Happy Mothers Day to all mothers. We are all in different stages of motherhood, many of us in different stages all at one time! I honor and respect mothers so greatly because it takes real dedication and a life filled with God to truly fulfill your call to motherhood.
Sisters, I salute you! And today I’d like to encourage you. I’m one of those multi-staged mothers – mommy to a precious, darling, super smart 1 year old, a college student, several fine adults, and grandmother to a beautiful little boy. You deal with each child in a different manner as the role of “mother” changes along the way. No matter how old or young you are, keeping up with those changes can be challenging and stressful unless we look to Jesus for our help.
Hebrews 12:1, 2 tells us that we can run the race before us (even the motherhood marathon) by keeping our eyes on Jesus.
There is a grace, a special ability recorded in the Word for being a mother, from start to finish. That’s good news! In Luke 1:28 AMP, the angel Gabriel came to Mary and said, “O favored one endued with grace! The Lord is with you!” He BLESSED her like no other mother had ever been blessed. Let’s look at what that means.
Endued – to furnish or equip with a gift, quality or faculty (an exceptional ability for a particular kind of action, an aptitude)
Grace – a manifestation of favor by God. His influence operating on humans to regenerate and strengthen them with power and excellence
Let’s apply those thoughts like this.
Mary, God is fully equipping you with – an exceptional ability and aptitude to be a mother. His favor and influence on you will be clearly seen as He regenerates and strengthens you with power as you mother your children with excellence.
She began her days as a mother relying on God. Before he left her Gabriel said (vs. 37) “For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.”
Mary declared herself then and there to be the handmaiden, the servant of the Lord and to receive and walk in all that the Father called her to.
In the years that followed Mary relied on that grace. How do you manage a young man who is so busy about His father’s business that He doesn’t check in? (Luke 2:49) or tell the Son of God what to do (John 2:1-12 Jesus turns water into wine)?!
Certainly her most difficult time would have been when she watched her wonderful Son suffer on the Cross. But the words of the Lord to her were still working in her life. There was Jesus hanging on the Cross (in John 19:25-27) the price for all sin for all people for all time, and He focuses His attention on caring for and providing for Mary.
And she was taken care of! And in fact she continued in her ministry work after Jesus ascended into heaven. Yes things were different at this stage but she continued to serve her Son. She was very influential in the building up of the early Church.
So as Mary did lets:
1. Receive from the Lord His Grace and Favor upon us.
Say this out loud:
God is fully equipping me with an exceptional ability and aptitude to be a mother!
His favor and influence on me are clearly seen as He regenerates me and strengthens me with power as I mother my children with excellence.
2. Believe that no word from God regarding us and our children will be without power or impossible to fulfill.
Think about this; what does His Word say about you? Here is a good one:
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Psalm 113:9 KJV
There is so much in the Word about you and for you. Believe it today.
2 Timothy 3:15 tells us that the Word will give us the wisdom to receive the victory that comes from trusting Jesus.
3. Declare ourselves to be the handmaiden of the Lord and receive from Him all that He has for us.
Say this:
Father God, I am Your handmaiden. In all that I do, I do it as unto you. I receive all the callings and purposes for which you’ve created me to fulfill.
4. Look to the Lord as our source for every thing!
For wisdom – James 1:5
For peace – John 15:27
For finances – Philippians 4:19
For everything! – Romans 8:31, 32
5. Never stop influencing and blessing others.
You are, no matter your age or the ages of your children, to be honored and blessed!
The Lord has declared it to be so!
She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction].
Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her. Proverbs 31:26, 28 AMP
This is a great opportunity for me to praise my mother. She is all of the things the Word says she should be. Her life has been lived before me as Titus 2:3 tells us to live – in a way that honors God. Gloria Copeland, you excel and you exceed them all. I love you so much.
I am doubly blessed with a wonderful mother-in-law. She is so kind and gracious to me. Barbara Swisher, you are a blessing and I love you.
There is a new mother in my life. It’s so enlightening to watch your child become a mother! Rachel Mayer, you are as sweet and precious a mother as I have ever seen. I’m so thrilled to watch you go through all the stages. I love you.
So with the Blessing of the Lord I say to the mothers in my life and to you all:
Happy Blessed Mother’s Day to you, the Most blessed mothers in the world!
