Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
It's Mother's Day today, and we just wanted to do something a little different. Because Proverbs chapter 31 is known to be such a powerful chapter that describes a godly woman, we wanted to highlight this passage today.
Proverbs chapter 31, verse 31: "Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise."
Because of that, we want to take some time—whether you're a mother or not. We want to learn from our moms and share some things that we've been able to observe in our moms that we can all apply to our lives because of this verse.
What We Saw Publicly
I want to start off by asking Rick and Landon, who are with me, to share a little bit about their mothers and what they've observed and learned from them, as applicable to this verse today. So, Rick, what was something in your mom that you saw that just publicly was demonstrated by her life that really showed honor in her life?
You know, we had a big family. I was one of four kids, and my dad was a strong, burly German. My mom really respected my dad. It just really showed. All of us as kids, we noticed that. So, quite frankly, just a respect for my dad really carried over to the rest of the family.
And Landon? My mom knows how to be present with people. It doesn't matter where she's at. She's always making a friend. Even if we're out at a restaurant, the waiter or the waitress will open up to her about all the stuff going on in their life. Her presence with people, her openness, and her approachability. That's what I've seen my mom do on earth really well.
That’s awesome. My mom—it was her sweet demeanor, her smile, and her servant's spirit. Sincerely, she was known for her sweet, sweet spirit and her servant's attitude. Just constantly willing to bend over backwards for people and just such a testimony and something that was an attribute that was worthy of honor publicly. She received that publicly. She just had such a good reputation for that.
The Faithfulness Behind the Scenes
Typically, there is something deeper behind these outward attributes. That's a spirit of faithfulness. So, what is an attribute of your mom that other people may not have seen, but you saw in the home that you just cherished, that was just representing that faithfulness? We’ll start with Rick.
Well, I didn't see it right away because I was obviously younger. But as I grew up, I knew my mom loved Jesus. That really showed forth in her servant spirit. A specific example is, we had breakfast every day, and I was kind of a selfish teenager—my siblings would concur. I wanted my pancakes extra crispy on the outside. So my mom, God bless her, she would put extra grease in the pan so that the outside was crispy, so my pancakes would be good. It's kind of a mundane illustration, but it shows she was an amazing servant, because she loved Jesus.
And Landon? My mom has her space. She's got her private office. When she is going through something for herself or she's wrestling through things for family or friends, she actually retreats into that space and starts blaring worship music. She starts going off, but she's doing it with purpose. What others don't see in public, I get to experience at home with her when she's praying. No one interrupts Mom. She's in her hour of power. She's there for herself, but not just for herself, but to engage and be present with Jesus. That's behind the scenes with my mom.
Similar for me. My mom, one of the things that we knew was that her Bible was well-worn. She was in the Word every morning. My mom was known to be a prayer warrior in our home. Many people may not have known that outwardly, but she spent so much time with her Savior, and it was such a powerful thing knowing that no matter where we were at in our life as we grew up and got older, our mom was going to be on her knees praying for us and just spending that time with the Lord. So powerful.
An Encouragement for All of Us
Again, whether you're a mom or not, we just want to use this opportunity to talk about our moms. It's a very personal side for us. But at the same time, it's applicable to all of us, no matter where we're at, who we are, where we're at in life—of just being able to learn that this outward demonstration that other people can see, as our verse talks about publicly, behind that, we were able to observe in our home this authentic, real person that demonstrated a servant's heart in the Word, a worshiper, a prayer warrior. I just want to encourage you. You may find yourself where you're struggling with either public perception or even just trying to maintain faithfulness in your own spirit.
This is not necessarily to elevate our moms as much as it is to encourage you that this verse, what this verse talks about, is something that you can be, you can demonstrate, and it comes from truly an authentic surrender to the Lord, allowing Him to do a work so that there will be an outpouring publicly to others to be able to see a genuine Savior and Lord in your life. We are celebrating that we were able to witness that in someone as special in our lives as our mothers.
I hope you're able to be encouraged by Proverbs chapter 31, verse 31 today. And with that, we would just love to say together: Happy Mother's Day.
