Texts: Prov 1:1-4 NLT, EX 20:12 NKJV, EPH 6:1-4, Prov. 31:31NLT
Prov 1:1-4 NLT
The Purpose of Proverbs
1These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.
2Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.
3Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
4These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young.
EX 20:12 NKJV
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which
the LORD your God is giving you.
EPH 6:1-4
Children and Parents
1Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord,a for this is the right thing
to do. 2“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a
promise: 3If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will
have a long life on the earth.”b
4Fathers,c 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.
Prov. 31:31NLT
Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
What is honour as used by God in both the old and new testament of the Bible, in the
same words which shows emphasis and the fact that God is serious about this
command he is giving his people. Honour is to show respect, esteem or to treat with a
difference.
In short we can say that according to Ex 20:12 and Eph 6:2 : treat your mother and
your father with a difference. Let there be a difference between the way you treat

everyone and the way you treat your parents. Treat them with respect and let everyone
around see that they are important to you.
Today we are focusing on the mother. Honouring our mothers. Who is a mother:
anyone woman who has a relation with a child by upbringing or taking care of a child.
So a mother can be biological or not biological so far as they either gave birth to you or
took care of you or brought you up, they qualify to be a mother and a mother in your
life.
Different types of mother

1. A woman who has taken care of children or people they didn’t give birth to but
   nurtured and care for them, is a mother
2. A woman who has simple bore a child but not necessarily nurtured or taken care
   of the child.
3. A woman who has toddlers, teenagers or adult children who have left home are
   all still mothers
4. Mothers of your spouses are also mothers
5. Grandmothers are also mothers.
   All these types of mothers fall in the category of who a mother is
   To honour our mothers is a command, not something that we are being encouraged to
   do or persuaded to consider. It is a must, God expect us to do it.
   Looking at the Prov31:31 advice which is not a command, we are being encouraged to
   honour for the deeds or fruits of their labour but from Ex and Eph. We are to honour
   them because the Lord says so.
   So practically you respect your mother because of the things she has done for you
   through nurturing and taking care of you for example…. And you respect your mother
   also because God says so.
   Maybe the mother you have didn’t take care of you or even nurture you but if this is
   your biological mother remember that she chose to give birth to you and didn’t abort
   you and through out the nine months she carried you she bore some pains and difficult
   so she has done something for you.
   The mother that didn’t nurture you or care for you also did something for you because
   she didn’t play that role in your life you are here with us but maybe if she was in your
   life you probably would have ended up somewhere else or even somehow…. Honour
   your mother because she deserves it and also because the Lord says so…
   Lets look at the command to honour: Ex 20:12 and Eph 6:2 the command comes with a
   promise. If you obey the command to honour your mother
6. You will experience longlife. Not that you will die early but also that you will
   enjoy life.
7. You will have a full life by getting everything you need to live a fulfilling life on
   this earth. Eph 6:3
8. If you honour your mother things will go well for you.
   If you look at the text well it is not conditional, it is not tied to what your mother will do
   or not do. And this brings us to the understanding that your mother does not have to
   deserve it before you honour her. She does not have to earn it. Yours is to do what God
   says and your will enjoy the promise that comes with it.
   So the purpose of proverbs is to make us wise. The wisdom we are learning from
   Proverbs is that you a mother deserves honour and you must give her the honour she
   deserves.
   What are some of the ways to honour our mothers; the mothers we think deserve it
   and the ones we think do not deserve it;
9. Give her money,,, money is good infact the best but money is not everything.
   The fact that you send your mother money every month or every week does not
   mean that that is all she deserves. She must be treated well by giving her a
   listening ear, obeying her instructions and advice Eph 6:1, (she know more than
   you know,,)
10. Be their support system let your mother know that if not body can be there for
    her in any situation as for my son or my daughter I can rely on him or her for
    support, emotionally physically and psychologically,
    Because God wants you to enjoy the promises and you yourself you need those
    promises to work for you, you must obey the command and leave the consequence to
    God.
    When we brand mothers and mothers-inlaw and grandmothers as witches we block our
    own blessings. When we begin to look at the things they do and do not do for us and
    decide not to honour them we block our own blessing. When we disrespect them and
    treat them anyhow we block our on blessings and cut our lives short.
    Lets trust God and obey his command and do what the world will not do and believe
    me we will enjoy Gods blessings.
    Are you a mother, mother-in law or grand mother here. How do you treat your children
    or the people that you are nurturing or you inlaws.
    Do you deserve the honour that God is asking of them, or you are making it difficult for
    them to honour you please change your ways for the Eph6:4 says do not provoke
    them……

What can u do to derserve honour? Give your children Jesus. As a child I attended my
mothers church everyday.
If you can be the child that honours or the in law that honours or the grand child that
honours especially in a situation that is difficult to honour it only the Lord that can help
you. If you do not have a good relationship with God, you can know obey his
instructions and enjoy the blessings that come with it. Give your life to Christ and let
him help you for honour your mother.
If you are mother, G mother or mother in law who is unable to nurture and bring up the
children that God has placed in your hands, you need God to help you, can can only do
it if you have a relationship with God.
If you have pain, bitterness and unforgives because of the things that have happened
between you and your mother or grand mother or mother in law you need to let go in
obedience to God’s word so that you can enjoy the promises and blessing tied to this
command.