12 May, 2008

Thanks Mom! You are priceless!

Did you honor your Mom on Mother's Day? Now, what about the rest of the year?

What's a mom worth?

According to one report, $138,095 a year.

That's last year's figure in a report by Salary.com, which calculates the wages that would have been paid a stay-at-home mom if she were compensated for all the elements of her "job."

Moms who have jobs outside the house would earn another $85,939 for their mothering work, beyond what they bring home in existing salary.

The job descriptions used to determine a mom's salary includes 10 jobs that moms do on an average day: housekeeper, day care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, CEO and psychologist.

In calculating a mom's wages, Salary.com looked at the "overtime" that both working and stay-at-home moms put in each week.

photo courtesy images.google.com & story courtesy moneycentral.msn.com, 5/09/07

Exodus 20:12

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Proverbs 23:22-25

22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy truth, and do not sell it;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
25 Let your father and mother be glad;
let her who bore you rejoice.

Ephesians 6:1

Children and Parents

6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Ephesians 4:31-32

31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Proverbs 19:26

26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
is a son who brings shame and reproach.

1 Timothy 5:3-4

3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. (ESV)

In Exodus 20:12, God gives a timeless commandment to all of his people. We are to honor our mothers. What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about how to honor our moms?

The following is a list of ways we can honor our moms. Match the list with the scriptures. You may need to scroll up to read the verses again.

a) Accept them (Proverbs 23:24-25)

b) Forgive them (Ephesians 6:1)

c) Appreciate them (Ephesians 4:31-32)

d) Obey them (Proverbs 19:26)

e) Care for them (Proverbs 23:22)

f) Be Godly (1st Timothy 5:3-4)

The correct answers:(a) Proverbs 19:26; (b) Ephesians 4:31-32; (c) Proverbs 23:22; (d) Ephesians 6:1; (e) 1st Timothy 5:3-4; (f) Proverbs 23:24-25

How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?

  • Thank God that part of His sovereign plan included Moms! Thank God that he sees your mom as priceless! Thank Him right now for your Mom, even though she isn't or wasn't perfect. Thank God for your Mom, whether you know her well or never knew her at all. If you're adopted, thank God for both of your Moms. Confess any way you have not been honoring your Mom the way God's Word teaches. Ask God's Spirit to enable you to honor your Mom in the ways presented in today's scripture verses. If your Mom is living, pray that she will feel honored by you every day and blessed by the loving Heavenly Father.
  • All year long, try to honor your Mom by doing "the list" above.
  • Spend some time talking and listening to her. Thank her for being priceless.
  • Tell your Mom those all important words "I Love You" even when it's not Mother's Day.

How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?

Pass this DAILYBIDE on to friends who are followers of Jesus and with some who are not yet His followers as a way to share a little more of your story and God's Story with them.

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God's Story is brought to you by Youth for Christ. YFC works with young people on campus and in the community in over one hundred countries around the world so that they might have an opportunity to become a follower of Christ and be a part of a local church.

Our writer, Byron Emmert, has been with YFC for over 30 years and has served as Campus Life Staff, in leadership for DCLA, and as an author and speaker. Byron is available for speaking at youth or adult events and conferences. For booking, write to byron@3Story.org.

Byron and his wife Linda live in Minnesota and their family includes two married sons and daughters-in-law, a grandaughter, and a daughter in college. He loves sports, deep dish pizza, and spending time with his family.