Ways to Honour Mum

8 May 2022 AM – Proverbs 1:8 – Mothers – Scott Childs
Introduction: Today is Mother’s Day. Honouring your mother is more than just wishing her a “Happy Mother’s Day” or giving her a card or taking her out to lunch. God does not want honouring your mum to be a once-a-year event, but a daily habit.
Transition: In the book of Proverbs, I find five clear ways that we can and should continually honour our mums.
You can honour your mum by…
  1. Follow her instruction (Pr 1:8; 6:20)
(Proverbs 1:8) “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:“
a.         A godly mum will set rules for her children
1)         Our sinful natures are naturally independent. We do not like restrictions and rules.
2)         However, rules are good. Our text calls them “laws”, but the definition includes instruction, direction and even customs. In my youth, my mum’s rules included, tell the truth, obey completely, never talk back, be kind, share. Think about your mum’s rules. If you are a mum, are your rules Bible-based?
b.         We honour mum, by not forsaking her rules
1)         Mum’s rules are for our good.
2)         Few mums make wicked rules for their children.
3)         If your mum is a Christian, her rules will likely be based on the Bible. When you obey those rules, even after you leave home, you are giving honour to your mother.
You can honour your mum by…
2.        Lightening her burdens (Pr 10:1)
(Proverbs 10:1) “The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.“
a.         Having a foolish child is a heavy burden to a mum.
1)         To live foolishly is to be obstinate, to be stupid, to live life ignoring truth and right, prone to make wrong choices.
2)         We come by foolishness quite naturally. Solomon reminds us of this fact. (Proverbs 22:15) “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.“
3)         If you live foolishly, you will give your mum a heavy heart.
b.         Imitating mum’s wisdom will make you wise
1)         We learn wisdom from our parents and from the Bible. Solomon wrote, (Proverbs 5:1) “My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:“
2)         Even if your mum is not as wise as she should be, her experience in life makes her wiser than you as a child.
3)         So, you honour your mum when you lighten her emotional burden by living wisely rather than foolishly.
You can honour your mum by…
3.        Valuing her person (Pr 15:20; 23:22; 30:17)
(Proverbs 15:20) “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.” (Proverbs 23:22) “Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.” (Proverbs 30:17) “The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.“
a.         If you despise your mum, you put her down
1)         To despise is to think little of or to treat as of no value. This often stems from a Rotten Attitude!
2)         Many children despise their mother’s words. They think what she says is not important. They despise her person by being unhelpful, unthankful, unkind or disrespectful to her. They despise her example by mocking her standards or godliness. They despise her counsel by ignoring good advice she gives.
3)         This command extends into adulthood. Do not despise your mum when she gets old. Remember the years of love, care and work she invested in your life.
b.         It pleases the Lord when you value your mum.
1)         Treat her as special. Give her a place of honour in your heart. Appreciate her.
2)         Bless your mother. Thank her for the many things she has done for you. Say kind things to her and about her.
You can honour your mum by…
4.        Welcoming her closeness (Pr 19:26)
(Proverbs 19:26) “He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.“
a.         It is shameful to chase away your mother.
1)         Physically pushing away mother was totally foreign to my upbringing. I hope it was for you as well, but sadly, in some homes, children actually push their mothers and hit them.
2)         You must never physically push mum away. She loves you. You need her.
3)         You may also push mum away in a non-physical way by disobeying her, ignoring her, not communicating with her, neglecting her, etc. This is not God’s will.
4)         Pushing mum away, in any manner, shames her and brings her reproach or disappointment. God does not want you to shame or reproach your mother. Instead, God wants you to cherish her.
b.         Cherish time with mum while you can.
1)         Cherish the times you can sit on her lap or lean on her shoulder. Cherish her hugs. Cherish her words of comfort when you are hurting. Cherish the hard work she does for you in cooking, washing your clothes, and caring for you in so many ways.
2)         Spend time with mum while you can. Life is short.
You can honour your mum by…
5.        Appreciating her positive input (Pr 20:20)
(Proverbs 20:20) “Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.“
a.         You actually curse mum when you belittle her.
1)         This word translated “curse” does not simply mean to swear or to use bad words. It literally means to slight, to make of little account, or to make light of. This is similar to the word despising that we saw earlier, but more severe. To despise is a bad attitude issue. To curse seems to be more of an ill-treatment issue.
2)         I find it interesting that God used the same word to describe the waters after the flood when they abated or were gone (Genesis 8:8, 11).
3)         Under the OT Law, God prescribed the death penalty for cursing a parent.
a)         (Exodus 21:17) “And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.“
b)         (Leviticus 20:9) “For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.“
4)         Those who curse their mother have no respect for her at all. They reject her. They say bad things to and about her.
5)         No matter how much you think your mum failed, you have no right to curse her. God said he will put your light out if you treat your mum that way. That is very serious.
b.         Focus on all the good things mum has done for you.
1)         If you are ever tempted to put down your mum, make a list of all the things she has done for you since infancy.
a)         She gave birth to you. She changed your nappies. She fed you. She cared for you.
b)         Even most bad mums have done some good things.
2)         Make it a habit regularly to express your appreciation to your mum. Write her an “I appreciate you” love note.
3)         Treat her as God has treated you.
Conclusion: Today we have identified five ways that each of us can honour our mums. (Review)
If you are still living at home, you must make a special effort to honour mum in these five ways.
If you have left home, you ought to still honour mum in these five ways.
If your mum has already died, you can still honour her in your heart and in your prayers.
God so wants us to honour our mums that he made it one of the Ten Commandments. Let’s honour mum!
Song: His Way with Thee – 367