Lessons in Faith (Mother's Day)

Philippians 4:4-13 New International Version (NIV)

Final Exhortations

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Thanks for Their Gifts

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Recently, I was speaking with someone who just had their second child, and both of them are boys.  As the conversation progressed, I asked if any more children were in their future. Despite my strong suggestion that two was definitely enough through my own experiences, she was open to the possibility of more.  Speaking of my personal experience, just last night we took the kids to Dairy Queen after Cora’s dance recital. She did such a great job and the boys did really well through all the dances too. But it was getting late and everyone was getting tired but we stuck to our promise of getting ice cream if everyone behaved.  Guthrie was struggling with his ice cream and despite many efforts to try to help he refused. Finally, Cheyanne threatened, “If you don’t stop messing around we will go out to the car while everyone else finishes their ice cream.” Guthrie responded, “It’s not a car, it’s a van! Silly goose!” I lost it. I was laughing so hard, I had tears.  Of course, my dad was eating it up as he thinks I deserve this kind of argumentative children for some reason. Getting back to the conversation I started to speak about, that person said she really wanted a girl. Again, I thought.... Why? But her argument was compelling. She said that once her boys grow up, get married and start a family of their own, they don’t really need her anymore.  She said that mothers and daughters have a bond that is much different than sons and mothers. At first, I was hesitant but then I started to think about how Cheyanne and her mom speak on the phone every day (if not multiple times a day) and how odd that seems to me. It’s odd to me, a male, because my relationship with my mom is different. Moms and daughters go shopping together through adulthood and I couldn’t tell you the last time I went shopping with my mom.  They often speak on the phone. It’s just different for daughters than it is sons. There is nothing wrong with it, it’s just different. And as males, it is difficult for us to grasp and understand that difference. That conversation ended with that person repeatedly advising me to call my mom. I am speaking to the males in attendance today when I say, call your mom or if she is text savvy enough send her a text every once and awhile. We don’t really understand why, but know that it is important to her.  

I have been blessed with three wonderful and healthy children and everyday I learn more about how fortunate I am.  That being said, please know that I when I speak of the stresses and amusing moments of three children that I also understand how difficult or impossible it is for some to have the number of children they desire to have.  For our scripture this morning, I ventured away from the lectionary because I wanted to find a scripture that related to the women in our lives. I think this part of Paul’s letter to the Philippians lends its hand to the role of such women.  While it doesn’t speak directly to the role of mothers, many of the characteristics that Paul speaks of are shown to us through the women in our lives: gentleness, perseverance through prayer and action, nobility, purity, loveliness, they are admirable, praiseworthy, and they have the ability to be content in many situations.  The role of women in our lives and in our churches is sometimes skewed for various reasons but the truth is we only really know we “can do all things through him who gives me strength” because the women in our lives have shown us how. I don’t say this to downplay the role of the men in our lives, because they are equally important, but we must also give credit to the women who help shape us as well.

Diving into the scripture more in depth, I believe that verse 5 demonstrates a characteristic that we often learn from women.  Paul writes, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Gentleness is often a learned trait more so from the women around us than the men.  William Barclay relates this characteristic to justice when he says, “The Christian, as Paul sees it, is the person who knows that there is something beyond justice.”  Men are definitely concerned about justice but women are usually more concerned about the issues that go beyond an eye for an eye kind of justice. Barclay continues, “If we remember that life is short, we will not wish to enforce the stern justice which so often divides people but will wish to deal with others in love, as we hope that God will deal with us.  Justice is human but fairness, mildness, and gentleness is divine.” It is my belief that we learn this “beyond justice” kind of thinking from women.

Another aspect of faith taught to us by women is faithful prayer.  When I thought about it, most of those who are the most faithful in prayer that I have seen in my life are women.  Perhaps it is due to the amount of worrying a woman does so they seek out the peace offered to them in prayer as Paul spoke about in this letter when he wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  While worrying may be the reasoning behind the faithful prayers, doing so opens our hearts to Him. It allows God to stand guard like a watchman at the gates of our hearts. It grants him access there day and night. Giving God that kind of access offers us a kind of peace not found anywhere else. That kind of peace is something we cannot produce ourselves. It is the kind of peace that only God can give.  Again, going back to Barclay, “The way to peace is in prayer to entrust ourselves and all whom we hold dear to the loving hands of God.” This is important as we may also be thinking about those women who are no longer with us. For some, Mother’s Day can be as somber as it is celebratory for others. In those somber situations of remembrance, please recall the peace offered by God through faithful prayer.

 The last aspect of a woman’s role in our lives that pertains to the scripture for this morning is something I already touched on:  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I am certain I have told you that I found this scripture book marked in my Grandma Francie’s bible but when I think about everything she went through and had seen, this scripture took on a different meaning.  A bad day for me up to that point was minor compared to what she went through. As a young girl, she heard of the horrors that was WWI. Her family went through the Great Depression. And again as a young woman she witnessed the horrors of another World War. Her son went off to Vietnam.  She lost her husband with many years left to live. And yet she persevered and it was difficult to understand how. As I have gotten older and my perspective changed, it was only possible through her faithful prayer that provided peace and by clinging to scriptures like this one. I don’t say this for the sake of comparison of one’s life to another but as an example of how God’s peace, grace and hope are so wonderfully demonstrated by the women in our lives.  Again, men have their important roles as well but as a society we often forget those who look beyond justice, remain faithful in prayer, find strength in Christ. Today is their day. A day to not only celebrate women but to honor and remember the important faith lessons they provide. That being said, call your mom more often. Amen.