Jump Start # 839

Proverbs 31:28 “Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praised her saying…”

The excellent wife is the theme of Proverbs 31. We often call this the virtuous woman. It is descriptive of a woman who walks with God and has her heart set on helping her husband and family. This woman exists. This is not a fictional “perfect woman” dream that some single guy thought up. These are the words of a mother to her son. This is the type of wife that mom wanted for her son. She wanted a woman that would love her son. She wanted a woman that he could trust and that they both honored God and each other.  Yes, this woman exists. She comes in all sizes and shapes and colors but she is remarkably the same on the inside. She is kind and sweet. She is thoughtful, helpful and spiritual. She is good to be around. She makes an impression about goodness that is infectious. What a wonderful wife. She is an excellent woman.

Our verse today shows how her children view her. The passage says, “Her children rise up and bless her”. That is a something to chew on for a while.

Children blessing their parents is rare. It is mostly, if not entirely, found in homes where the family is walking with God and worship is a regular part of their schedules. We should not read into this that mom made the kids bless and praise her. Anything that is forced, whether it is a “thank you,” or, “I love you,” or, “you’re great,” is not genuine or true if someone is compelled to say it. Many will give Mom a tip of their hat on Mother’s day, and that is almost a forced thing. What kind of person would not get their mom a card and a gift for mother’s day? Back when Proverbs 31 was written, there was no national “Mother’s Day,” on the calendar. The kids in Proverbs 31 praised their mother because they were thankful and had a heartfelt gratitude for who she was.

Honoring parents was part of the ten commandments. There are only two positive commands in that list. Honoring parents is one of them. Paul repeated that command to the Ephesians. Honor carries more to it than a card bought at a store once a year. It involves how we talk to them and how we talk about them. It involves our attitude toward them. Our passage uses the word, “bless.” Her children rise up and bless her.

I can remember many days when I complained or griped or rolled my eyes or mumbled under my breath to my mom. What this passage is showing is that this excellent woman has taught her children to recognize and appreciate goodness. She has shown them how to bless, beginning with God and then to her husband. Goodness has filled that home. I’m certain there were times where there had to be discipline, tears and serious talks. All homes have that. But her children grasped the idea that mom was their best help. She was there to protect them, guide them and mold them. Hours of singing, reading, and talking with her little ones have made their hearts realize what a blessing they had before them.

It seems to me that we often don’t see this or get this until we have gotten some age and maturity in us. When we are teenagers we seem to think we know everything about everything. How shallow we were. Our friends didn’t praise their parents. Our friends used derogatory words to refer to their parents. Like our friends, we fought the rules of our parents. We were pretty ugly during those years. Something then hits us. It may be finally getting some sense or having our own children. Those of us that grew up in godly homes now realize what a blessing that was. Certain words, friends and TV shows were off limits. We were accountable. They questioned us about who, where and what we were doing. Every Sunday we were off to the church building for worship. That was non negotiable. Our parents taught us, molded us and shaped us. And today, many of us are busy in the kingdom as elders, preachers and godly people. Had we been left to do as our friends back then, we would be a mess today. How many marriages would we have trashed by now? How many addictions would we have? How many run-ins with the law would we have had by now? Miserable, lost, and depressed describes most of the world today. We, however,  found Jesus. We learned about the Lord early. We learned about His ways from our parents and the church. We are blessed people today.

Her children rise up and bless her. She is deserving of these blessings. She is an excellent wife. She is a woman of character and virtue. She fears the Lord and walks with Him daily. His thumbprint is upon her heart. It is noticed. It is noticed by her husband. It is noticed by her children.

I’m not a huge fan of most reality TV shows. They exploit dysfunctional homes. Shouting, lack of respect, lack of godliness dominate many of those shows. They make brokenness seem good. It isn’t. It never will be.  We don’t need to fill our minds with what is wrong. We need examples of what is right. Her children bless her. That is the greatest joy for any mother. She is loved, wanted and appreciated. That makes her do even more, which in turn will bring more praise. The circle is endless.

My mother left this world 18 years ago. My father is in his high 80’s. Someone who hasn’t seen me in years and hadn’t heard me preach in years, sat in the audience recently. This person said to me as she left, “you look like your dad.” That made me smile. That was the best compliment of the day. We owe much to our parents. They are the ones who first connect us to Jesus.

Not everyone has a mother that can be praised. Some moms fumbled the ball a long time ago. They had issues and baggage that they carried with them all through their life. Home was miserable and broken. That is sad. You learn. You learn what not to do. You learn how to be better. You learn to make a positive impact in your family.

Bless the moms who are trying. Bless the moms who take time. Bless the moms who put family before self. Bless the moms who taught, showed and helped connect the family to Jesus. Bless them. We need more of them. Their kind is rare these days.

Roger