TOPIC:"The Stewardship of Motherhood"
"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, he praises her" (31:28, NIV)
The following words were written by William R. Moody, son of D. L. Moody, the great evangelist regarding Mr. Moody's mother, Betsey: "When at the age of ninety, her life-voyage ended, she entered the Haven of Rest, her children, her children's children, and an entire community rose up to call her blessed." He continues: "And well she deserved the praise they gave her, for she had wisely and discreetly discharged the duties God had placed upon her, and entering the presence of her Master, could render a faithful account of the stewardship of motherhood."
I trust that will be true of every mother here today. A good steward of motherhood! We happen to be living in a day when motherhood has fallen on hard times. Being a wife and a mother is insufficient and unfulfilling as a career for a number of women in the 21st century. But I disagree with them! I believe motherhood is one of the greatest callings in all of the world. According to the Word of God, the greatest institution is the home and the first gift God can give any woman is that of being a mother.
It is true as someone has stated, "The hand that rocks the cradle rocks the world." Behind each child is a mother - and what a tremendous force and dynamic influence she is in the life of that child. Now I know it is not easy to be a mother. It's one thing to give birth to a baby but it's quite another thing to raise a child. But it can be done with God's help.
Christian mothers are greatly needed today. On this Mother's Day Sunday let us look at three Christian mothers from the Bible and the tremendous influence they made on their children.
Consider, first of all, EUNICE, the mother of Timothy, who faced the WORLD with the WORD - with the Word of God. That's the only way to face the world. Turn with me to II Timothy chapter 1 verse 5 where Paul writes of Timothy: "I have been reminded of your . . .