Proverbs 31 - The King's mother
Proverbs 31:1
Our Children Remember What We Teach Them:
Until really stopping to study this chapter, I had no idea the first nine verses were about who King Lemuel's mother taught him to be before obtaining a wife. Did you?
This entire chapter is written as a remembrance of ideas, values, morals, and character traits that a mother placed into the heart of her son as she looked toward a future where he would be king.
Verses two through nine are the king reflecting on all his mother taught him about his role as a leader and man of God. Then, in verse ten, we finally dive into the kind of wife he is now prepared for.
Isn't that interesting? This is a good word for all you single ladies. It's important that you prepare yourself to be a Proverbs 31 wife, but it is equally important to ask for wisdom and discernment in seeing to it that your potential husband has the qualities that King Lemuel recalls his mother instilling in him as well. If he hasn't prepared his spirit then no amount of preparation on your part will ever be enough to compensate for gaps in his character and who he professes to be in Jesus Christ.
The Bond of Mother and Son:
On another note, this is an important verse for you mothers who have sons. This king loved his mother so much. He valued her words and her teachings to the point of recalling them verbatim. She must have poured much time, energy, and effort into their relationship as she daily taught him what it looked like to be a man of God. As moms, we often think this looks like long chats and a ton of quality time together; our sons do not see it that way. What actually works them is watching us model by example, selecting our words carefully, and by giving kind and wise instruction with as little words as possible. It is also a huge plus when your son can look at his believing father as an example of what he will one day become. Many of you don't have that. Be encouraged that God is still working in your son's life. Many of you do have that. Thank the Lord for the blessing of your husband and all he means to you and your children.
On another note, this is an important verse for you mothers who have sons. This king loved his mother so much. He valued her words and her teachings to the point of recalling them verbatim. She must have poured much time, energy, and effort into their relationship as she daily taught him what it looked like to be a man of God. As moms, we often think this looks like long chats and a ton of quality time together; our sons do not see it that way. What actually works them is watching us model by example, selecting our words carefully, and by giving kind and wise instruction with as little words as possible. It is also a huge plus when your son can look at his believing father as an example of what he will one day become. Many of you don't have that. Be encouraged that God is still working in your son's life. Many of you do have that. Thank the Lord for the blessing of your husband and all he means to you and your children.
A Wise Mother:
This mother was wise to use her strength in raising up a son who knew right from wrong. She used discernment to teach him who he needed to be long before she spoke on the kind of wife he would desire to have. This tells us that we can pray for the wives of our sons, and we should, but the real effort needs to be placed on helping them become who God created them to be. If we are faithful in that then the blessing that follows them into their marriages and families will naturally follow.
This mother was wise to use her strength in raising up a son who knew right from wrong. She used discernment to teach him who he needed to be long before she spoke on the kind of wife he would desire to have. This tells us that we can pray for the wives of our sons, and we should, but the real effort needs to be placed on helping them become who God created them to be. If we are faithful in that then the blessing that follows them into their marriages and families will naturally follow.
Today, let's commit to being mothers, grandmothers, and spiritual mothers to the younger generations in our lives. Whether they are male or female, each has preparations that must be set in place before committing to marriage. Let's be the kind of mothers whose children remember what they taught them; the kind of mothers who focus in on our children's character with kindness, wisdom, discernment, truth, and dignity. So when they are older our children will stand and bless us like King Lemuel does for his mother in this verse.
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