Things My Mama Said
If you fall out of that tree and break your neck, Im gonna wear you out! Sometimes we dont think before we go out on some limb. Its foolish to be where we dont belong, even if its a bit exciting. Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).
If you cant be happy, you can at least smile while youre not. That may seem like an oxymoron, even patently foolish, but its just good advice. Fact is, even when youre upset or discouraged, a smile can bring a measure of relief, both to yourself and to others. A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. How about a smile, now?
You arent going out and make your mother ashamed, are you? Solomon said, A wise son maketh a glad father; but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother (Proverbs 10:1). You cant do wrong without a poor influence being exerted. It behooves every one of us to consider how the Father feels when we deliberately do things that are wrong.
If you cant say something nice, maybe you shouldnt say anything at all. How often we retaliate with some verbal outburst against someone with whom we disagree, or someone we just plain dont like. What progress is it? What is gained by it? The prudence of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression (Proverbs 19:11). Ive finally learned that sometimes the best defense is no offense at all.
You kids get out of this house; and dont slam the door! Rules are part of life; and rules-keeping is what progress is all about. How many times have you heard your Mom or Dad tell you to be in at a certain time (and dont slam the door!), or how often have you heard last minute instructions that have become almost boring because youve heard them so often? Because they are familiar, does that make them any less true? Actually, Gods rules dont change and we would do well to pay careful attention when He says, dont slam the door! Hear counsel and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end (Proverbs 19: 20).
Youre gonna finish your plate before you go out and play. How often has a great plan failed for a lack of perseverance. If its any good, its worth working for. If its any good, its worth finishing. How many times little difficulties have rescinded our efforts and halted our enthusiasm. The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets(Proverbs 22:13).
This hurts me more than it hurts you. I never understood thatIt was the seat of my pants that were on fire. It didnt seem to hurt her at all. Not until I saw a tear in her eye a few minutes later did I understand what she meant. Then one day, I was about to spank one of the kids and I caught myself saying, this hurts me more than it hurts you. Spare the rod and spoil the child (Proverbs 13:24).
You better shape up or Im gonna tell your daddy on you. There is someone to which we must answer. Thats so even regarding the smallest things. As Im wont to say, we need to be wise small. Actually, Mom didnt have to tell the Father; he knew already. The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, and he over-throweth the words of the transgressor(Proverbs 22:12).
Cant you hear me? Listen, Im talking to you. We so often dont hear because we dont want to. We dont listen because it gets in the way of what we want to do. Its very foolish to make a habit of not listeningespecially to vital things. He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul; but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding (Prov. 15:32)
Youre not going to wear those socks to church; theyve got holes in them. It is just so that every man must examine himself. If we will, well often see that we have a hole in some of our socks, that we need to be careful what we wear out in public. Its a serious matter to allow ones dirty or mis-matched sox to delay his progress, or restrict his coming to the Lord. Oh, to see ourselves as He does. We are too often prone to self-justification, even self-forgiveness. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? (Proverbs 20:9).
I still love youeven when your pants are dirty and you look like you havent washed your face in a week. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth (Proverbs 24:17). True love learns patience. True love looks past imperfections, little warts, a little dirt on the face. That doesnt mean that a person who loves tolerates sin; it means he tolerates the sinner, having had a little dirt on his face, too. What love God has manifested to us! What love has His Son Jesus shown in embracing us in all our dirtiness?
I love you, Mom.
~Dee Bowman
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