A MOTHER’S INFLUENCE 

Illustration:  Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations 

"My Mother Believed in Me!"

 

"When I was a little mischievous lad,

The neighbors would all agree

That I must be going straight to the bad,

But mother believed in me! 

And just because she believed in me,

I couldn't be mean, you see;

For it helps a boy to do right when he can say,

'My mother believes in me."

 

"To me, as a man, how often there came

Temptations from which I'd flee!

The reason, you know, was always the same —

That mother believed in me.

 

And so, because she believed in me,

I wouldn't do wrong, you see;

For to disappoint her — ah, that would be

Too bad, when mother believed in me!

 

"It is not the least of blessings I've had 

 

While passing thro' life, that she,

 

Though once I was such a mischievous lad,

Could always, believe in me.     '

 

My dear old mother has gone from me,

To dwell by the Crystal Sea;

If ever I go to her side, twill be

Because my mother believed in me!"

 

The title of this morning’s message is “THE INFLUENCE OF A MOTHER”.  We all know that mother’s shape and influence their children’s lives from birth to death.  Her influence is seen in her son’s quest for a wife.  If believes his mother to have been good, then when he is in search of a wife he will look for a woman like his mother.  Her influence is seen in the woman her daughter turns out to be.  IF she is a good mother then her daughter will seek to pattern her life from her mother.  And yes, as the poem said, children who the world has destined to fail can rise up and do great things, simply because mother believes they can.  But lest we be one sided, we must remember that mother’s influence can be both good and bad.

          Today in approaching this topic of A Mother’s Influence I want to use four Bible examples, some that might be quite familiar to you and some that are not so common.

GENESIS 27:5-13 (Tell the rest)

          We all know that Jacobs name means cheater or deceiver, but he learned his skills from his mother.  Now I am not saying that all children who lie and cheat learn it from their mothers, but Jacob did.  Rebekah heard Isaac talking to Esau.  She knew that Isaac fully intended to pass along the birthright to Esau his eldest son.  This would make Jacob subject to his brother.  Jacob was her favorite son.  Genesis 25:28 says, “And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.”  It was this love and favoritism that she had for her youngest son that drove her to develop a plan to deceive her husband, and cheat her eldest son out of what was rightfully his.  I doubt that this is the first time that Jacob and Rebekah have come together to institute a plan to accomplish their goals.  I can imagine Jacob coming in from the fields for a lunch break and sitting around up under his mama, gleaning all of her ways.  Jacob was probably spoiled rotten.  I am willing to bet that Jacob and Rebekah and sat around on many occasions and discussed how the birthright and how Jacob could secure it. 

Genesis 25:29-34

          At the request for food, without even thinking about it Jacob immediately requested the birthright.  The way it is written, this was not thought off of the top of his head.  He did not ponder over what to do.  He had his brother in a vulnerable spot and he would see if he could take advantage of him.  I will bet that he and his mother had already discussed his looking for an opportunity to take advantage of his brother.  Here is a case where a mother led her child to lie, deceive, cheat and manipulate the situation until he got what he wanted. 

          Mothers, we must watch our actions and words closely because our children believe what we teach them to believe and though they may not always do as we say, you can believe that the enemy will help them to act out every negative characteristic they see in us.  He points our ungodly behavior out to them and then gives them permission to believe the action to be acceptable, because mommy does it and mommy is a good person.  The enemy will make even your bad seem good in the eyes of your children. 

MATTHEW 14:1-12

          Here is a case where a mother came together with her daughter and devised a vicious scheme to get rid of her enemy.  John had offended Herodias and she was simply biding her time until she could come up with an acceptable opportunity to rid the kingdom of him.  Herod’s birthday party presented her with the opportunity that she needed. It is obvious that this is premeditated.  Keep in mind that no recording of this event indicates that Herod sent for Salome to dance.  In fact, having any member of his family to dance before this group of drunker men was unheard of and would have been considered disgraceful.  Herodias wanted John dead so badly that she disgraced her own daughter and ruined her reputation.  According to tradition, this young , pretty teenager performed a dance that was wild and exotic.  She danced with many veils, pealing them off one by one.  The dance was indecent and unbecoming before a group of inebriated men.  She did a strip tease act and these drunken men loved it.  No mother in her right mind would want to watch even her grown daughter strip before a bunch of drunken men.  But Herodias sent her young, innocent teenage daughter to perform in this manner so that she could get her revenge on John the Baptist.  She taught her daughter to be vicious, heartless and unscrupulous in pursuing her goals. 

          Sometimes when women become bitter at those who have hurt them they will use their children to get revenge.  We see this a lot with divorced couples where one or the other parent was badly hurt, or where the guardian parent is struggling to get help from the non-present partner.  It is wrong to use a child in any fashion to get revenge or to get you way in matter. 

I KINGS 1:11-21

          As David grew old his eldest living son, Adoniah, began to assume some of the kingly privileges.  Assuming that he would be the next king he began to build relationships with the army, and leaders in the community.  Nathan the prophet hearing of this informed Bathsheba and instructed her to report it to David.  Bathsheba could have gone to Solomon and started a plot of her own, involving him in securing the thrown for himself.  Instead she followed the advise of the man of God and went directly to the king with her concerns.  She taught Solomon not to seek ill-gotten power but rather to respect leadership and authority and to pursue goals with honesty and integrity. 

          As mothers we want our children to have goals and to strive to be the best that they can be.  We want them to work hard to reach their goals, but we do not want them to take an attitude that suggest that all is fair in love and war or that reaching the end justifies the use of any means possible.  The desire to have does not justify stealing.  The lack of having does not justify cheating or breaking the law to obtain.  Do you know that there are some parents who know that their children are involved in drug trafficking  and allow it because it brings income into the house.  An attitude like that says to a child, do what you must do to have you want in life.  We should teach our children to work hard and do what is right.  We should tell them that hard work and righteous living may not always get you what you want, but it will allow you to respect yourself as a person and be pleased with the life you have lived.

II TIMOTHY 1:5

          Timothy’s mother was Eunice and his grandmother was Lois.  These where two Jewish women who it is believed came to know Christ as a result of Paul’s first missionary journey to Lystra (Acts 14:6-23).  It appears that these two women brought Timothy up in the church.

ACTS 16:1-3

         We don’t know how long it is between Paul’s first and second missionary journey into Lystra.  However, when he does come back to this area he finds Timothy a young believer there.  This young Timothy is well spoken of and has a good report from the Christians there at Lystra and Iconium.  He has been guided in his faith by his mother and grandmother.  His father is a Greek and there is no indication that he had any real involvement in the upbringing of Timothy.  These two women have raised him well.

I TIMOTHY 1:18, 4:12-15

          Though Timothy was a young man, there had been prophesies spoken before to him and concerning him.  These women must have held on to those prophesies, praying for and with Timothy because Paul here encourages Him as a young minister.

          As parents we have to recognize, nurture and under gird with prayer the gifts that we see in our children.  They may not always understand what God is doing in their lives so we must pray that God will continue to direct us in how to best teach and develop them.  We must also pray that that our gifted children will not get caught in the love of riches and use their gifts in working for the enemy and that God will continue to draw them and their gifts into service for Him.  Finally we must pray that our children will understand their value to us and to God and will not through away the precious lives God has given them, and waste the gifts that God has bestowed on them.  Mothers shape children.  Let’s pray that we shape beautiful vessels fit for the master’s service.

          I want to close with another Illustration.

Illustration:  Mother to Son

Do you know that your soul is of my soul such part

That you seem to be fiber and core of my heart?

None other can pain me as you, dear, can do;

None other can please me, or praise me, as you.

 

Remember, the world is quick with its blame, 

If shadows or stain ever darken your name.

"Like mother, like son," is a saying so true

The world will judge largely of mother by you.           

 

Be yours then, the task — if task it shall be

To force the proud world to do homage to me,

Be sure it will   say,   when   its verdict you've won:

"She reaped as she sowed: lo, this is her son."