Title: Thank You Mom
Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4
Message
There is no assignment on earth that requires the array of skills and understanding needed by a mom in fulfilling her everyday duties.
Stop and think about what her job involves.
She must be a resident psychologist, doctor, theologian, educator, nurse, chef, taxi driver, fire marshal, and occasional police officer.
Try to imagine what it would cost you to go out and hire all those skill sets.
And even if you could, how would you know you could trust them?
Go ahead, join Mom on a midmorning visit to the pediatrician’s office.
After sitting for forty-five minutes with a cranky, feverish toddler on her lap, she and her baby are finally ushered into the examining room.
The doctor checks out the sick child and then tells the woman with a straight face, “Be sure you keep him or her quiet for four or five days.
Don’t let him or her scratch the rash.
Make certain he or she keeps the medicine down, and you’ll want to watch his or her stools.”
“Yeah, sure doc! Any suggestions?”
“Just one. This disease is contagious, so keep your other four kids away from him or her, and I’ll see you in a week.”
The amazing thing is that most mothers would get this job done – and they would do it with love and wisdom.
That’s because God made them good at what they do.
And He gave them a passion for their children.
They would, quite literally, lay down their lives to protect the children entrusted to their care.
And that’s why they are deserving of our admiration – on Mother’s Day, and all the other days of the year.
So the word for you today is – “Honor your… mother.”
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise:
Reflection: (Ephesians 6:1-2)
There is a difference between obeying and honoring.
To obey means to do as one is told; to honor means to respect and love.
Children are not commanded to disobey God in obeying their parents.
Adult children are not asked to be subservient to domineering parents.
Children are to obey while under their parents care, nit the responsibility to honor parents is for life.
3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”
Reflection: (Ephesians 6:3)
Some societies honor their elders.
They respect their wisdom, defer to their authority, and pay attention to their comfort and happiness.
This is how Christians should act.
Where elders are respected, long life is a blessing, not a burden to them.
4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Reflection: (Ephesisans 6:4)
The purpose of parental discipline is to help children grow, not to exasperate and provoke them to anger or discouragement (see also Colossians 3:21).
Parenting is not easy – it takes lots of patience to raise children in a loving, Christ-honoring manner.
But frustration and anger should not be causes for discipline.
Instead, parents should act in love, treating their children as Jesus treats the people He loves.
This is vital to children;s development and to their understanding of what Christ is like.
Reflection: (Ephesians 6:1-4)
If our faith in Christ is real, it will usually prove itself in our relationships at home with those who know us best.
Children and parents have a responsibility to each other.
Children should honor their parents even if the parents are demanding and unfair.
Parents should care gently for their children, even if the children are disobedient and unpleasant.
Ideally, of course, Christian parents and Christian children will relate to each other with thoughtfulness and love.
This will happen if both parents and children put the others’ interests above their own – that is, if they submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21).