1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're so glad to have 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 2: you listening. I'm Lynette Kittle, and today's topic is honoring 4 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:21,959 Speaker 2: God by honoring our mothers. We'll be right back after 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 2: a brief message from our sponsor. Honoring God by honoring 6 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 2: our Mothers, written and read by Lynette Kittle. But women 7 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 2: will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love, 8 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 2: and holiness with propriety one Timothy two fifteen. Sadly, these days, 9 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: motherhood seems like it's not on the rise, but on 10 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 2: the decline, with some young women resisting the call to 11 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 2: motherhood and foregoing having children. 12 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 3: As well. Bitterness towards mothers seems to also be on 13 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 3: the rise, with too many adult children resenting their mothers 14 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 3: noble yet imperfect attempts at mothering, looking at their flaws 15 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 3: and weaknesses more than their strengths and sacrifices. But even 16 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 3: if the world turns their backs on mothers and motherhood, 17 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 3: believers in Jesus Christ are called to embrace motherhood and 18 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 3: honor their mothers, respecting God's design and plan from motherhood 19 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 3: and the place of honor he has given them on Earth. 20 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 3: Many adult children don't seem to understand that God cares 21 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 3: about how we treat, speak to, and speak about our 22 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 3: mothers and mothers in law. It matters to him because 23 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 3: as his family, it reflects on him how we treat 24 00:01:57,800 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 3: and speak about them. 25 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 2: We are all. 26 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 3: How we treat our mothers affects our lives long term, 27 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 3: affecting even the joy we experience and the length of 28 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 3: our lives on earth. As the apostle Paul explained in 29 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 3: Ephesians six two through three, honor your father and mother, 30 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 3: which is the first commandment, with a promise, so that 31 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,239 Speaker 3: it may go well with you and that you may 32 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 3: enjoy long life on the earth. So grave was it 33 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 3: under old Testament law to dishonor one's mother and father 34 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 3: that it brought deathly punishment. Anyone who curses their father 35 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 3: or mother is put to death Exodus twenty one seventeen. 36 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 3: Even if our mothers have totally failed us, God calls 37 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 3: us to forgive them and to recognize the God ordained 38 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 3: sacredness of them carrying us to life in their own bodies. 39 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 3: Author and speaker Joycemires shares how her mother failed to 40 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 3: protect her growing up from her father's sexual abuse. In 41 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 3: ways she found it harder to forgive her than her father. 42 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 3: Still in her parents later years, God called Joyce to 43 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 3: take care of them, something she tried to resist at first. 44 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,239 Speaker 3: But even for mothers who have totally failed us in life, 45 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 3: God causes us to honor Him by honoring them, even 46 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 3: when they don't deserve it. Most new mothers begin motherhood 47 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,959 Speaker 3: with the disadvantage of having little to know experience, learning 48 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 3: and growing as they go, starting out as a greenhorn, 49 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 3: discovering along the way how to handle the endless hours 50 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 3: of motherhood's tremendous responsibilities. Too many women in her motherhood 51 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 3: with unaddressed and often unknown issues in their own lives, 52 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 3: revealing underlying weaknesses and issues they may have no real 53 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 3: understanding of or skilled a handle in their own lives 54 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 3: as well. Many new mothers follow their mother's attitudes and 55 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 3: actions because it's what they know about being a mother, 56 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 3: Struggling trying to do their best with what they know, 57 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 3: learning what works best and what falls flat as they go, 58 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 3: because it is a trial and error sort of relationship. Sadly, 59 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 3: some mothers feel like failures long before their children grow 60 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 3: up and point fingers at their mothering deficiencies. Still, mothers, 61 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 3: even in their weaknesses and failures, and regardless of their 62 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 3: struggles and faults, are treasured and loved by God. Whether 63 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 3: or not we believe they deserve to be honored, we 64 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,840 Speaker 3: are commanded to honor the position God has given them 65 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 3: on the earth as sons and daughters. God calls us 66 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 3: to honor Him by honoring our mothers. Doing so is 67 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:58,040 Speaker 3: an act of obedience and glorifies God. Intersecting faith and life. 68 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 3: Are you honoring your mother this year? What about your 69 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 3: mother in law? If you're finding it difficult to do 70 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,799 Speaker 3: so for various reasons, ask God to help you honor 71 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 3: Him by honoring them this Mother's Day as well. If 72 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,719 Speaker 3: you've disrespected them in the past, ask for their forgiveness 73 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 3: so you can begin anew and your relationship with them. 74 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 3: Further reading twenty nine beautiful Bible verses about mothers that 75 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 3: will honor mothers in your life. 76 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 77 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 78 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: about our sister podcast your Daily Prayer. When you follow 79 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll get 80 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 1: a brand new prayer and devotional each day. So your 81 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: days begin in conversation with God. 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