Yesterday we celebrated Mothers Day in the usual beautiful Calvary Chapel style :) Several mums shared what 'mothering' means to them. It was lovely to hear how much of a ministry mothering is to people - truly what God has intended!
All mothers were challenged by Sister Downs' ministry to be intentional about what seeds you sow into your child's life. Over the next few days, we will be posting notes from Sister Downs' teaching.
The Influence of A Mother - Part 1
The influence of a mother in the life of her children is irreplaceable.
So much so that Ralph Emerson said 'Man are what their mothers made them'.
Mothers play a critical role in molding the characters and morals of their children.
The gentle touches of a mother make children feel safe and loved. Their mums are everything to them, the one that matters most of all and the person to count on.
It is easy to forget how valuable you are in the midst of changing nappies and wiping runny noses, or (if your kids ar eolder) driving them to activities, and helping them cope with disappointment and heartbreak.
It is important tot know that Satan is also aware of the influence of the mother, and wants to destroy the home and inparticular the mothers influence over her children.
Man of you know I love to garden. Like the tender young seeds or seedlings in a pot (our children we need to tend them and water them.
We must not become frustrated and impatience after planting seeds and wanting to see growth or to see fruit. It takes time.
Sometimes the cares of the day will catch our atention and will cause the seeds to be neglected and die.
Think about a pot that is full of weeds - these weeds were not planted and even more than that they were not wanted.
They also start to have more seeds and the growth and influence of this particular weed will bemultiplied.
My mother in law always tells me 'one years seeding is seven years weeding'.
Babies are not just to hold, dress and for cuddling - that's Gradma's job!
But our babies, after birth, are like an empty pot of soil.
The child will become what we plant in the soil of it's heart.
If we don't plant something, then something from somewhere else will come and be planted into their life.
Even when the children of Israel came into the promised land, God knew that there would be temptations for them.
Deauteronomy 5:29-33 (NLT). Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did this and their descendants would prosper forever. Go and tell them, 'Return to your tents'. But you stand here with me so I can give you all my commands, decrees, and regulations. You must teach them to the people so they can obey them in the land I am giving them as their possession.' So Moses told the people 'Yoyu must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.
What did God tell Moses?
All of this can be summed up in two commandments
Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Hear O Israel, The Lord our GOd is one Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they sall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
How important did God make these things?
If these TWO seeds are planted into the lives of our children,
- It will keep them!
- It will give them power to overcome!
- It will help them to stand strong with strong convictions of right and wrong!
- It will give them a strong sense of identity!
- It will help them to know why they are different and don't do the thingds that maybe other children do.
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