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October 5, 2021 1:00 am
Motherhood is key to a nation’s survival since mothers bear and train the next generation. The Bible exalts mothers, giving them principles by which they can fulfill their role. Motherhood is a vital component in rebuilding fractured families.
Click here to listen (Duration 25:02)One reason for us to Jesus phone number for what our culture urges women to break through the glass ceiling only women can bear children and thus preserve our future. That's why motherhood is so key to a nation's survival today. Motherhood is a vital component of fractured family from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is going to win with Dr. Sir was clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line looks or tell us what you mean by mystique of motherhood will Dave.
I'm not sure that I can give a comprehensive definition on the mystique of motherhood, but I have to say that when I think about it.
My own mother comes to mind. Now I was the last of five children, so she and I spent a lot of time together when my siblings were in school and I always believed that I was her favorite child. Perhaps she made the other children feel the same way. The point is the influence of a mother, her godly character. Her prayer for me.
Her interest in my life. All of that has stayed with me and those are the kinds of insights I share in an interview I gave to Philip Miller recently entitled the past, the present and the future. I gave this interview because I wanted to give praise to God for all of the things that I've learned in my journey. All of the opportunities that I have had all traceable to praying parents and God's goodness for a gift of any amount.
This interview can be yours.
Ask for the past the present and the future pastor Philip interviewed me and I think it will be a blessing to you. Here's what you do go to RT W offer.com RT W offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for the past the present and the future. This is written by a mother. It's entitled things I've learned from my children. I've learned that a king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 square house 4 inches deep. I learned a three-year-olds voices louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant, I learned that double pane windows are not strong enough to stop a baseball that has been hit by a ceiling fan brake fluid mixed with Clorox make smoke lots of it. Play-Doh and microwave should not be used in the same sentence. Superglue is forever no matter how much Jell-O you put in the swimming pool.
You can't walk on the water marbles in gas tanks, make lots of noise when driving woman says I'm two months pregnant. Now, when will my baby move, the answer is. With any luck right after he finishes college, somebody says it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby. Somebody doesn't know that once you've had a baby.
Normal is history. That's what well on a more serious note, back in 1928 the Rev. Caldwell wrote these words well may we pause to pay honor to her, who after Jesus Christ is God's best gift to man a mother. It was she who shared her life with us, when as yet our members were unformed into the valley of the shadow of death. She walked that we might have the light of life in her arms was the gardener of our food and the soft couch for our repose.
There we nestled in the hour of pain. There was the playground of our infant Lee those same arms later became our refuge and stronghold. It was she who taught her baby feet to go and lifted us up over rough places her blessed hand applied the needle by day and by night to make our infant close, she put the book under our arm and started us off for school. But best of all she taught her baby lips to list the name of Jesus and told us the wondrous story of the Savior's love. There are wicked mothers like Jezebel of old, but I am glad to believe that they are comparatively few and that most mothers are loving and caring when our pragmatic and self-centered age. There probably are more mothers who are not good mothers but we thank God today for all those who with sacrifice and love and tenderness raise their children for God. We're talking about reclaiming the family. It's not possible to reclaim the family unless we reclaim motherhood there certain myths that have come about in society back in the 70s and we are reaping the impact of those MIPS one is that every woman who doesn't have a career outside of the home is being cheated and exploited by a male dominated society. That is a myth. I know that sometimes it is necessary for mothers of young children to work outside the home. Sometimes necessity demands that but there can be no substitute at all for the tender touch and care of a mother giving attention to a child through all those formative years.
A second myth is that children don't need the extensive nurturing and involvement of their mothers, that you can get others to do for money what you cannot do. For whatever reason, but that simply is a myth mothers your role in the home and to those children is absolutely critical.
It is said that one day a woman came to deal Moody with a little boy holding the hands of a little boy and them. She said Mr. Moody. I believe God is calling me to the mission field, and he said yes he sure is calling you and there's the little he then right there some others. God is calling you to the mission field, and there he is right there crying at two in the morning.
That's your mission field. There other myths and society as well. Now I need to tell you that this is been an agonizing week for me in the preparation of this message, not because of its content.
That was easy but was agonizing because of a number of reasons. First of all, a couple in this church a wonderful couple sent me a letter and a book and they were saying pastor. Please remember on Mother's Day that there are many couples who suffer like we do with infertility. They had had three miscarriages. She said the first time I came to Moody church on Mother's Day I did not want to come but I forced myself to go and she said that was the year that Carrie Mason spoke about her struggle with infertility and now I'm quoting from the letter as tears streamed down my face. I thank God I made the choice to attend, but let's keep in mind that there are couples for whom Mother's Day is difficult, then secondly their mothers who have lost their children.
Mothers who, for whatever reason, may have empty arms today, even though they are mothers. Perhaps they gave their child up for adoption for them.
Mother's Day is difficult as well and then you think of all the mothers who believe that they have failed. This week I was speaking to a mother who said this to me in more candor than she needed to because I was even asking her about these things, but this is what she said. She said you may think of me as a nice person because I can be kind, I can be sociable and care about people, but she said when I'm at home. She said I scream, I lose my temper and she said I'm a very very bad mother. Now that dear woman lost her husband to suicide. So she began to share with me what she'd been through, trying to raise kids as a single mother so there mothers out there who who think that they have failed.
And speaking of single mothers just imagine for a moment.
Folks, the loneliness, the sense of the sense of frustration in not being able to share a deep levels regarding the children that you are trying to raise you do not have someone to respond to some benchmark, some somebody with whom you can discuss the ideas like one single mother said the thing I miss is adult conversation nobody to discuss the matters of life with.
Imagine that. And then there are some of you were single mothers who do not have your children because it may well be that custody has gone to their father. So I'm thinking about all of you today and I'm also thinking of all of the mothers who have fulfilled their role in in wonderful and and encouraging ways that was part of my struggle this week. The other part was that I had decided to speak on Proverbs chapter 31 and that's a difficult passage to speak on because number one it's so familiar.
I can imagine some saying, oh, here we are again the verge is woman of proper chapter 31.
Now I haven't preached that passage for 10 or 12 years but still it's so well known people say all her again and I realize that she is the ideal woman. In fact it says in Proverbs 31 that many women do well but use surpassed them all so there are Proverbs 31 women but they are a unique breed really Evelyn Johnson was a Proverbs 31 woman for sure.
My mother is still a Proverbs 31 woman. And speaking of my mother and for those of us who are grandparents on their 70th wedding anniversary. When mom and dad were together, and all of us five children, all of our children and grandchildren and their grandchildren and great-grandchildren were together. I was sitting beside my mother and I said your mother. Do you actually know the names of your 29 great-grandchildren.
I did know who these kids were who they belong to has they were hunting around.
I'll never forget this.
This is so clear in my mind. It's like a video she just went like this and she said oh, sure, she said either prayer list and I mention every one of them to our heavenly father every day.
Grandparents, there is a model for you to follow your children, your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren in such great need in such great need and every Saturday when I speak to my mother and I call her every Saturday. Joyce is now what are you preaching on on Sunday because she wants to know how to pray better for me and for the ministry. I have a Proverbs 31 mother and I know other Proverbs 31 mothers. I married a Proverbs 31 woman and many of you did to. So here's what we're going to do were going to look at Proverbs chapter 31 very briefly and were going to talk about this ideal woman and then afterwards were going to also talk about God's grace and God's help in the midst of our troubled times and in the midst of her broken families. That's the agenda for the next 15 minutes or so.
So keep hanging in because were going to end with a lot of hope. Proverbs 31.
Now you do have to understand this is a passage that has to be understood in context this woman who had it all together. She had a wonderful husband. She had some money that she could invest. She had lovely clothes and she lived at a time before MTV.
Think of the advantage that she had she lived at a time when young women were not starving themselves to death with various eating disorders because they were obsessed with appearance.
She lived at a time when she could make the clothes rather than going to JT Maxson trying to buy them that I say that wrong. I don't think I've ever been there but I know it exists man the on target. I'm lost.
All right, folks were going to get into the text we really are.
Proverbs chapter 31. You'll notice that she was rightly related to her husband. Verse 10 an excellent wife who can find a she is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant.
She brings her food from afar. Notice the heart of her husband trusts in her she's trustworthy he can trust her with the checkbook.
He can trust her with the children. He knows that she will make wise decisions when he's not at home. He knows that she's not going to be taken in because of some schemes or because of some foolish thing that culture begins to put upon us. He can trust her.
And then notice how much initiative. She has she she seeks wool and flax, and she brings her food verse 14 from afar wife from afar will obviously because it's cheaper.
She's the kind of woman who will take those coupons and actually cut them out. Take the time to cut them out, all things and and show them at the cash register at Dominic's so she is one who was rightly related to her husband. She is also rightly related to her children. It says in verse 50 being she rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household and portions were her maidens. She considers a field and buys it with the fruit of her hand. She plants a vineyard and you'll notice how she takes care of her children. It says that she makes the clothes for them. Verse 19 she puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand it to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all of her household are clothed in scarlet, she's a woman who sacrifices for her children gets up early. The text says she rises when it is still night. I think again of my dear mother out the farm with a wood burning stove. The house would get so hot during the summer when it was used used to get up at about 4 o'clock in the morning, baked bread, so that when we as children got up with a fire in the stove could already be put out so that it would not be too hot for us in the house during the day, all taken care of always thinking ahead, always sacrificing, always considering opportunities for her household when it says in verse 18 that her lamp never goes out, it doesn't mean that she's up all night necessarily what it means is she's always thinking of the future to her to her planning whether it's for winter or for the days ahead for school is always on her mind because she is a woman who really sacrifices and lays down her life for her family.
Cold weather does not cause her panic when she clothes her children in scarlet, it obviously means that she clothed them well, but I would think also that she clothed them modestly, and if she did she would instruct her teenage daughter regarding modesty.
What is appropriate and what isn't appropriate and when the teenage daughter says yeah but everybody's doing it. She would smile and say, you know, but we're not everybody where different we can be countercultural in an age that no longer has biblical standards will my friend, this is Pastor Luther and you've just heard a description of my own mother felt thankful to God I am for every memory I have of her and her investment in the lives of her children notice ministry running to win is in 20 different countries in three different languages the other day I was reminded again of the impact that it has I was speaking at an event in Nashville, a young man I was sitting on a chair and a young man came and knelt beside me and said I want to tell you something, and he looked into my eyes and he said this, he said I was far from God, but I began to listen to the ministry of running to win and it is that ministry that put me back into fellowship with God and he was working now in a Christian organization. Actually, that young man represents hundreds of people thousands across the nation's who been impacted by this ministry mounted. Thank you so much for helping us. Would you consider becoming an endurance partner that someone who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. Here's what you do to get more information.
You go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com when you're there, click on the endurance partner button or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337. Let me give you that phone number again 1-888-218-9337 or RTW offer.com. Click on the endurance partner button.
Thanks in advance for helping us. It's time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Lucerne, a question about the Bible or the Christian life.
When we hear the word addict. Most of us think of drugs or alcohol, but there are other forms of addiction.
Christie is a running to win listener desperate for a solution to her dilemma. She writes my husband of 25 years is addicted to spending is gotten our family so far into debt that I don't think will ever recover. No unfaithfulness, no pornography, no alcohol or physical abuse just spending we've separated from one another several times and he promises to change, but immediately he gets us into more debt. I'm afraid for my children. Does the Bible only allowed divorce for abusive situations or can I get a divorce to protect me and my children from financial disaster.
Will Christie my heart really goes out to you because you're trying to be a good mother you're trying to be a good wife and your dear husband clearly is putting your family in jeopardy in ways that are totally and completely unnecessary couple of things number one you need to go for help and your husband needs help. If he's not in an accountability group in your church men's group where there are those who will hold them accountable, then I think of that there is very little hope that he might change his ways. Something else that is very essential and I would really ask you to consider it.
And that is to see if your bank account can't be separated from his. He clearly cannot be trusted to use money wisely. So what he needs to do is to make sure that his wife and children are protected, and I hope that he has the wisdom to realize that he is a problem and that in some way you can separate your funds so that you don't have to divorce and you don't have to live with this kind of fear that all of you are going to go under. A wise man would indeed take care of his wife along those lines. Furthermore, your husband is seriously sinning seriously.
Sinning the apostle Paul says that if a man does not provide for his wife and children. For those of his household. He is worse than an infidel and has denied the faith, your husband needs to read that verse.
He needs to be jerked into reality. And I'm not sure that you're the one who is able to do it.
You need to go for help to have someone else to do that hold him accountable separate your finances and make sure that you are not connected to the debts that he is incurring and I'm sure that there are those who can help you know how to bring that about.
So that you can go on so that you can still live a married life.
But at the same time have some kind of protection for yourself and your family. I conclude by simply praying in my heart for you that God will help you to resolve this very difficult situation. Thank you Christie for sharing your situation. Thank you Pastor Luther for that advice you'd like to hear your question answered. You can go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at one thing they need 218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us have run into when 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win comes from the Moody Church in Chicago next time. Tune in for more details on what the ideal woman is like. As depicted in the book of Proverbs chapter 31 running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church