A Mother's Day Sermon To Me

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
-Proverbs 31:28

Happy Mother’s Day!

Today is the official day when everyone is required to recognize the tremendous job we mothers do for all the people under our watch-care.

Today, Mother, you may wake up to breakfast in bed by an over-achieving youngster or be taken out to brunch with your favorite child, or perhaps a steak dinner tonight with your most prosperous.

Flowers, candy, gift cards, and greeting cards are flying off the shelves in your honor, as children and husbands scurry to prove to you, Mom, that you are the most special person in their world.

And today, if you attend church, you are almost assured to hear a sermon on the Proverbs 31 woman.

Sermon On The Proverbs 31 Woman

Being a mom to nine and one who has been to countless Mother’s Day services, I will, with authority, tell you Proverbs 31 can be the most discouraging sermon from the Bible on this particular day.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love the characteristics of the Proverbs 31 woman:

loving
trustworthy
resourceful
industrious
hospitable
caring
charitable
a seamstress
a gardener
wise
kind

However, when I was a busy mom in the middle of raising a house full of kids, the last thing I wanted was to be reminded of my imperfections and shortcomings. And it was often overwhelming to think about all the things I had to do before my children and husband could call me blessed. (Proverbs 31:28)

A Better Mother’s Day Sermon

Today, instead of being reminded that I don’t meet the standards of the perfect Proverbs 31 woman, I would like to hear a sermon titled God’s Great Love. If this sermon were to be preached, the official reading would not be on Proverbs 31, but Ephesians 2:4-9. And then the preacher would expound on the following bullet points:

God is rich in mercy
With His great love, He loves us
We were spiritually dead because of our sin
By His grace, our spirit is made alive through salvation
He gave us a seat in the heavenly places with Christ
So we could see and experience His immeasurable riches of grace and kindness
We don’t have to do anything because it’s His gift given to us
He is crafting us into a beautiful vessel that displays His great mercy

See the difference? This sermon shows us that we are loved. It assures us that God’s compassion and forgiveness are offered to us freely, even in our imperfections. Instead of laboring and sacrificing, as we mothers tend to do, we receive an invitation to sit in the heavenlies beside our Lord and Savior while we watch God present His greatness. And simultaneously, we are being crafted into a beautiful vessel with the sole purpose of glorifying our Father.

We are already blessed!