1 SAMUEL 1
The role of a Mother is one which God intended to be exalted to a high position. It seems, in these days of rapid changes in the roles of men and women that position may have moved somewhat away from God’s intention.
At a time when feminism and other lifestyles are belittling the role of the mother in society, we must remember that the important role of the Mother has long been recognized in the lives and successes of men. Here are a few examples of the accolades which successful men have been written in the recognition of the role their mothers played in their upbringing, and the influence they have been on their lives and successes.
William Rice Wallace: The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
C. A. Stewart: Men may build cities and railroads; they span rivers and tunnel mountains. But the mothers of men are the builders of civilization.
Henry Ward Beecher: The mother’s heart is the child’s class room.
Abraham Lincoln: All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.
How did Samuel become a great man of God? It started before he was born. It started with a mother’s fervent prayer to God to give her a son. She not only prayed for a son, but she asked of God, “…look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant, but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life…”
The prayer of a mother can be a powerful force in the life of a child. We often hear the testimony of one who has squandered a good portion of his life away from the Lord, and in that testimony, he acknowledges that it was the memory of his mother’s devotion to the Lord, and her prayers for him, that brought him into an understanding that he needed to begin to obey and follow Jesus Christ.
A Godly mother will recognize and understand that the child she has been given belongs to God. Samuel’s mother, Hannah knew that and wanted that child so desperately that she was willing to give him to the Lord.
In the New Testament we find another mother and grandmother whose influence on the child Timothy created in him a life of service to Jesus Christ, preaching Him and the Gospel to bring the lost to salvation through Jesus Christ. Timothy became a valuable helper for Paul, who gave credit to Timothy’s mother, Eunice and grandmother, Lois for their influence in Timothy’s life.
Those of us who grew up under the guidance of a mother who loved the Lord and instilled that love of the Lord in her children are blessed. We are blessed to have had someone who cared, not only for our day by day needs, but also our spiritual needs for the rest of our lives.
I was one of those blessed with a Mother who loved the Lord and served Him throughout her life. And she taught her 5 children to love Him as well. She went to be with the Lord she loved so much on May 8, 1984, which was also her 61st birthday. This was on Tuesday prior to Mother’s Day.
That Mother was a person who lived her life for ours. She was a doctor when we were ill. She was a counselor when our lives had been shattered by someone else. She was a teacher who made sure we learned not only reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also the values which would allow us to live a good life, one which led us to Jesus.
I hope you had such a mother as well. I know that some did not have that influence. Not all mothers see the importance of leading children to the Lord. In fact, in today’s society it seems that it is deemed oppressive for a parent to try to lead their children into believing what the Bible teaches. But, thank God that someone came into your life who cared so much for you that they shared the Gospel with you and lead you to Jesus Christ.
I want to leave you with this one thought from Acts 2:39. After Peter’s instruction in verse 38, saying, in answer to the question, “What must we do?” He says this: “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off (us) – and for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
The message has never changed. A better solution has never been found.
God bless you whom He has blessed with children to raise to know Him.
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