The Power of Mom: Who will look more like Jesus because of your investment in them?

The Power of mom is a powerful force that God has put in our midst.  Mothers in our culture are a force to be reckoned with.  If you don’t believe that just go out to the Little League fields some day and see some mom in the stands when her son gets yelled at by the coach. 
Mothers have this kind of resolve and determination that when they put their mind to something they get it done.  We’ve discovered that in our culture, we have all these organizations where mothers band together like a well oiled fighting machine.  We have Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and Mothers Against Teen Violence.  You want something done, ask a mom!
It’s interesting that when Paul wants to teach Titus how to get the church at Crete healthy, he employs what I’m calling the Power of Mom.  By the way, it’s not just for moms.  One person who’s a bit further along to invest spiritually in another is the calling of all Christians.  But before you can make spiritual deposits in another’s life, you must be spiritual.  To ensure the older women or are ready and able to live on purpose, we see five challenges that Paul gives through Titus to these older women.  Do you want to make a difference, take these five challenges yourself.
 
          1.  Remain teachable.
 
He says to these older women, Are you still growing?  Are you still learning?  Are you still pursuing God?  Or in recent days and years have you just sort of begun to coast in your spiritual life?  I hope that you’re still teachable.
 
          2.  Watch your lifestyle.  
 
He says, Titus, I want you to teach these older women to live in a way that is appropriate.  Is your lifestyle honoring to God?  Because here’s the reality.  People are watching you.  They’re observing your life.  And just because your kids are grown and gone doesn’t mean that your job is through.  There are lots of young people in your life who need a role model of someone they can watch up close and personal who will model for them what the Christian life looks like.  Paul said to young Timothy a pastor in 1 Timothy 4:16“Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will [a]ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”       
”  So remain teachable, watch your lifestyle.
 
          3.  Stay active in serving Christ.  
 
There’s an implied assumption in Paul’s teaching here.  The implied assumption is that these older women are engaged in ministry, in serving.  As many times as I’ve read the Bible, not one time have I ever found one single verse that gives us permission from God to retire from serving.  You may retire from our career but you don’t retire from serving God.  In fact, if you still have a pulse, if your heart is still beating, if you’re still taking a breath, God has you here for a reason.  That reason is so that you can continue to serve Him. 
 
This is especially important for some of you who are a little bit further along in life because now you actually have more time to serve God than maybe you did at another time.  You’re at a season of life either that your career is winding down or your kids are grown and gone and you actually have more time now to invest in the things that matter for eternity.  What a tragic thing it is that just the time when a woman has the right experience, enough wisdom and time to pass it on, she chooses to sit on the sidelines.  So Paul says stay active in serving God.
 
          4.  Practice self-control with your tongue.
 
He said these older women should have a life style that is appropriate and doesn’t speak evil of other people.  They’re not gossips, they’re not slanderers, they don’t spew out negativism or criticisms or complaints.  I love some of our older women around here that when you see them on the weekend they’re just full of life.  They’re vibrant, they’re joyful.  They have a great positive word to say.  You can tell they’re excited to be here.  They just spread joy wherever they go.  They really do live out Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech always be [a]with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”  What a great word for all of us!
 
          5.  Beware of inappropriate behavior.
 
He says they’re not to be heavy drinkers.  We don’t really know how much alcohol was a problem in this early church on the island of Crete.  But I think really what Paul’s doing is he’s getting at a larger principle.  The larger principle is this, “Don’t let there be anything in your life that could be a stumbling block to someone watching you.  Is there anything that you’re doing or that you embrace that you say, “I wouldn’t want someone else knowing about that or watching it or modeling after me.”  Paul said it very succinctly in 1 Thessalonians 5 “Abstain every kind of evil.”  
 
Which challenge do you need to work on?  Who can you invest in?  Let’s put the power of mom to work.