and physical protection. We know how difficult it is to navigate this crazy world as a mom and we want to be here for you as a sounding board and prayer warriors.

If you can, thank your mom today for all she has done…give her a hug, send her a text, make a phone call… and let her know how much you love her and that you appreciate all that she has done for you.

pro rege

This post is based on our Mother’s Day sermon. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.