There’s no one in the world quite like a mother.
She gave us life, and if that wasn’t miraculous enough, she provided us with more love and support than we ever could have dreamed of. She mopped up all the messes we’ve left behind, from toddler tantrums to tempestuous teenage rows. She’s forgiven us, encouraged us and shaped the people we have become. Just one day a year: Mother’s Day, isn’t enough to thank the woman whose love we can always rely on. It’s difficult to put their sacrifice into words. Being a mother pays nothing, it is a 24 hour a day role that carries on demanding love and attention for a whole lifetime. A mother’s love really is like nothing else.
Secular society and the liberal church have an agenda to demean diminish and destroy the biblical definition of what it means to be a godly woman, mother and wife.
Because the ultimate purpose for a woman who loves Jesus is to live for Him and His glory. I thought it would be a good thing to look at a few Scriptures that describe the character of a “woman after God’s own heart.”
Precious sisters, in a world where outward charm and physical beauty reign as queen, your precious Savior and Lover of your soul Jesus Christ would say to you:
Proverbs 31.30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Today, I give thanks and praise to all the women here this morning who love Jesus and serve Him in their marriage, their home, this church and in the midst of a fallen and broken world.
I give a special word of thanks and praise to my wife who is all of this a much more.
Let’s take a look at some of the more prevalent passages of Scripture on being a godly wife and mother.
Proverbs 31.10-12 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
It is the worldly, fleshly, self-centered woman who looks at Proverbs 31 and says along with the mantra of this fallen world system that such “demands” or “expectations” are archaic and were meant for women who lived in the dark ages.
The wise woman on the other hand looks at the 31 virtuous women of Proverbs and knows that this is a description of a godly wife, mother or woman of any era or any culture.
It is from that life of virtue that all of the other ingredients listed in chapter 31 flow from this woman. Her husband trusts her, and she makes it her constant business as his helpmeet to do him good. She looks well to all the ways of her household. She is industrious and prudent. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness. Her children and husband praise her.
There is not one selfish drop of sweat in this “virtuous woman” chapter, because all that she is doing for her husband and family is first and foremost being done for the glory of God.
It is getting harder and harder to find a virtuous woman in our society. That is because there are less and less women following Jesus and submissive to His Lordship.
You precious sisters who love Jesus and submit to Him are a rare jewel in today’s society. You precious sisters who love Jesus and submit to Him are real examples of what it means to be a wife, mother and godly woman.
Ephesians 5.22-24 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
As we learn in this chapter, we learn that marriage exists to show the glory of Christ. It is not a social contract formed when and how we please. It is not a convenience for satisfying our desires. It is God’s display case for the beautiful relationship between Christ and His church.
Thus, a woman’s role of submission is a picture of how the church lovingly submits to Jesus Christ.
A godly woman recognizes her role in the marriage as being one of submission to her husband, not as a slave, but as a helpmeet. A wise and Jesus-loving wife will not try to undermine her husband’s authority or leadership.
1 Peter 3.1-6 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
A godly woman’s submission to her husband stems from a quiet confidence, which is the fruit of her faith and trust in God.
Keep in mind that what Peter writes here is the counsel of God that Peter is giving to the Christian woman who is married to a non-Christian man or a man who is not living like a Christian. Consult Abigail in 1 Samuel 25 for some idea of what this kind of husband might look like.
The elaborate braiding of women’s hair and the wearing of attention-grabbing jewelry were common in upper-class Roman society. Peter is not literally prohibiting all braiding of hair or all wearing of gold jewelry. Instead, he warns against being more concerned about personal appearance than Christ-like character on the inside.
1 Timothy 2.9,10 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
Thus, when we sum up what we have see thus far in Proverbs, Ephesians, 1 Peter and 1 Timothy, we learn that a woman after God’s own heart will possess 3 outstanding qualities:
She will be deeply devoted to The Lord Jesus Christ and His glory. This devotion to Jesus will affect her manner of speaking, her manner of dressing. She will have a servant’s heart and will be industrious. She has a heart for the poor and needy. Thus, she is a woman of Jesus-like compassion.
She will be biblically committed to her covenant vows that she made before God and with her husband.
She will be an example of the heart and compassion of Jesus Christ towards her children.
Yes, the husband is the head of the marriage and the home; but the wife is the heart and soul of the home.
2 Timothy 1.5 tells us about the incredible impact that Timothy’s mother and grandmother had upon his life as a follower of Jesus Christ. A godly wife and mother impact the life of their children and grandchildren.
Let’s spend the final few minutes together with the admonition given by the apostle Paul to pastor Titus.
My dear sisters in Christ, I draw your attention this morning to the ONLY standard that matters for a woman who loves Jesus and aspires to follow Him all the days of her life. That standard is the unchanging, culture and trend-defying Word of God.
Titus 2.1-5 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
These are timeless character truths of God that transcend all cultures, trends and mores of society. These character truths are the things that become sound doctrine.
Holiness, or reverence will be their underlying character.
Not false accusers- She has control over her tongue. Greek diabolos, one who accuses falsely. As we saw in Proverbs 31, the law of kindness is on her lips.
Not given to wine- Not addicted or enslaved to alcohol. As we read in Ephesians 5.18, she is Spirit filled, not substance controlled.
They are to be Teachers of good things, which are:
Teach young women to be sober- To be moderate or self controlled. They bring calm to the home, not chaos.
Love their husbands- (not somebody else’s husband!) to be fond and affectionate.
Love their children-
Discreet- curbing one’s desires and impulses, self- controlled, temperate.
Chaste- Pure and reverent. The world idolizes physical beauty, but those who are in Christ place a higher priority on holiness and purity onm the inside. Thus, the exhortation for older women to teach the younger women wherein real beauty lies.
Keepers at home- oikouros; a stayer at home, i. e. domestically inclined. The (watch or) keeper of the house.
Proverbs 14.1 Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
Good- Good-natured, pleasant, agreeable, joyful.
Obedient to their own husbands- A Greek military term meaning “to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader.”
Why does God tell women to live this way? For one thing, this is the kind of a woman that a husband and children want and need to have around them.
That the Word of God be not blasphemed- spoken evil of. Beloved, our marriages and families have the potential to be a steppingstone or a stumbling stone to others coming to faith in Jesus.
Let’s join our hearts together in thanks and prayer for every single wife, mother and sister.
We love you, we appreciate you, we pray that God’s face and grace will shine upon you and give you peace.
