A couple of months ago I was at a Christian radio station’s Share-a-Thon (WGCR – Pisgah Forest, NC) and heard Bro. Lee Davis, pastor of Georgetown Baptist in Leicester, NC, preach. He made reference to a bumper sticker you may have seen. It says, “Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History.” Brother Davis used this quote early in the message, and then followed quickly with one of his own, “No, but their children often do!”
While meditating on the influence of a Godly mother and just how much the Bible has to say about women/mothers, my mind went to a short devotion, borrowed from Our Daily Bread, that was used in the May newsletter at our church. While the church family has seen it, my prayer is that it will be an encouragement to visitors to our website as well. May God richly bless those mothers who are prayerfully striving to influence their children for God and His glory!
Many Godly men of the past have been richly blessed by what they learned from their mothers. Consider the Biblical characters Moses, Samuel, and Timothy. The maternal influence experienced by these spiritual leaders bore rich fruit in their lives. Think too of men like Augustine, John Newton, and the zealous Wesley brothers. Their names would probably never have lighted the pages of history if it hadn’t been for the Godly women who raised them in homes where the law of love and a Christian witness were their daily guide and inspiration.
Susannah Wesley, for example, spent one hour each day praying for her 17 children. In addition, she took each child aside for a full hour every week to discuss spiritual matters. No wonder two of her sons, Charles and John, were used of God to bring blessing to all of England, and much of America. Here are a few rules she followed in training her children:
(1) Subdue self-will in a child and thus work together with God to save his soul (emphasis added). (2) Teach him to pray as soon as he can speak. (3) Give him nothing he cries for and only what is good for him if he asks for it politely. (4) To prevent lying, punish no fault which is freely confessed, but never allow a rebellious, sinful act to go unnoticed. (5) Commend and reward good behavior. (6) Strictly observe all promises you have made to your child.
Let us honor our Godly mothers today, not only with words of praise, but with lives that reflect the impact of their holy influence!
