Great sermon illustrations for mother's day

With Mother's day just around the corner, I thought that a reminder about
our children might be appropriate. They are both a blessing and a challenge
to us. At times more of a blessing and other times more of a challenge.

Raising kids is like the joke told by a preachers' son to his father: "Hey
Dad, Want to hear a joke? What is red, very long, and you hear it right
before you go to sleep? Give up? A sermon!" Yep, that kid is a challenge at
that particular time.

How do we deal with our children? How can we find a way to understand them
in our mixed up world. In a book I just finished by Dr. Robert Mendelsohn,
MD, he listed these rules for understanding our children, (which I thought
were very good).

1. Children aren't adults, so don't expect them to behave as though they
were.
2. Children learn by doing, so don't expect to approve of everything they
do.
3. It is a rare child whose behavior equals his parents' expectations.
4. Children are more likely to do as you do than to do as you say.
5. Adolescence is a time when children learn to be adults by trying their
wings. They may need a leash, but never a cage.
6. It is often less important for parents to control their children's
behavior than it is for them to control their own.
7. Children react too anger; they respond to love and affection.
8. The pain you inflict on your children will probably be inflicted on
theirs.

The main thing he leaves out of this list is the need to teach them about
God, and not just teach them with words, but with our lives and actions. The
best thing we can do for our kids is to let them see our love for God and
our commitment to him, through our treatment of them.

Raising children is never easy, but often it is rewarding. Sometimes you
wonder if it is worth it, and then that magic moment comes along and lets
you know, yes, it is!

Paul gives us some general rules for both children and parents in Ephesians
6, notice what he says: "1 Children, obey your parents because you belong to
the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 2 "Honor your father and
mother." This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your
father and mother, "things will go well for you, and you will have a long
life on the earth." 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the
way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and
instruction that comes from the Lord." (NLT)

May God bless you with patience and love as you strive to be family!

Russ Lawson