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Stewards of Purpose: Parenting Through Mary’s Eyes
Stewards of Purpose: Parenting Through Mary’s Eyes
What if your child’s purpose isn’t your dream—but God’s? We explore parenting as stewardship, not ownership, through Mary.
Tired of culture downplaying family? Hear why parenting is noble work: procreation and purpose, with Mary as a living guide. What “kept in your heart” word are you holding for your child today?
I am not a parent yet, but that is my passion and inspiration in the future. So I don't really have much to say in terms of experience when it comes to parenting. However, the scripture has topics on every aspect of our lives, be it in parenting, business, relationship, work, anything that you're looking for. Ministry, the Bible has principles and insights, and instructions and inspirations that you and I we can follow and apply in our parental life. Before I encourage this morning, I always would like to start with a prayer. So wherever you are, if you can close your eyes or focus on the Lord as we invite his presence, as we invite him to take control, as we invite him to have his way, whatever his will is, let it be done, not ours. Gracious Father, we thank you for this amazing time that we have gathered. We thank you, Lord, because we know that you are here with us. Holy Spirit, we depend on you to speak life to your people, to speak life to your children, to speak life to parents that are here. Holy Spirit, you are the revealer of truth. Holy Spirit, you are our helper. I submit myself to you. Let me just be an instrument for you to speak. And at the end of the day, let your name be glorified. And I pray that God, your people will be blessed. They will obtain something tangible that they can apply in their lives and area of parenting. I thank you, Lord, and I know that you have answered our prayers. I know that you have accomplished whatever it is that you have ordained today. This we ask in Jesus' precious powerful name we have prayed. Amen. Today I just want to briefly encourage all of us as parents or want to be parents. I know it's not an easy job. All I can tell is a noble job. It's not easy, but it's a noble job. It's a job that has a significant purpose. It's a job that serves the procreation of life. It's a job that when God blessed man, he said, Let him be fruitful, let him multiply, subdue, and fill the earth. So you guys are partakers in bringing life into this world. So I just want to say that the heavens celebrate you, and I also celebrate the tremendous work that you're doing, investing in the lives of your children. It's a noble work. Don't let nobody tell you otherwise. Because I know we live in a culture that makes parenting or having a family look not cool because of people's way of living, their own preferences. But family is a good thing. The first institution that God established when he created this universe is family, not even work, it's family because God is all about family. So we have an example of what parenting is all about. And God describes himself as a father, meaning that he is a parent. A father is not just about your male organ. Being a father is not just a title that any man can claim. Being a father is a title that involves responsibility and authority. And God has that title of a father of being responsible for his children and also having that authority, that oversight over his children. So we have an example in the Bible that God is a father. And that is why we have fathers and mothers in our lives. And because that's who God is. God married himself to Israel. He called himself the husband of Israel. Jesus Christ married himself to the church. He called himself the husband of the church. So when you look at Genesis all the way down to the gospel, it's all about relationship. It's all about family. When you and I, as believers, when we end up leaving this world, we're going to be part of the divine family of God. So God really values family because He's all about family. Even the Trinity, it's God in one, all relational. And God wants to apply the same thing here on earth. That is why you establish family. I just wanted just to highlight the importance of family before I get into a story of Mary, the mother of our Savior Jesus Christ, a special woman. And if you look at key phrases in the Bible, two times it is mentioned that Mary ponder in her heart. Some translation will say Mary kept all these things in her heart. The focus is in her heart. The Bible states Mary ponder in her heart in Luke chapter 2, verse 19. Luke chapter 2, verse 51, the Bible states that Mary kept all these things in her heart. Let's look at the instances why Mary ponder things in her heart, why Mary kept things in her heart. Mary ponder and kept things in her heart regarding her son Jesus Christ. Regarding that special son. So being a parent, like I said, is you bringing life into existence. Recently, a church, a woman of God, made a statement, a powerful statement that you and I we are spiritually formed before we are physically formed. So in essence, our first parents or our first father, because the word father means source, you are created first by God. So your children are created first by God. Okay, wow. They are created first by God. God just used both male and female to be the carriers of the created child from God. So you, as a parent, you are a carrier of life. You didn't really create that life because God created that life and just put that life inside of you. So you are a steward of life. You are a steward of life. You have a divine command, commission to be a steward of life, to be a servant of life, to cherish that life, to cultivate that life, to care for that life. That is why abortion is something very terrible. And we as believers we should not practice this. I know there are circumstances, I understand. But life is precious in the sight of God. So Mary ponder in her heart because what she carried was precious to her. What she carried was so precious to her. Because the angel of the Lord appeared to Mary when we look at Luke chapter 1, that encounter when the angel appeared to Mary. And the angel said that, let me read from Luke chapter 1 quickly, verse 28. The Bible says, and having come in, the angel said to her, Rejoice, highly favored, that the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women. So for you to have a child is a privilege because there are many women who are looking for the womb, but they're not able to have it. If you look at the Old Testament, there are instances where being barren brought shame to women. And there are many instances of godly women who were barren. And when they pray to God, God gave them special children. So for you to be a mother, it's a privilege. You have been chosen to bring life. So we should not take it for granted at all. I understand at times it's hard, but at the end, it's a duty, it's a noble duty. So I just want to encourage you to make you feel like wow, I have a noble mandate from heaven, not from man, not from society, not from government. Because government did not institute family, it was God who instituted family from the beginning. And that's what you and I as believers we need to believe. So the angel appeared to Mary, said, Mary, man, you're gonna conceive a child. Don't be afraid. That which is in your womb is special, and this child is gonna be great, and this child is gonna be called the son of the most high, and the Lord will bring him the throne of his father David. So the angel was trying to explain to Mary, Mary, what you're about to carry is not something ordinary. What you're about to carry is not something that you should take for granted. What you're about to carry, you're about to carry life and purpose. Life and purpose. So your children, your children, when God give you those children, they are meant for a purpose. Your role is to procreate, to bring life about, and your second role is to ensure that life that you have brought about, that life serves a purpose. So those are the two functions of parents: procreation and purpose. You bring life about and to ensure that that life fulfills its maximum purpose. So the children that you have, it is your responsibility not only to bring them into existence, but it's also your responsibility as a parent to ensure that you care for them, you cultivate them, you cherish them, and you help them to fulfill their calling in life. That is why Mary pondered in her heart, because she has been assigned to produce life, and not only that, she has been assigned to ensure that this child of hers fulfilled its purpose. This child of hers fulfilled its purpose. That is why she kept it in her heart. She was observing the dream that she had. Let me keep these things in my heart concerning my child, what my child is going to be. My child is going to be the savior of the world. And look at the things that he's doing.
unknown:Wow.
SPEAKER_00:Instead of me to discourage my child, or instead of me to tell my child, you know what, you will not call to be a doctor, become become a nurse because myself, I was a nurse. Fulfill the life that I wanted to fulfill. But when you know that your child loves medical stuff, instead of you to help your child to pursue that path, but because you you want your child to fulfill your own dream, you distract the child. But not so with Mary. Mary was given a mandate that hey, this child is gonna be this, and I want you to help this child fulfill his purpose. That is one of the responsibilities of parenting, to help your children fulfill their divine purpose on this earth. So the first instance where the Bible says that Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart was when the um, let me see, when the shepherds, the shepherds came again, angel. Angel appeared to the shepherd to tell the shepherds about this special child, and the angel directed them where they're gonna find the special child. And the shepherd came and they found the child. And and the Bible says that when they came, let me read it quickly. When the angels appeared to the shepherd in Luke chapter 2, verse 15, they said to one another, Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. Wow! And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe and the babe lying in the manger. Now when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying. They made widely known the sin, and all of those who heard it marvel, marvel at those things which were told by them by the shepherds. Then verse 19, where my focus is. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. She was getting revelations about her son from the angel, from the shepherd. We as parents, we need to go back to God. Like I said, God is the first parent of your children, you are the second parent. So walk with God to care for your children. Walk with God, who is who's who is a father to care for your children. God wants to get involved in your family. He knows you cannot do it all by yourself. Cry out to God when at times you feel overwhelmed. Go to God so that He can carry you and your family. He wants to do that. So God didn't leave Mary all by herself. He gave Mary signs that, hey Mary, that child is special. And what is your role, what is your response as a mother or as a father, keep those things in your heart concerning your child, concerning your children. Whatever you hear from God concerning what your children are going to become in life, what your children are going to do in life, keep them in your heart. Ponder them in your heart and make sure that whatever you're doing with your children, align them, what is in your heart concerning them. Don't distract them, don't disrupt them. Make sure that they are in the center of God's will. Because God was the one who first created them, and you are just carriers of those children. So the Bible states that Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Verse 20, and then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, and it was told them. So you bringing a child into existence brings glory to God. That is why abortion will never bring glory to God. Because you're taking life. God is life. When you bring life into existence, it brings glory to God because that life will serve a significant purpose in life. So what you guys are doing as parents, it brings glory to God. So I want you to be proud of yourself as a parent, taking care of a wonderful, noble responsibility. Don't shy away from it. It's noble in the sight of God. I know it's hard. I know at times it's not easy. That is why God is saying, I want to be with you. Let us co-parent these children together. And he is a foster, he is a shield, he is faithful, he is caring, he is gracious, he is merciful, he is powerful, he is, oh my God, he is forgiving, he is patient. That's the God that we serve, that is willing to walk with you. And lastly, before I conclude, when you go down to Luke chapter 2, verse 51, the Bible states that then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them, but his mother kept all these things in her heart. Jesus, as a child, you as a parent, if you don't tell your children the purpose that God has for them, God himself will reveal in the heart of your children that this is my plan for your life. Don't forget that God, God is the source of your children. God is the creator of your children. Like I said, you are just a carrier, you are just a steward of bringing life into existence. Your children belong to God, they belong to God. So if you fail to tell your children what God has put in your heart concerning what they're gonna do, what they're gonna be in life, God Himself will do it. God himself will take the initiative to do it. Why am I saying this? Jesus Christ at the age of 12 knew his purpose. He went into the temple asking questions, and then people were asking him questions and he would and he answered. And then and then his parents were looking for him, and he responded was I'm about my father's business. But at the same time, when Jesus knew his purpose, the Bible said he was submissive to his headly parental guardianship. He was submissive to Mary and Joseph. But Mary saw that Jesus at that age of 12 was into his purpose, was on the path of his purpose, was on the path of fulfilling his father's business. She didn't stop him. Her response was this she kept it in her heart. And as a result of her not stopping Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ was submissive to Mary and Joseph. Sometimes the reason why there's a fight in the family between you and your children, when your children want to do A, you want her to do B. When your son wants to become a lawyer, you want your son to become a soccer player. When your daughter wants to become the next prime minister of Canada, you want them to become a nurse. Deep down her heart, that's that's what she wants to do. She spends most of her time learning about leadership. But you want to take that away from her. Instead of you to help align her. Wow, I see that my daughter is interested in leadership. Let me buy leadership books for her. I see that my son is into law. I know he wants to become a lawyer, a judge. Let me invest in that path that is taken. That's exactly what Mary did. The Bible said Mary kept all these things in her heart. To conclude, Mary, because she knew the purpose of Jesus Christ at the conception of Jesus Christ, she remained with Jesus Christ all the way at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Let me say that again. Because Mary knew the purpose of her son from conception, she was faithful to walk along with her son, not just when Jesus was young, even when Jesus was an adult till the death of her son on the cross. She was one of the women on the cross, um, down the cross, not even the disciple, not even the disciple. And Jesus, when he was on the cross, he said, Woman, be all your son, son, be all your mother. So Jesus being God was also responsible for his mother. Because at that time, Joseph is gone, he's the elder brother. So as being God and also being a son to Mary, he didn't just leave Mary like that. He handed over the responsibility of Kia, of Mary, to John the beloved. Because why? Why? Because that relationship has been established. Mary was into Jesus, Jesus was into Mary. So if you want your children in the future when they get older, be into them, they can be into you. Invest in them, pour in them, and they will never forsake you. I remember when I was young, this is what mommy did for me. Mommy saw far to put me in school, mommy so far to make sure I go to the best school. They will always be grateful and faithful for you and be and be and be thankful for your sacrifice. Parenting takes a lot, it's sacrifice, it's love, it's patience. I am not a parent, but I observe what parents go through. But I know God is also a parent. And I pray that God will open your eyes to see your role as a parent that you are a procreator of life. Your role as a parent to fulfill the purpose to ensure that your children live and fulfill your calling.
