A Vision of Motherhood

Our teaching this morning on this Mother's Day. It's easy to find lots of illustrations about mothering. Well, I'm not about to risk a whole lot of wrath here this morning. We know of Susanna Wesley, John Wesley's mom. In Christian heritage, she's perceived to be one of the great exemplars of motherhood. Here are some of her rules. She had 19 kids, by the way, if you think you have it rough. The story goes that she had her quiet times by telling her kids to be quiet for an hour. And she'd sit down in the kitchen and put her apron over her head. And they knew not to say anything. Here were her rules. Think of what would happen if this were true in your household. No child was to be given a thing because he cried for it. If a child wanted to cry, cry softly was the rule. In her house was rarely heard loud cries by children. No eating and drinking between meals. And that's it right there. The snack industry would be out. Except when sick. Sleeping was regulated. When a very small child was given three hours in the morning and three hours of nap in the afternoon. This was eventually shortened so there was no sleeping allowed during the daytime. Punctuality. The little ones were laid in the cradle and rocked to sleep. At 7 p.m. each child was put to bed. At 8 p.m. she left the room. She never allowed herself to sit by the bed until the child sleeps. The little ones had their own tables near the main table. I like this one. When they could handle fork and knife, they were promoted to the family table. Now here's one that would, this would vary as parents. Each one must eat and drink everything before him. How many of you grew up that way? What happened to your kids? I've seen your kids. Well anyhow. Children must address each other. Here's a good one for you. As sister so-and-so and brother so-and-so. Could you imagine that? Would that change the way our kids dealt with each other? Anyhow, there's some other rules here that you wouldn't believe. There was a mother for you. She had 19 kids. Well, 1 Samuel chapter 1. Now in this story, we're going to read about a man who had two wives. His name was Alcanna. Lest you think that God is a condoner of polygamy, he's not. But from time to time, the people of God took advantage of his mercy and grace. In this case, Alcanna had two wives. One, Peninnah, who had multiple children, many children. She was just blessed and very fruitful. And another wife whom he loved very, very much. His name was Hannah. And she was barren. Now, the Bible says that regularly as they went to the temple to offer their sacrifices of worship and praise, Peninnah, the wife with all the kids, would mock and make fun and humiliate Hannah, the wife with no children. Imagine her pain as month by month and year by year. Peninnah mocked her and made her feel ashamed and embarrassed about the fact that she had no kids. Well, after many years, the Bible says, Hannah was desperate. She cried out to the Lord and said, Lord, Lord, you've got to change this situation. And Lord, if you give me a child, I'll raise him to the best of my ability. And I'll give him back to the Lord and to your service for his entire life. And as the story goes, God heard Hannah's cry and gave him a son whom she named Samuel. And Hannah raised him as she promised and handed him over to Eli the priest. And when she brought him in, she told Eli, in verse 25, you can read it, Eli, I made this vow to God and God has heard my prayer and given me a son. And now I bring him to you to raise him up in the things of the Lord that he might be consecrated to the service of God. And Samuel became a very significant prophet in the redemptive history of God. Samuel was the one who anointed Saul as king, as the people cried out for an earthly king. And then later on, when Saul failed to meet God's demands in his life, Samuel then anointed David to become king. And of course, through the line of David came King Jesus. So Samuel was a very important prophet and affected greatly the lives of God's people. But I want to make just four brief observations this morning about Hannah, who I think serves us today as a model mother. Four things. You can take notes on that little insert in your bulletin this morning and maybe have something to talk about over your Mother's Day brunch that I'm sure you're going to enjoy. And men, I want to just admonish you a bit here, don't tune out as if there won't be anything here for you. Because God's Word has something to say to us all this morning. The first thing I want to mention this morning, that if a woman has a vision to be a mother, if she aspires to motherhood, the first thing is she has a noble vision. Hannah wanted to be a mother more than anything else. And she, by the way, was a very wonderfully blessed woman. From what we know, Elkanah took care of her. He loved her, the Bible says, very tenderly. She was special to him, but she had a great aspiration in her heart to be a mother. Women who aspire to be a mother, I want you to know today, this is a noble aspiration. It's an honorable investment of one's life. And throughout history, it's been shown that motherhood is the most significant investment of a woman's life. Motherhood. When women have given themselves fully to the ministry of mothering, lives have been changed, countless lives through history. About three years ago, when the son of Francis Schaeffer, how many of you read a book in your Christian walk by Francis Schaeffer, the theologian? If you haven't, you ought to read some of his works. His son, Frankie Schaeffer, is also a wonderfully gifted man, an artist, and very in touch with the needs in our culture. A magazine editor had asked Frankie Schaeffer, right after his father's death, he said, what fields do you feel the most pressing for Christians to begin to reclaim for Christ? Thinking, of course, that Frankie Schaeffer was going to talk about literature or art, or something such as that, politics. Here's what he said. The most important field in the United States today to be reclaimed for Christ is the profession of homemaking. What America needs is hundreds of thousands of women who have the courage and faith to stay home, even though it's unfashionable. Women committed to work at raising their children in a godly home. Our only hope is the future generation, and no one can train that future generation the way mothers can. So it is imperative that mothers, godly homemakers, become the heroines of the Christian movement and not be treated as if they were extra baggage. I thought that was a very insightful quote. From what I see out there in these days, dear ones, unfortunately there's a movement away from the centrality of motherhood. I personally attribute a lot of it to the feminist movement, and not that everything about the feminist movement is wrong, but I believe they have sought to slowly strip away the nobility of motherhood. And it's not uncommon to hear in circles outside of the church and sometimes inside of the church something like this. You see, if a woman says, I'm giving my life, I'm giving myself, my best energies to a career in law or medicine or business or politics, there's a great cheer that's raised up from the grandstands of the culture. But if a woman says, Well, I've chosen to give myself to a career of motherhood, there's a silence, much like I'm hearing right now. And then maybe if you listen carefully, you hear a little heckling. Mothering? That's it? Aren't you going to do more than that? Isn't there something more that you want to do? And right off the bat, that particular person begins to sense that there's a judgment made on their decision just to be a mother. And then it's reinforced over and over again, isn't it? And we turn on our TVs and we see the commercials when the woman comes in with this impeccably dressed business suit with a bag of groceries in the one hand and a briefcase in the other and her 1.8 kids and her apron-clad husband come up to her and she says, I didn't ask to have it all, but I do. Gone is or at least faded is the perspective that says mothering full time, mothering, is a worthy investment in shaping a future generation of leaders. You see, emphasis in our culture today, like never before, is on immediate gratification. What you're worth is what you make. What impact you have in your particular market niche. And so earning power and marketability, what you have now is what people value and it's such a short-term perspective. We used to say, those of us in maybe a little older generation, the hand that rocks the cradle, what? Rules the world. Indicating a conscious understanding of the value of motherhood in shaping the course of destiny of human history. But today things are different. I was captured not long ago by an outdoor marquee in front of a daycare center just in front of Richland High School. Those of you who live in that community will know what I'm going to say. Here's what the marquee said. We now accept six-week-old infants. They may think that's wonderful. I think it's tragic. What a short-term perspective to have a kid as quickly as possible. How short a time can I transfer the care of that child to someone else? The nobility of the vision of motherhood has been slowly stripped away in many, many circles. Often a child is perceived as one more thing to be experienced. As sort of a rite of passage. I sicken. I just can't handle some of the media people who in their later, later years decide, well, I ought to have a child because it's the one thing I haven't done yet. These are tough times for mothering. There's no question. Perhaps the toughest times ever. But Hannah, she saw it differently. It was the highest desire she could have. It was a noble calling, something that she aspired. And ladies, I hope today that you aspire in that way too. It's a noble calling. But some of you must be thinking this morning, Jay, I mean, I enjoy other pursuits. I have other interests and gifts. I mean, I'm perhaps a mother, but there's other things that I like to do. Is that wrong? Are we all alike? And of course, the answer to that is no. And this is the second point. If you aspire to be a mother, you can expect to have a challenged vision in your life. There's going to be some times when that vision is challenged in different ways. Scripture abounds with illustrations of women that God used mightily in his redemptive purposes at various times and seasons in their lives. There's never presented just one path or one box in which every woman fits in a role that would be pleasing to God. Women, you need to be freed from the agonizing scrutiny of other men and listen, and other women who maybe look at you in a way and say, well, you're just not exactly fitting the mold. I often hear comments about homeschooling and given in such a way that, well, if you don't homeschool, you know, you don't really care for your kids. And see, God has lots of different ways and different times and seasons for women to present themselves to the purposes of God, to do things in a way that would please Him and glorify Him. If you listen to the Lord and you follow His leading and obey His call, He's surely going to bring you, ladies, to a place of fulfillment where you know that you're following Him and walking in His blessing and grace. And there's loads of illustrations in Scripture, aren't there, of women who God used very powerfully in a certain time and season in their life. I just want to mention a couple of them, and I think it might encourage a few of you. Take, first of all, the woman named Deborah. Back in the book of Judges, you can read about it in chapter 4 of Judges. Deborah was a woman who God raised up, and this is going to throw some men kind of upside down, to be the leader of the nation in a season when all of Israel was awash with confusion and uncertainty. The Lord raised up Deborah to lead the women through this season of challenge. And by the way, she gave leadership for 40 years and brought peace to the nation of Israel. She didn't evaluate her place in life by what other women were doing at the time. She was the exception. Another woman that I find greatly inspiring in Scripture is Esther. You can read about her life in the book named after her. And Esther lived in a time when the people of God were kind of in subjection, but she was a very, very beautiful woman. She would have made the cover of all of our magazines, Glamour and so on. She was so beautiful, in fact, that the king of that day called her to be his queen. And so she had a position of great influence in this time in her life. However, there came an evil person by the name of Haman. You know the story that came along? And he plotted to wipe out, to annihilate all the Jews. He hated Jews. Now, that's nothing different. But he wanted to annihilate them. And Esther's uncle Mordecai heard about it. He pleaded with Esther to go in and risk not just her position as queen, but her very life. If you approach the king without permission, you right on the spot would be killed. That was the law. And Esther wrestled with this. And you read a lot about the process of coming to grips with God's call in her life. And she says one of the most courageous things, one of the most inspiring things in all of Scripture, and I'd like to put this on, please, in Esther 4, verse 16. Let's read it together. She says, I will go to the king, and even though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish. What a statement of commitment from a woman. If I perish, I perish. Esther heard the call of God in her life and obeyed. And as you know this story, the Lord redeemed the children of Israel. In the New Testament, God used women powerfully. We can read all about women of God in the New Testament. You may have heard of the powerful ministry team of Priscilla and Aquila. Ever heard of them? Acts chapter 19, 18. Priscilla and Aquila came to a man named Apollos who was a young but very gifted convert and teacher. And God used Priscilla to help shape Apollos and the things of God and to make him an outstanding man of God. And finally, I just want to mention Mary. Some people say, well, the Catholics put too much of this on Mary and too much of that. You know what I feel? I think we ought to do what the Bible says and esteem Mary highly. Don't you think that? Because the Bible says that she was chosen. Of all the women that God could have chose, he chose Mary. Because she was available in that time and season to give herself full time to the raising up of the Son of God. And so you see the spectrum, ladies. That's the point. You see, you can have a Deborah who's leading. You can have an Esther who's laying down her life. You can have a Priscilla who's behind the scenes shaping. Or you can have a Mary who's giving her life full time to mothering. All of them are in the purposes of God. There isn't one single mold. But they're all serving the Lord and doing God's call in their life. And I want to say, it would be very healthy in this church if we more overtly affirmed one another in our particular calling. I mean, wouldn't it be great, women, this morning, to know that if you're a single person out there working in the marketplace perhaps or married and working in the marketplace, that full time mothers are there praying for you and supporting you? And likewise, full time mothers, wouldn't it be great to know that those women who are out in the marketplace are also cheering you on and supporting you in your call? Instead of kind of evaluating, perhaps, or, well, you know, I'm not sure that you're doing the best. Let's just affirm each other. We can be that kind of people here and honor God in that way. The third thing that Hannah teaches us is that she underscores that a vision of motherhood is a prayerful vision. A prayerful vision. You know, despite the relentless assaults of Peninnah and others, Hannah survived. And she did it because she had a secret weapon, ladies. She had the weapon of prayer. Verse 15, if you want to look at it, says that, she says, I'm a woman who is deeply troubled. I've not been drinking wine or beer. She was so earnest in her prayers that Eli literally thought she was drunk. I have to say, this morning, I wouldn't get that impression from most of us. At 8.15 in the morning, it's more like we passed out than we're drunk. We have to understand something, folks. God's touch by earnest prayer. He is. Make no mistake. Not showy prayers, but earnest prayers. And it just strikes me in this Mother's Day, I would have to assert this morning with absolutely no question, that we've got some mothers here today who need prayer. We've got some mothers today of prodigal sons and daughters who think your life's been a failure. And you need prayer this morning. We've got some single moms here today, no doubt, who wonder how long they can make it on their own. We've got some hurting moms here today who feel like their home is a disaster area. And you're wondering, where are you going to find some wisdom and counsel to put things together? We've got some moms here today and blended families who are having a difficult time making families merge. And you need some prayer this morning. We've got some moms here today who are ill. And physically, you're just having a tough time keeping it all together. You don't have the energy that you need. You need prayer this morning. We have some women here today, doubtless, who wish they were moms. And for whatever reason, it's not been in God's plan at this point. And you need prayer today to trust God for His best in your life. I don't know what reason you need prayer, but if you do, then pray. Come up right after the service today and have an elder pray with you. Pray where you are. Pray through the week. I was so lifted a couple of weeks ago or about a month ago now when I got some reports back that some prayer platoons were comprised entirely of women who were praying for each other as mothers just to support each other in that very difficult and challenging season. They all had young preschoolers and so on. I suppose those moms, the moms of... How many moms of multiple preschoolers do we have here? God bless. They're all home. Yes, they're buried this morning. They certainly need prayer this morning too. Hear what Jesus says in Matthew 11. Can we put that up, please? Matthew 11 and verse 28. He says, Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Write it down. Matthew 11, 28. You might need to hear the promise of 1 Peter 5, 7. Cast all your cares upon me, the Lord says, because I care for you. Mothers, this is a tough time, but prayer, prayer is available to you. And I want to say pray often and pray earnestly and pray with others. Pray along. Women, pray. I'm looking for women to pray in this church. We need to see a model of praying women. And finally, the fourth thing that I want to mention to you today, the fourth thing that I see is that a vision of motherhood is a sacrificial vision. Hannah discovered that no matter what the initial reasons for wanting a child, and by the way, in that culture, to not have a child was a particular burden, a particular object of scorn. But for whatever reason Hannah wanted a child, she came to the place where she also recognized that the most important thing she could give that child is to allow God to have his full reign in his life, that his ultimate destiny was to be found in the purposes of God, and not just in her owning him somehow because she so badly wanted a son or a daughter. And when she got that vision, she said to the Lord in verse 11, Lord, if you grant me a son, if you grant me a son, the desire of my heart, I'll give him back to you. I'll sacrifice him, Lord, back to you. I'll do everything in my power to raise him and give him a clear vision of who you are, and then I'm going to release him into your service. And God saw her heart and the clear vision that she had, and she chose to honor her prayer for a son. And the Lord doesn't always answer that prayer, but he did for Hannah. And she did exactly what she promised, and she gave Samuel back to the Lord. And God used him. And Hannah decided that if she raised up a child, it wasn't just going to be a child who was going to be well-adjusted and bright and intelligent and well-educated. It wasn't enough for Hannah to have her son become someone maybe who was way up in the business world or had a big house. She wanted him to be fully devoted to the Lord for a lifetime. Mothers of North Way, I'm going to ask you a question this morning. How high is your vision for your children? What are you aiming at for your son and your daughter? I'm not going to elevate full-time Christian service as God's only real calling, but I'm wondering why all of us wouldn't want our sons or daughters to give their lives to the Lord and to serve Him in whatever specific calling they might have. To live fully devoted lives of service to Him. To make a difference in the Kingdom of God. And I have to say candidly this morning, it concerns me, parents. Listen, it concerns me that more of our young people are not going to the mission field or into youth ministry or music ministry or full-time service of some kind. It concerns me. It's not the church's responsibility. It's yours. What kind of a vision are you putting out there for your kids? I mean, do you wake up at night just praying, well, gee, I hope my kids have a big house and a new car and that they have the best title in the company and the corner office? Are you praying for your son or your daughter to be all that God wants them to be? Fully devoted to Him. I mean, after all, I don't wake up at night praying for those things because I've discovered something. Houses and cars and titles don't fulfill, do they? Do they? They don't guarantee a happy marriage or good health or successful life. The only thing to which we have a guarantee is that if we serve Jesus Christ, we will be fulfilled. We will know the blessing of God. And parents, I just want to challenge you this morning, dads and moms, raise the target just a bit, won't you? I mean, paint a new one on the wall. If you've been aiming a little too low, if you're just, well, I just pray we get through the teenage years. Don't pray that way. Pray that God will give you a mighty son or daughter of God. I was at a conference this week for a few days, just a few days, and I learned some things. But probably the most impactful moment that I had was in the second night of the conference, the primary convener of the conference and main speaker said that his granddaughter had had a word from the Lord. And he was an older man. I thought maybe this was a gal in her twenties. Well, this little nine-year-old walks out and said, the Lord had given me a vision that he was healing knee problems in this meeting. And all of us probably would have said, I'm sure we did, well, that's really cute. And I expected her fully to, for the gentleman who was leading, he said, well, thank you, honey. Now let's pray for kneecaps. No, no. He said, I want all the people with knee problems today to come up. And I thought for sure he was going to pray for them and lay hands. No, no. She took the microphone and with real authority, and not just parroting words and not just some kind of a tin pan sort of polyester prophet idea, but with real genuine understanding of the Word of God, she began to declare God's healing on these people, one after another, with knee problems. And I'll tell you, it just blew me away. It was touching. It was powerful. How many of you think that God hears the prayer of a child? Parents, what are you aiming at? What do you see happening in your kid's life? Well, it's the church's problem. No, no, no. We'll support you. It's your call. It's your challenge. It's your ministry, first of all. And I believe the Lord wants to raise up a generation of young people who will serve God with all of their hearts and follow Him without reservation. So in conclusion, let me just say one last time on this Mother's Day, that if you're called to motherhood, it's a noble calling. I mean, it's a high vision that you've been given. It's something, ladies, it really is, to give life and then to give your life to the raising up of that little one. I mean, that's a calling that will last eternally. Unless you think that this is just something that, you know, sounds good on Mother's Day from the pulpit. Let me show you what Barbara Bush said recently at a Wellesley College graduation. She said this, As important as your obligations as a doctor, lawyer, business leader will be, you are a human being first. And those human connections with spouses and children and friends are the most important investments you will ever make. At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent. If you have children, they must come first. Your success as a family, our success as a society, depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens in your house. You can say amen to that. I believe that's true. So on this Mother's Day morning, mothers before God, and your spouse, and your family, and your children, and your friends, and those all gathered here this morning, I want to say as God's messenger this morning, to all of you mothers, we honor you today. We honor you for giving your life, for investing yourself in the high calling of motherhood, for putting your gifts on the line to serve the next generation of godly leaders. I want to remind you mothers, as you serve your children and minister to them, you're serving the Lord Jesus. Amen. Moms, I want you to listen, and I want all the rest of us, men and children as well, to listen as Ken Martin comes to sing. Beautiful.