Some would say a fireman because they rush into burning buildings to rescue people from the fire. Jesus rushed into humanity in order to rescue us from the burning fires of hell! Others might say a doctor because they help heal people and Jesus was the ultimate healer, able to heal not just the body but the heart, the mind and the spirit. Still others might suggest a pastor because they teach the eternal truths of Scripture, help connect people to God and are there to counsel and give spiritual guidance when called upon. Scripture tells us that Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor and the One who truly and ultimately can connect a lost sinner to God the Father.
A fireman, a doctor, a pastor; those are all good choices. But what about a mom? Wait, you say. You asked what profession, and I really don’t think mom qualifies as a profession, does she? In the minds of most, she doesn’t. In fact, there is no pay check that reflects the work that she does. But consider these studies.
Based on a survey of more than 28,000 mothers, salary.com determined that the time mothers spend performing 10 typical job functions would equate to an annual salary of $118,000 for a stay-at-home mom. In 2009, the Edelman Financial services took a little different approach for deriving a pay scale of a stay at home mom. Their pay scale was derived by totaling the average salaries of 17 occupations that a multi-tasking mother performs during the course of a year.
Here is the list:
b. Chef $40,700
c. Computer Systems Analyst $75,890
d. Financial Manager $106,200
e. Food/Beverage Service Worker $20,660
f. General Office Clerk $25,960
g. Registered Nurse $62,480
h. Management Analyst $80,460
i. Child Care Worker $19,670
j. Housekeeper $19,550
k. Psychologist $83,610
l. Bus Driver $34,150
m. Elementary School Principal $82,120
n. Dietitian/Nutritionist $50,030
o. Property Manager $53,530
p. Social Worker $41,920
q. Recreation Worker $23,790
TOTAL $841,900
When you put it that way, mothers are worth their weight in gold!
So how does a godly mom remind us of Jesus? Jesus loves us unconditionally and mothers do that all the time. Jesus gave Himself constantly to people who often didn’t thank him for his service to them. Can anyone say “dinner time”? How many meals have moms made that when everyone is done eating, she is left with dirty dishes and not a single thank you from her beloved family? Jesus loved sacrificially. Being a mom is the epitome of self-sacrifice! 88% of laundry is done by women, totaling 390 loads of laundry and 5,300 articles of clothing a year, which adds up to around 7.5 loads per week. Recent polls clearly show that without mothers, most laundry, particularly men’s, would not get washed until it smelled worse than a egg salad sandwich that had been sitting in the sun for five days. Moms clean toilets. They change diapers. Mothers average 7,300 diaper changes by the baby’s 2nd birthday.
Mothers have to learn to multitask. The average pre-schooler requires his or her mother’s attention every four minutes! About 210 times a day—-and about 50 times as often as they’ll call mom in a year after they’ve grown up and moved away! Moms are taxi drivers. The average mom spends more than one hour driving each day, traveling about 30 miles, and taking more than five trips out of the driveway, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Married women with school-age children spend 66 minutes a day driving–that’s almost 17 days a year behind the wheel.
Jesus was patient, and who is more patient than a mother in a most homes? Jesus was an encourager, and moms often have a way of making the worst day get bright again with their words of encouragement. That is the reason, I believe, why so many professional and college athletes who get their big moment on TV in front of the camera, first belt out “Hi Mom!” Why isn’t it ever, “Hi Dad”? Well, when dad was pushing them to be a star and pointing out the things they did wrong or needed to improve upon, mom was there in the background offering words of confidence, encouragement and sometimes counsel when the game didn’t go the way it was supposed to.
Jesus was a prayer warrior. I know I can speak for many others besides myself when I say that we would not be where we are today if it wasn’t for the effectual and fervent prayers of our moms. Jesus was a protector, and moms certainly fit this category. Does the phrase “mama bear” mean anything to you? Did your mom ever resemble a mama bear when someone didn’t treat you the right way? Moms can be great protectors! Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor. I know that many moms, like my mom, have that gift of simply listening and offering up good, solid and biblical advice. I think moms take it, hands down, when it comes to which profession reminds us the most of Jesus!
I came across this brilliant word picture called, What is a Mother?
Somewhere between the youthful energy of a teenager and the golden years of a woman’s life, there lives a marvelous and loving person known as “mother”. A mother is a curious mixture of patience, kindness, understanding, discipline, industriousness, purity, and love. A mother can be—at the same time—both “lovelorn counselor” to a heartsick daughter and head football coach to an athletic son. A mother can sew the tiniest stitch in the material for that dainty prom dress, and she is equally experienced in threading through the heaviest traffic with a mini van. A mother is the only creature on earth who can cry when she’s happy, laugh when she’s heartbroken, and work when she’s feeling ill. A mother is as gentle as a lamb and as strong as a giant. Only a mother can appear so weak and helpless, yet be the one to put the fruit jar lid on so tightly that even Dad can’t get it off. A mother is a picture of helplessness when Dad is near, and a marvel of resourcefulness when she’s all alone. A mother has the angelic voice of a member of the celestial choir, as she sings a lullaby to a baby cradled in her arms, yet she can dwarf the sound of an amplifier when she calls her boys in for dinner. A mother has the fascinating ability to be almost everywhere at once, and she alone can somehow squeeze an enormous amount of living into an average day. A mother is “old-fashioned” to her teenager; just “mom” to her third-grader; and simply “Mamma” to the little two-year-old sister. But there is no greater thrill in life than to point to that wonderful woman and be able to say to all the world, “That’s my mother”. – Fred Kruse
So this week, show Mom a little respect. And next Sunday, treat her extra special. Whether a godly influence or not, look for ways throughout the year to show her how much you appreciate her for all that she is and all that she does. If your mom has passed away and you no longer can tell her or show her how thankful you are, can I encourage you to pass on that thankfulness by keeping her memory alive to your children and grandchildren? Most of all, give thanks to God for the example of moms and how they truly are a reflection of our Lord Jesus!
simpletruthswithpastorrob 