Honoring Mothers
This week, many of us will attempt to express gratitude to our mothers for their investment in our lives. In my case, my mom put up with a lot of shenanigans. I am sure that raising my three brothers and I had a fair amount of “extra grace required” moments! Growing up, when someone would hear that my mom was living in a home with five men, they would often say, “Your poor mother!” And they were right.
My extra-patient mom was the one who introduced me in a personal way to Jesus. I like to say that the woman who brought me into the world, introduced me to the one who created it! I am grateful for many things about my mom, but one of them is especially worth honoring. She tried to instill in me a desperate dependence upon God as the solution to the biggest challenges in my life.
You can tell a lot about what type of a parent someone is when their children run into the inevitable disappointments and difficulties of life. Charles Swindoll commented in his book, Laugh Again, that some parents cannot be any happier than their saddest child. He described an unfortunate type of “codependency” in which a parent encourages their child to have too strong of an emotional reliance on them, and in turn, the parent becomes emotionally dependent on their child for their joy, even their identity. I think that Swindoll is on to something there. Some parents say to their children, in essence, “Trust in (Mom) with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways reach out to me and I will fix your problems…”
That is not what Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us that a good parent does. A good parent (like the writer Solomon here) redirects their children to trust in the right thing… Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
That is not “codependency,” it is “Christ-dependency,” and I am convinced that it is the only way that a child or a parent can find victory in this world. This Sunday, we will study God’s Word and in particular the unique relationship that Jesus had with his mom. I hope that you can join us and feel free to invite someone who you believe might be encouraged by this special message.
Expectantly,
Shawn Brennan
P.S. Please be praying for Kathy Oleszczuk on the recent passing of her sister, Ruth M. Wright (click for her obituary). Please keep Brian Cutler and his family in your prayers as well, with the passing of his mom on May 1 (click for her obituary).
