THE REALISTIC MOTHER IN A REAL WORLD
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 31: 10 – 31
INTRODUCTON:
A
teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it
does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: "My full
name has six letters. The first one is the letter M. I pick up things. What am
I?" When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to
find that almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the word
“Mother”.
As
I begin, I will say this, there is no way to cover this topic appropriately in
one message. What I say will not fit
every mother. Each person will identify
some portions of the message, but certainly not all of the message. This day can be one of the happiest. Also, it can bring a lot of pain. There are those who are childless and must
endure another Mother’s Day celebration with all the mothers receiving flowers
and other gifts. Then, there are those
who have lost their mother. Today, the
sadness of that loss returns. They hold
back the tears, if they can, throughout the service. And, not all mothers have measured up to the well known, often
preached, Proverbs 31. There are those
who have and I thank God for them and that they have been able to accomplish
such a mighty task. Lastly, there are
many broken relationships between mothers and children as well as mothers and
fathers.
I. WHAT IS THE “IDEAL WOMAN” LIKE?
A. You’ll
get a variety of answers to that question!
"The ideal woman was
described 2,500 years ago in Proverbs 31--and she is still
intimidating her sisters
ever since." Liz Higgs
Some say the ideal woman is a woman who will obey
your every whim, wait on you hand and foot, and literally worship the ground
you walk on (I think the word for this is Male Chauvinism). Others say the
ideal woman can do the work of two men, and if women were prime ministers and
presidents, wars would end, unemployment would be eliminated, and world hunger
would be a thing of the past. The truth lies somewhere between these two extremes. Ricky Burke
B. Proverbs
31 describes the ideal wife and mother:
1. (v. 11-12) Her husband can completely trust in her.
She will in no way embarrass
him.
2. (v. 13 – 15) She is not
afraid of work. She works hard and
long.
She feeds and clothes and her family well.
According to the United Nation’s statistics: “Women
constitute over 50 percent of the world’s population. But women do
three-fourths of the world’s work, receive one-tenth of the world’s salaries,
and own one one-hundredth of the world’s land.” Women are major players in
keeping the world going, but get less than their share of the compensation.
Yet, they keep going, because they are not doing it for the sake of monetary
reward, but out of the satisfaction of being responsible — even though they may
be doing more than their share. One bumper sticker read: “Real women don’t have
hot flashes, they have power surges.”
3. (v. 16) She keeps her eye
open for good deals. She is diligent in
business.
4. (v. 26 – 27) She watches
her speech and her behavior.
It’s certainly true that no nation (or family, or
church) is ever greater than its mothers, for they are the makers of the next
generation.
I believe that all women should strive to achieve
the idealistic description given in Proverbs 31. But, most of us live in a realistic world. I am not saying it is not possible, but to
fulfill the entire list constantly throughout life is not an easy task. I want to use these scriptures as a
springboard to talk about the idealistic versus the realistic.
A.
Idealistic
1. Everything is perfect. Nothing goes wrong.
2. Everyone gets what he or she wished for.
3. Everything ends with “And they all lived
happily ever after.”
B.
Realistic
1. We deal with problems throughout life.
2. Broken dreams are often the norm.
3. Some things are never fixed.
C.
Idealistic vs. Realistic
1. Bodies
a. The idealistic mother will have a perfect body even after having
four or five kids.
b. The realistic
mother knows she will never see size 8 or 10
again except maybe in shoe
size.
2. Raising Children
a. The idealistic
mother will expect to attend her son’s
graduation as he graduates
with honors.
b. The realistic
mother may have to visit her son in jail or
prison, or may be even visit
his grave site. Or she may
even be a childless wife who
lives with the pain like
Hannah of wanting children,
but having none.
3. Homes
a. The idealistic
mother lives in a castle type setting on a hill.
b. The realistic
mother may live in an apartment down town, or
in a run down neighborhood.
4. Job/Career
a. The idealistic
mother has a Master’s degree and has her own
office in the business
district.
b. The realistic
mother may have barely finished high school or dropped
out and is working on a GED. She takes whatever job she can find.
Idealistic families only
exist in fairy tales, poems, or movies.
Most of us live in reality.
III. LIVING WITH REALITY
Sitting
in our pews today and pews across America are realistic moms living in the real
world. We give cards, flowers, and
various gifts this weekend to mothers, but what do most mothers really need?
A.
Forgiveness
1. Forgiveness for all of the times she wasn’t
able to meet the idealistic expectations.
Forgiveness will relieve the guilt even if it
unrealistic.
2. Forgiveness for all the mistakes she has
made in her life.
3. Forgiveness for the sins she has committed
against God.
All have sinned, even
mothers.
B.
Grace
1. To understand that no one is perfect in a
real world.
2. To accept that what ever she has done, it’s
done. She can’t go back.
She must go on.
3. To understand that she is not alone. Many others are in the same position
this morning.
C.
Mercy
1. To deal with the broken heart or broken
home.
2. To deal with the wayward child.
3. To deal with all the heartaches of decades
of mothering.
I’m not excusing inappropriate behavior, I am saying
there is a God to help though. Regardless
of your situation this morning, you need a God of reality.
IV. A GOD OF REALITY
Hebrews 2:17 “Wherefore in all things it behoved him
to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful
high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of
the people. 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able
to succor them that are tempted.”
Not only is He our High Priest, but he is able to be
sympathetic to our situation as He intercedes, for He too was in the flesh, to
know and feel. Derickson’s Notes
He is able to succour ... This does not mean that he would not have
had “power” to assist others if he had not gone through these sufferings, but
that he is now qualified to sympathize with them from the fact that he has
endured like trials. The idea is, that one who has himself been called to
suffer is able to
sympathize with those who suffer; one who has been
tempted, is able to sympathize with those who are tempted in like manner. One
who has been sick is qualified to sympathize with the sick; one who has lost a
child, can sympathize with him who follows his beloved son or daughter to the
grave; one who has had some strong temptation to sin urged upon himself can
sympathize with those who are now tempted; one who has never been sick, or who
has never buried a friend, or been tempted, is poorly qualified to
impart consolation in such scenes. Barnes’ Notes
Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sin. 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne
of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Christ understands what it is like to live in the real
world. He deals with us in such
terms. God loves you. Why don’t you accept His forgiveness this
morning?