Things I've Learned From Mom

2015-05-10 
Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

Memory Verse:
Prov. 31:30
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

Prov. 31:10
Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar. 15 She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle. 20 She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants. 25 Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. 27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates. 

Today is Mother’s Day and I just want to talk about things I learned from my mom. These are important life lessons that have guided me, changed me, helped me, encouraged me and made me who I am today. I do this today, not so much to praise my mom (which I certainly do), but to encourage all of us to be better people, better in what we do and in how we do it. Not just for moms…but for all of us.

So, together, let’s take some of the truths from Proverbs 31 and see if we can’t make some practical application to our lives for today and for the rest of our lives.

1. Being honest is always better than being right
v11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her…
– Some people work very hard at never being “wrong” and will allow conflict to build just so that won’t have to admit they’re wrong
– You can’t be a person who is “safely trusted” if you never allow yourself to be vulnerable

2. Hard work is always better than just getting by
v13 She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands.
– Many people today want to do the minimum to get by, that doesn’t move us from ordinary to extraordinary

3. Helping is always better than ignoring those in need
v20 She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
– Turning a blind eye to the needs of those around us not only dishonors them, it dishonors God

4. Family is always better than fame
v23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.
– What takes place within the home will always either make your family better or worse
– Realize the gifts from God that live within your home
– Spend more time focusing on your family than focusing on yourself

5. Kindness is always better than anger
v26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
– Some people are always filled with anger, conflict and jealousy
– Wisdom and Kindness go hand in hand
– You can’t be a person of wisdom if you are not also a person of kindness

6. Loving God is always better than anything
v30b …But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
– Putting God first is a requirement to loving life and loving others
– Putting God first will not only make you a better person, it will make those around you better people

Matthew 6:33