Motherhood Isn’t A Theif
The toxic culture of motherhood has become almost disgusting. There’s plenty of laughable videos, memes, and posts all about how moms need coffee and wine to be decent mothers. But it’s not just these messages that are being shared. The lies reach into looks, how fun we are, and more. This has invaded Christian culture too. Moms need coffee and wine, they are unhappy and trapped, they have zero lives and hobbies, and they are just prisoners in their homes. Is that the narrative that you hear about motherhood? No wonder why young women are scared to become mothers. Are we feeding into the pro-choice narrative when we say these things? Surely, there are struggles in motherhood and we should be honest about them. But the words we use matter. The words matter to us, our spouses, our children, the world, but mostly they matter to God.
Don’t get me wrong, I love coffee and we all know Jesus turned water into wine, but none of that is necessary for us to be mothers. My body changed after kids, but it’s not broken or ruined. My life changed as I can became a mother, but it changed for the better. That’s what I want to share with them. They are gifts! They have stretched me physically, mentally, and emotionally. They have been used by God to sanctify me. My children are gifts from the Lord. Those gifts include the child lost during a miscarriage. God used a miscarriage to sanctify me too.
I want my kids to live life knowing how loved and cherished they are. First by God and secondly by me. They will tell you that God loves them most. I’m not lying because that’s the truth. They belong to Him first and I am so blessed to be entrusted with them for the time God allows. Why would we utter any words that diminish the responsibility, the role, the enormous blessing that all of motherhood is?
I refuse to let the narrative of my life be that my kids stole anything from me
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We shouldn’t be falling for the worldly lies that describe motherhood. We should focus on what God has said about motherhood. The bible tells us that motherhood is a worthy calling. In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul writes this to Timothy, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” What an important gift! Timothy is a student and ministry partner of Paul’s and Paul sees that his grandmother and mother gave him a foundation of faith. That’s the type of mothers that we should strive to be.
