Words of Wisdom

There’s something humankind has in common, well there are many things, but for today’s thoughts there is one BIG common denominator. We all have a mother.  Mothers come in all shapes, sizes, spiritual values, and personalities. (And let’s not forget that for various reasons not all mothers raise their children. We see in our culture many grandmothers’ actually raising first and second generation grand kids. The birth process does not equate parental guidance and devotion. Mother’s Day can be painful for many adult and young children…nevertheless; God’s plan for the family unit is centered on a lady giving birth to a child. Every human does have a mother and father, biologically).

When I think of “good” mothers, I think of the early part of motherhood…doctor visits, vitamins, baby-proofing the house when a new born arrives. Eating right. Looking after the infant meticulously. I admire moms who give unconditional love; those who offer support and kindness during adversity. Most mothers are the #1 fan of their children. Those ladies who can be tinkled on, pooped on, and vomited on and handle it like a champion if it is their child who is sick. The lady who gives her kid a hug and a bit of attention instead of obsessing over dirty dishes. Moms are just special!

 I’m particularly blessed by foster moms, adoptive moms, fur-baby moms, and mother figures along life’s way. Being a mom is not cookie-cutter in role, that’s for sure.

That leads me to reflecting on motherly wisdom…or grandmotherly acumen. You’re probably familiar with “words of wisdom” bestowed to you by your own mom or another significant person in your life.

What if we applied the following well-known words of wisdom from a HEAVENLY standpoint?

1)    What part of NO don’t you understand? I admit, I’ve been told that sentence before. But what if GOD told us that statement? How would we respond? When He tells us no, do we keep hounding and pressing for another answer?

2)    Your face is going to freeze like that! It’s a good thing our eyes don’t get stuck when we roll them isn’t it? Or the facial expression we might have when we’re angry with someone…What if our face really DID freeze?

3)    Because I said so! Wow, wouldn’t it be great if we listened to God in all of our decisions and actions, just because He said so!?

4)    I brought you IN this world; I can take you OUT of it! This popular phrase makes me laugh, but there’s a certain truth to it. It might do us good to remember that God is the giver of all life and he doesn’t need our help while we live it. He CAN take us out, and He WILL take us out, in His timing. We need to be obedient when we can! Stay prayed up. Ask for atonement of sin in a repentant heart – every day.

5)    Wait until your Father gets home! This is another good one…what happens when Jesus knocks at your heart’s door? Is HE in your home, your car, your office, your garden, your mind? Do you carry Him with you in spirit at all times?

6)    No back talking! It’s a nice reminder that we should respect and accept our Heavenly Father’s instructions for our life.  I cannot think of any case in which it is a GOOD idea to argue with God! Jonah is a good example to glean from. If he had just gone to Nineveh in obedience from the beginning, then he wouldn't have been swallowed by the big fish. He wouldn't have been caught up in his anger and built a booth outside of the city. When Jonah said in Chapter 4, “It is better for me to die than to live,” I think God was teaching him a lesson. A hard one to learn…No back talking!

If you have a Christian mother, be thankful! Oh so thankful! You’re richly blessed with a beautiful gift! If you’re still praying for your mother to accept Christ into her heart, then I encourage you to keep on praying! And finally, if you need to forgive your mom for shortcomings and inadequacies, then I encourage you to do that through prayer and meditation in God’s Word. Life is too short!

Look UP my friends!