WHAT KIND OF A MOTHER AM I?

WHAT KIND OF A MOTHER AM I?

 

“Every wise woman buildeth her house: But the foolish plucketh it down with her hands”

(Proverbs 14:1).

 

The Bible shows us two kinds of mothers: but which one am I?

A good mother or a bad mother. Which one are you?

 

As a wife and a mother, we may think this doesn’t apply to us; listening, obeying, following rules, talking back,  or whatever else you can think of. You could say I am an adult who cares about what I do or say. You are right you are an adult but remember; who’s watching and paying close attention?

 

The Bible is very clear on how we can build or destroy our children without us noticing. Children are OUR REFLECTIONS. Believe me it’s true. When my grandchild was staying with us, we were sitting at the table she was eating and I was on my phone. I saw through the corner of my eye that she was copying every little thing I was doing. I was putting my hands on my head. She did the same, I yawned, she yawned too, I said oh well. She said “Oh, well”. It was so cute to see her copying me and scary at the same time because what else did she see that she wasn’t supposed to? Children copy everything! 

 

We, as humans, always want to accuse someone else of our mistakes. We don’t want to accept that our mistakes are actually our own doing. It is not easy to accept something that we cannot see and even when we do see it, we do not like to hear someone else telling us that we are doing something wrong. I have a question though; How can we fix something if no one sees what is wrong? Most of the time it is easy to see another mother’s wrong doing but what about mine or yours? I remember when my children were small; especially when my daughter would do something wrong, I hated people telling me “Look at your daughter! Do something!” I did not like the fact that I would see their children do the same thing and it was okay! Looking back, I can now say that I am grateful for those who were looking out for my daughter. She is now serving the Lord and is in her third year in Bible college. I would encourage others  not to be like the fool in the Bible, but to keep an open mind when someone corrects your children. “Speak not in the ears of a fool: For he will despise the wisdom of thy words” (Proverbs 23:9).

 

There is still hope in improving ourselves so that our children can learn from the good and not the bad. Remember, monkey see monkey do.

In the books of Kings and Chronicles the Bible tells us of kings that were good and kings that were wicked. What does it mention after? The mother.  I’m sure the mothers of those good kings felt so happy and maybe said to themselves “mission accomplished”. I know I would have. 

I want to show you from the Bible how our actions can affect our children who are closest to us. “Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my Lord king David live for ever” (1 Kings 1:31).

“Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand” (1Kings 2:19).

These are beautiful passages that show how the mother plays a huge role in their children. It shows how the  king did the same thing his mother did when she came to see King David when she did reverence to the king.

 

“Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father” ( 1 Kings 15:1-3).

In these verses we may say but it says the king walked in all the sins of his father; yes, it is true. But who spent more time with him and had the opportunity to teach him the right thing?

 

“Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly”

(2 Chronicles 22:2-3). Think about that! The wicked things we do is like a seed that is planted in our children’s heart and we will eventually start reaping what we sow. 

 

“And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places” (1 Kings 22:41-43).

I see in this passage that she did try to do her best for her son since it says “nevertheless the high places were not taken away”. That’s where they burned incense for other gods.

 

“In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign. Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;” (2 Kings 15:1-3).

 

  These are a few examples of Kings that did right and wrong. Our children are kings and queens, we always have to remember that. We are a vessel God entrusted to guide His children. We have the power to mold them how we want them to be: “Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

 

I read this on a sign, “The life we live is the life we teach.”

Be careful how you live!

 

LIKHI ROUSH