RELATIONSHIP – PART 2: MOTHERS’ DAY SPECIAL

TEXT: II SAM. 9: 1 & 7 – David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can how kindness for Jonathan’s sake? “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all
                                      the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
Hearty congratulations to our mothers on this occasion of Mothers’ Day. We pray that the Lord would make our mothers worthy of double honour at all times in Jesus name. Celebration of Mothers’ Day is in line with what the bible enjoined us to do in Exo. 20:12 where it states “Honour your father and your mother; so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you” (NIV). On this occasion of the Mothers’ Day, we shall be looking at Relationship, our theme of the month as it relates to mothers. In Matt. 19: 19 God describes the kind of relationship we should have with our parents and others. According to the bible you should “honour your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbour as yourself” (NIV).
Who is a mother? There are many definitions of who is a mother. Some of the common definitions describe a mother as a woman who raises up a child or a woman who gave birth to a child or a woman who donates the ovum that led to the birth of a child. However, from responses from most people who have been asked about who a mother is, the most common argument has been that motherhood is much more than just carrying and giving birth to a child, but rather it is about the relationships that exist between a woman and a child. That is why the definition of a mother is far beyond those that actually gave birth to children. For instance, Mother Teresa has more children than any other woman and is still and would always be remembered by the numerous poor children that she helped raised up. For some of the poor children that she raised up, that is the only mother they probably know.
In the bible, what is the kind of relationships that should exist between a mother and others? In Psa. 113: 9, we were told that God “settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD” (NIV). From this passage we can learn that God’s expectation is that mothers should be joyful. Why should mothers be joyful? It is because mood can be infectious. Mothers would determine the mood in their homes. If you are joyful as a mother, you would implicitly be sowing joy and in return reap joy as harvest. This is why the bible says in Eze. 16:44 that “everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: Like mother, like daughter” (NIV). What can we learn from this as well? It is the fact that a mother must show good examples unto her children in her relationship at home and outside.
God is aware that children naturally would pick habits from their parents; daughters being more likely to pick habits from their mothers. This would lead us to want to ask our mothers today about what kind of relationship we are showing to our children. God has a set of expectations from our mothers, which can be found in Prov. 30: 10 – 31. In verses 26 – 31, the bible describes a virtuous woman as the one who “speaks with wisdom,and faithful instruction is on her tongue.She watches over the affairs of her householdand does not eat the bread of idleness.Her children arise and call her blessed;her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things,but you surpass them all.”Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.Honour her for all that her hands have done,and let her works bring her praise at the city gate”(NIV). You would notice that we have deliberately underlined two sections of the passage that we would like our mothers to note especially. The first is that our mothers should learn to speak with wisdom and grace; their words seasoned, edifying and lifting. Secondly, they are to promote the fear of the lord above physical beauty and adornment.
However, just as our mothers have very big responsibilities, they are also entitled to many rights. In addition to honouring our mothers, our Lord Jesus Christ showed us example of how we should take care of our mothers. First, He expects that we should be sensitive to their needs. Second, we are expected to take care of them, provide for them and meet their needs, particularly when we get to the level when the role of caring has to be reversed. We must not abandon or neglect them for anything. Do not use an excuse of being born-again to deny your mother of her rightful needs for love and provision. In Jn. 19: 26 – 27, when our Lord Jesus Christ, was about to die, He was sensitive to His mother’s needs for love and care. The bible says “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, 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” (NIV). From this passage, you would realise that our Lord Jesus Christ made sure that He made adequate provision that His mother would be properly looked after. He purposely selected the disciples that He was sure would take care of His mother very well.  The account records that the disciples that He loved took Jesus mother to her home.
As children, the Lord expects that we must maintain a good relationship with our mothers; we are expected to honour them, care for them; provide for their physical and emotional needs; and make them joyful. It is their unconditional rights. Give it to them. As you do this, God would cause you to enjoy long life that He promised in Exod. 20:12.
May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ that passes human understanding be made available to our mothers in Jesus Sanctuary in Jesus name.
Happy Mothers’ Day
Shalom   
Dr. Yinka Okude
Pastor-in-Charge
RCCG, Jesus Sanctuary Northampton