A Bad Week Doesn't Equal A Bad Mom

Some weeks are worthy of praise. We stay on top of our schedules, feed our babies almost enough vegetables, and have every load of laundry put away. We feel like fist pumping and patting ourselves on the back.

Then, comes the week after...pure chaos: Sinks filled with dishes, beds unmade, schedules unmet, toys scattered, sticky counters, fighting, whining, melt downs, and pity parties (and I’m not just talking about the kids). It feels like multiple blows in the mom department.

Life as a parent can feel like a giant roller coaster we never want to get off. We love our little ones with intensity and overwhelming pride. So, when weeks of "failure" follow weeks of success, it can cause major damage to our ego. But we press on; we know God ultimately called us to this no matter how inadequate we feel. Those babies are depending on us!

Still, my pride hurts when I feel like I'm struggling and can't make the cut. I question if those weeks of achievement are only a mirage...if I'm not as good at being a mom as I thought.

During a recent tough week, I ran across the passage describing God's call to Moses to lead His people to the Promised Land.

The Bible tells us Moses seemed and felt a bit unqualified. He had little experience in leadership, never been a public speaker (even "slow to speak"), and was just as guilty of sin as those God called him to shepherd.

Moses argued with God over His request. He told God, with frustration and angst, he was not worthy of the job at hand. He emphasized his shortcomings and recounted his failures. He declared all the reasons he felt unfit to guide God's people with such a big responsibility.

After reading the passage, it hit me: Mothers are our own version of Moses. We spend time arguing with God over our worth, feelings of desperation, and inadequacy. Somehow those arguments are worse when our circumstances of defeat come after a week of glory.

Why is that? Because we think we've fooled ourselves? Because we don't have it all together all the time? Sometimes the success causes the sting of defeat to hurt just a little more.

In truth, God calls us as He called Moses. Our history of failures do not matter. The mistakes and sum of poor circumstances don't define our ability to perform the job He's given us. Similar to God's call for Moses, He hand selected us to yield the responsibility of raising our children.

God didn't want someone perfect to guide His people. The same goes for us moms! He wants to use our every blunder, blemish, and bad week to not only grow us as parents and people, but also to be an example of God's grace and mercy to our children.

You see, it isn't about what Moses could do or be; it was about his faith in what God provided. The Lord gave Moses all the necessary tools to lead the people well. He used this "unqualified," ordinary man to carry out one of the biggest feats in Christian history.

Likewise, it's not about our presumed motherly inadequacies, but our faith in God's calling, and His ability to provide. God supplies all we need if we just focus on our purpose and His divine power to guide us.

Word of the Day: "The Lord said, 'Who gives people their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight? Is it not I? Go and I will help you speak and teach what to say.'" (Exodus 4:11-12)

Prayer:
God, I pray we spend less time pining over our mistakes and insufficiencies and more time praising You for selecting us to mother our children. I pray we don’t allow the week’s circumstances to define our motherly capabilities, but to proclaim joy when we do succeed. God, I ask for Your assistance with recognizing the tools You've provided and the hope you offer when we feel less than worthy to fulfill our calling. Remind us of your grace and desire to use us as examples of mercy and compassion to our children. Thank you for all blessings, big and small. Amen


Author:  Candace Koon

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