Mothers- Love Your Children Luke 2:39-52
Societal Changes “Traditional” family undermined No certain definition Objectors are called “homophobes” or worse Role reversal A Mother is a woman!
Cost To Society Paid a high price Abortion Child abandonment Child abuse Commercial: “You’ve come a long way baby”
What Does It Mean To Love? Part of the overall problem Confusion of love with lust Killing a loved one in pain is love to some Not what the Bible teaches
Widely Used Words For Love “Agape”- To act in the best interests of another God so “loved” (John 3:16) “Love” our enemies (Matthew 5:44)
Widely Used Words For Love Phileo- To have tender affection for another Peter to Jesus- You know I “love” you (John 21:15-17) Teach them to “love” their husbands, to “love” their children (Titus 2:4) Out of affection comes being interested in their needs and wellbeing
How To Show This Love Be the proper kind of wife Be faithful to your husband (Hebrews 13:4) Be in subjection to your husband (Ephesians 5:22-24, 33) Crucial to their learning about marriage (1 Peter 3:1-6) Ignore the feminists in the world and the church
How To Show This Love Be honorable Mary went to Jerusalem and was concerned about Jesus’ absence (Luke 2:39-52) Protect them from harm when possible
How To Show This Love Be their teacher in word and deed Spiritual and social things must be taught (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14, 15; Titus 2:3-5) Teach them about modesty (1 Timothy 2:9, 10; 1 Peter 3:3-5) Teach them how to adapt when possible to get along with others (1 Corinthians 9:19-27)
How To Show This Love Be their encourager Hannah checked on Samuel (1 Samuel 1:4-28) Help them with the trials of life, but let them “skin their knees” occasionally.
How To Show This Love Discipline them Much is said in the Bible about discipline (Proverbs 1:8; 13:24; 19:18; 22:15) Heir wellbeing here and in eternity is at stake (Ephesians 6:1-4)
How To Show This Love Be a homemaker The “worthy woman” (Proverbs 31:10-31) Outside interests Priority was the home Husbands appreciate such a wife and show it
Conclusion To fail as a mother has terrible consequences Be the kind of mother God expects