Transcription
We share this morning on attributes of an excellent mother. Attributes of an excellent mother. In Proverbs chapter 31 verse 10, the message by the Bible says, "A good woman is hard to find." A good woman is hard to find. So, as a man, as a husband, as a father, as a leader, when God blesses you with a good woman, you must recognize the value of what you have and what God has given to you. He said, "A good woman is hard to find." Not a woman that is hard to find. Women are everywhere, but good women are a special breed. And the same version of the scripture says, "They are a heart." A good woman is hard to find, and what? Far more than diamonds. Far more than diamonds.
So, we ask this question: What makes a woman a true mother? What makes a woman a true mother? Basically, there are two types of mothers. Two. One, a biological mother. This one, this will often be described as your real mother. But take note of this: a real mother is different from a true mother. A real mother is different from a true mother. Any, any man can be be the real mother of a child, but not all women are true mothers to the children God has given them the privilege to give birth to.
And then the second type of mothers, what we call a mother figure. A mother figure. Someone who plays the role of the mother in someone else's life. A mother figure. You know, we've never really reflected on this, but do you also know that practically, practically, practically, there are instances where even a man, a father, or an elder brother, or a man, or a guardian, was the one that played both the role of a father and a mother to a little child, a little girl, a little boy, combined both roles for many years? A mother figure is a woman who plays the role of the mother in someone else's life. A woman who plays, takes over the functions of the real mother, the functions of the real mother. As a mother figure, for all the children that have been through the boarding school, stayed as long as five years in a boarding school, there would certainly have been a mother figure while in the boarding school to those particular children. A mother figure is a woman you feel you can ask for help. A woman you can ask for support. A woman you can ask for advice. A mother figure is caring and compassionate. A mother figure is caring, I am compassionate. I would like us to take note of this very well because there is another level of being a mother. There is a higher level of being a mother. Do you know that there are some women today that are mothers to their children, and they have become the mother to their husband, and she's not claiming it. It is the husband on his own declaring her publicly as his mother. A mother figure is caring. She's compassionate. She learns and listening ear. She's ready to listen to you. She's ready to give you time to talk. She's ready to give you time to share, to share those things you are disturbed about, those things you are concerned about, those things you are not comfortable with. You don't also want to react and make a mistake. So you need someone that has a good sense of judgment to listen where the issues and as an objective person, give the right counsel. A mother figure learns a listening ear, and she gives a helping hand. A mother figure comforts you when you are disturbed or discouraged. She comforts you when you are disturbed or discouraged.
So, what are the attributes of an excellent mother? A very, very good reference point you can see answers to this question is in Proverbs Chapter 30-31. Attributes of an excellent model. 10 attributes of a good wife and mother. You've heard it from Proverbs, and that's a divine template. One, she has the fear of God. She has the fear of God. Her mindset is different from that of ungodly women. She has the fear of her values are different from that of ungodly women. Her mindset is different. Her values are different. The things that give her joy and fulfillment are different from that of ungodly women. She's spiritually inclined. She is spiritually inclined. She prays, and she loves prayer. She draws her family closer to God. She draws her husband closer to God. She draws the children closer to God. She intercedes for her family every day, every day. She prays for her family.
Number two, she believes strongly in the importance of the marriage institution. A second major attribute of a good wife and mother is that she believes strongly in the importance of the marriage institution. And how would you know? You can check this out by the kind of advice she gives her friends, her friends going through marital challenges. The kind of advice she gives them. Secretly, the kind of things she tells her children, especially her daughters, the criteria she gives her mature daughters on what to look out for in a husband to marry. And then when women are going through, wives are going through some storms in marriage, what kind of advice does she give them? She believes strongly in the importance of the marriage institution. So, she, she's a positive influence on our friends and children on how to conduct themselves in marriage.
Number three, she places high value on her husband. She places high value on her husband. An excellent mother makes her children love their father. She makes, she makes her children love their father. Your children, children may not know that the father is going through hard times financially, maybe because of the assets they can see on ground already behind the father, of the sacrifice the father is putting in to ensure that those things, certain things are done for the children and certain things are walking normal. So the children begin to place more value on what their father has done because of what their mother told them. We've gone to thank your father. Ha! Know what it is. By the time the mother is done, the child that they really place so much importance on what the father has done. A child now becomes very grateful to his or her father. She makes her family and friends to love and respect her husband. She makes her family to love and respect her husband. That is what makes an excellent mother. She trains her friend, her children to appreciate and honor her husband. And take note, in the process of life, a woman unfortunately could lose her husband. She becomes a widow. And God smiles again on her maritaly, and she's blessed with her husband.
So she has a responsibility to make sure that the children she had for her late husband give her current husband his due as a father. So she trains them, she influences them to appreciate and honor her husband. She recognizes the spiritual importance of a father. In Ephesians chapter 6 verse 2, the Bible says, "Honor thy father and mother." Two people are mentioned there: father and what? And mother. So don't be satisfied that your children are happy with you and your children are honoring you. An excellent mother would not have peace when she observes that the children, her children, are not respecting their father or her husband. He said, "Oh, no, thy father and mother." There are certain things that God has positioned certain people to impact upon your life. God is only committed to honor such pronouncements when it comes from God-ordained person in your life, and this includes pastoral blessings. So Rebecca knew that no, there is, there is what is called the father's blessing, and you cannot substitute the father's blessing. You cannot substitute the father's blessing. She was a spiritual woman. So the excellent mother recognizes this fact.
And then the next thing is that she plays his high value on the family, the family, the home. So as such, she can make a lot of sacrifice to keep the family together. Some have sacrificed career, some have sacrificed jobs. She sacrifices her time for the family, for her own family. A good mother loves children. She loves babies. She loves to spend time with children.
Number five, she has a caring heart. She has a caring heart. She's a nurse to her husband. She's a nurse to children.
Number six, she is very patient with members of her family. A good mother is patient with her husband. She's patient with her children.
Number seven, she's a role model for her children. A role model. The husband and father can say, "Copy your mother." Is that how you see your mother doing it? Feels she is a role model that others can learn from.
Number eight, she is a teacher to her children. She's a teacher to her children. She teaches children the right values, the right values, the right values. She makes sure her children are brought up correctly, not the way they want to be brought up. I've told some people sometimes I say, "You don't say, no, no, the children of these days, the Millennials, the whatever, this is how they want to know." And I tell them, I said, "If you, if you hold on to this attitude, you cannot be in a secondary school children and more than the lives of children. You don't. Children don't behave the way they want. You, you influence them to behave the way they should." Proverbs 22 verse 6: "Train a child in the way he should go." She exercises discipline and firm correction on the children when necessary.
Number nine, she's diligent and hardworking. She's diligent and hardworking. She's diligent. She's hard-working. Diligent, hard-working. Diligent, hard-working.
Number 10, she's a prudent manager, manager of resources. She's a prudent manager of. Take note, we have already noted that she's kind, she's compassionate, she helps people. However, she's a prudent manager of resources. She's financially responsible. You can leave money with her, and that money is safe. Live money with her, and the money is safe.
And everywhere she goes, she contributes in church. She contributes in any club she belongs to, and they contribute in that club. She contributes. She's financially supportive. Some kids were asked how they would describe or define a mother. The first one said, "A mother is someone that helps and loves and respects their kids." The second one said, "A mother is someone who does a lot of things for us and always loves us." The third one said, "A mother is someone who loves us and always likes to play with us." The fourth one said, "The mother is the person that gives birth to you and the one who takes care of you." The next one said, "Someone, a mother is someone who loves you and loves you so much, loves you so much."
So the conclusion is this: In whatever way you want to define a mother, one thing is clear: it's all about first, about love. A true mother, true mother loves. She loves her children. She loves her husband. So, what does, how does God expect us to relate with them? How does God expect us to relate to them? No one is love and compassion. Love and compassion. Compassion. Show them love. Show them compassion. And at number two, if they follow up to one, care and support. Care and support. Care and support. And sure, do your best to make sure they are comfortable as God gives you the ability.
Number three, provision. Provision. Ensure that there is provision of all the basic needs.
Number four, obedience. Obedience. And that starts, especially in that first phase of life as children to them. Let's be obedient to their instructions because they know far better.
Number five, protection. Protection. Protection. We have a responsibility to protect, to protect our mothers. We have a responsibility to protect our mothers physically and otherwise.
And number six, consistent oversight of their health and safety. Consistent oversight of their health. You must be up to date with the head status of your mother. You must be up to date. What is her health status? Is she really okay? When last did she do a comprehensive test? And if something who has already been signaled, what has been done to address that thing on time? And then her safety. Now, when we talk, we talk not just physical alone, but also emotional. Also emotional. Your mother can be in, you can put her somewhere, and your mother is going through emotional abuse. Emotional abuse. Sometimes by someone that you are paying to do a particular job around your mother. Emotional abuse. So unique, you need always be on ground. Try have one or two people you can trust that can give you good feedbacks of what is really happening.
So, what's the purpose of Mother's Day? Mother's Day is a day to recognize and acknowledge those who have lived out the attributes and functions of a mother. Those who have lived out the attributes and functions of a mother. It's a day to recognize them. It's a day to acknowledge them. Mother's Day is a day to honor and celebrate those who have lived out the attributes and functions. Recognize, acknowledge, honor, celebrate. So if you now look at it from the perspective of a mother figure, then you know that today is not a day to only celebrate the woman who gave birth to you. Because some of you, it was your senior sister that God used to train. It could be a matron. It could be a wife. It could be an auntie. It could be, um, it could be a big sister. And sometimes, sometimes it could even be a younger, a younger woman. It could be a God-sent woman. It could be female ministers like you find in church who take exceptional care and interest in the lives and well-being of other people. Mother's Day. Mother's Day is a day to celebrate and appreciate those who have played the role of those who have played the role. And I know that every one of us here, one way or the other, not biological mother, someone else has played the role of a mother figure, played it well. Certain phases of your life. Today is a day to remember them, and God will bless you. It's your student needful in the name of Jesus.