Just recently, I have been reminded of my mother. I am in the process of moving my office after 25 years, and found the notes from my mother’s funeral that I helped with 16 years ago. Then I got a call from the Gonzales Sheriff’s office informing me that I had better keep my mother away from a renter or she will be charged with harassment! After I explained the “real story”, I quickly received an apology from the officer!
I know some of you did not have the greatest mother of all times, but I did! If I were looking for someone to fill the shoes of Wonder Mother, I could easily compare them with my mother! In fact, there is the portrait of the Wonder Mother in the Bible – Proverbs 32. All of us would be blessed to read it.
But, who can compare with this Wonder Mother of Scripture? She gets up before dawn and stays busy until the early hours of the morning. “She has the looks of a movie star, the domestic abilities of a master chef, the stamina of a world-class athlete, the intellect of a professor with a PhD, the tenacity of a political operative, the wisdom of a godly missionary, the sensitivity of Mother Theresa, the business sense of a Fortune 500 executive, an etiquette expert, and the spirituality of the Virgin Mary!” Who could find such a woman? Well, I have to say, maybe boastfully, I did and I married her! Pastor Joane fits this picture!
So, what about all the mothers who are asking, “I can’t measure up to the Proverbs 31 mother – is there any hope for me? Can God use me with all my flaws, with all my sins? I even have times when I lack faith! I have a past; I have many scars; I am not perfect! Will God bless me and use me for greatness?
While I was considering the average mother – is there truly any mother who is average? I thought of another passage of Scripture in Matthew 1, verses 1 thru 6. Few people read this chapter because it is boring! “The historical record of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham…Abraham fathered Isaac…Isaac fathered Judah…Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar…Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth; Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered King David, who fathered Solomon by Uriah’s wife (Bathsheba).” BUT, in these few verses of Scripture, we find four (4) unique mothers listed that would not have made it on the Proverbs 31 Wonder Mother list: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba.
The story of Tamar is one that has surely found its way to be retold in many forms – probably in Soap Operas! It can be found in Genesis 38. Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah. She was married to Judah’s first son – Er. He died without having a child, so the custom was followed that Judah’s second son – Onan- was to marry Tamar so they could have children that would be credited to Er. But, Onan also died without fathering a child. Judah was afraid that Tamar was a “black widow”, so he refused to give his third son in marriage to her. So without a child, after Judah’s wife dies. Tamar does the unthinkable. She dressed like a prostitute and propositions her father-in-law, who does not recognize her. He takes her up on her offer, and she bears him a son. One word describes Tamar’s story – desperate! Often desperation causes us to make bad decisions. Tamar made one even though she thought herself justified in doing so.
Where Tamar was a one-time prostitute, Rahab was a full-time prostitute. Her story was written in Joshua 2. Rahab’s brothel was on the wall of Jericho. She sheltered the Israeli spies, who had come to scout out the land of Canaan before claiming it for their homeland. It was because of her courage and fear of the Jewish God that allowed the spies to safely get back home. God spared her life and the lives of her family, and later she gave birth to Boaz, who would marry Ruth. Rahab represents that kind of person who is trying to dodge their past. Even after reformation and true repentance, someone or something is always there to remind us of our past!
Ruth’s story is one of tragedy – famine led to the death of all the men of her immediate family – her father-in-law, her brother-in-law, and her husband. These tragedies allow us to see her devotion to her mother-in-law for which she is remembered. She gladly returns to Israel, leaving her homeland, because of her love and faithfulness to her mother-in-law. Don’t miss something here – Ruth is not an Israelite; she is a Moabite. Worse than being from the “wrong side of the tracks”, she was from the wrong lineage of people. The Moabite were a nation filled with incest, notoriously pagan, and very ungodly people. Like the Moabites, some people just can never shake their roots.
All of us know the story of Bathsheba. While her husband was fighting a war, she had an affair with King David. The affair resulted in the death of her husband and the death of her infant son. But, before throwing too many stones at the “other woman”, remember it takes “two to tango”! King David was just as guilty of adultery as she, but in spite of their failures, God blessed them with King Solomon.
There are three spiritual truths that I wish to convey from these Scriptural stories. 1. Stop comparing yourself to others! When we compare ourselves with those we consider better than, the result will pride. when we compare ourselves with those whom we consider to be less than, the results will be covetousness and envy – both are very sinful!
2. Stop allowing the past to control the future! Our past – and we all have one – must never paralyze us! We can quickly get past it by simply recognizing our error and saying, “I’m sorry!” We all have hurts, habits, and hang-ups, therefore, we must never allow satan to use these things against us. We have proof of God’s grace and great examples in Scripture. The one Who died to provide us the grace was born into this world by a long line who had already experienced His grace!
3. Start being the person you were created to be! God’s grace never provides a license to continue in our sins. When confronted with Truth, Rahab announced your God is God in Heaven above and on earth below. With that announcement, Rahab began her journey of faith.
So, Mothers, what if you are not quite the Proverbs 31 Wonder Mother? Be encouraged! God is going to bless you and use you! AND, maybe this message is not just for Moms!
