Becoming a wife and a mom has been the most significant life change I have gone through. It has been a re-birth of sorts. It is painful to go through a complete transformation. I have had to redefine myself within these new roles. I have been humbled and made strong. I have been broken and made whole. I have been discouraged and delighted. I have been completely depleted as well as completely fulfilled. What a roller coaster of transition and emotion. Throughout this journey, there are 7 truths I discovered about God when I became a mom.
Our relationship with our kids can be a tangible earthly parallel to our relationship with God. As I reflect on all of the elements of my new life as a mother, I am able to get a closer glimpse of who God is. After all, he is the ultimate parent. He is our Father, and we were made in His image. What we experience, paired with a strong connection with Biblical truths, will reveal to us more about God.
7 Truths I Discovered About God When I Became a Mom
- He is my strength. – There are days I try and do it on my own, and those are the days I feel defeated and weak. It is those days that I am not seeking God’s counsel throughout the day that the hard parts of parenting get me down and leave me feeling deflated. He is my strength, and I need to draw on Him more as I seek to honor God in my parenting. “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” – Psalm 28:7
- He adores me. – I know what I feel for my kids is only a fraction of the love God has for both me and my children. A mom’s love runs deep, but the Father’s love runs even deeper. His love is also unconditional. Those times when I truly delight in my kids I get a small glimpse of how the Lord delights in his children. “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17
- His mercy is great. – I love my kids, but they exasperate me sometimes. I experience their hearts often bent towards disobedience. I see them defy what I have asked over and over again. Yet, I forgive them. Repeatedly, I forgive them even though they rebel against me. I rebel in the same way against God, and yet His mercy is even greater. Christ died for us while we were sinners, not when we were “good.” I love that He is full of forgiveness for me. I need it. “But to the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we’ve rebelled against him.” Daniel 9:9
- He wants to be in a daily relationship with me. – Sometimes we go about our days, forgetting that God is there. He wants to be part of our lives. Think about your kids. You want them to talk to you about anything and everything. You want an open relationship. It drives you crazy when they ignore you. In the same way, God wants us to walk through the day with Him. His desire is to hear about our triumphs and our sorrows. He wants us to start the day with Him and keep the dialogue going. Listen to Him because he wants to reveal things to your heart. God is our comforter, friend, guide, healer, and so much more. Recognize His presence. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. …” – John 15:4-5
- He delights in me being me. – We are made with such quirkily personalities. Each one of us is different. I see it in my kids and wonder how these three beings came from the same womb and the same parent set. He created us, and He wants us to embrace our own gifts, talents and look. We spend so much time getting caught up in the comparison game, which only leads to disappointment. When we look down on ourselves, we are telling God, “You did a bad job.” Our kids are unique. Do you want your child to try and copy their older siblings or do you want them to pursue the things that make them tick? I think I know the answer. You see your child, love your child and hope they celebrate the great qualities that make them an individual. Stop beating up God by not embracing YOU. You are going to best glorify God when you become the part of the body he created you to be. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” – Pslam 139:13
- He delights in me adoring Him. – Is there anything better than an unsolicited hug and “I love you, Mommy?” When your kids cuddle up on your lap and stroke your hair, you sit in bliss. God feels the same way. He wants us to adore Him. He is the most loving, thoughtful, good and merciful Father, and He wants us to recognize all He is and all He has done for us. “He (Jesus) answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” – Luke 10:27
- He wants us to be thankful. – Are you raising grateful kids? It takes intentionality. It takes intention for us to be thankful also. I think it’s easy to begin to focus on what I want rather than what I have. I love it when my kids remember to say their thanks. I am even more grateful when I can tell it is a genuine response. If we can retrain our brains to be grateful, our life will be transformed. Trust me, this is a message I need to hear. “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” – 1 Chronicles 16:34
I would love to hear more about what you have learned about God. Please dialogue with me in the comment section. Thanks for being a part of the Meaningful Mama community.
If you are a parent working on raising up your children in a way that teaches the truth about God, I want to provide you with a few of our family favorite resources. (affiliate links)
- Jesus Storybook Bible – This is my favorite. I tear up throughout the story, and I am amazed at how beautifully they tell the gospel story and weave Jesus into each story from the creation of the world to the end of the New Testament. I even buy this book for friends who are wanting to learn more about the Christian faith. It tells God’s story in a way that makes so much sense.
- Long Story Short – Ten Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God – This is the Bible Study we are currently doing as a family, and I love it. I love that it ties the Old Testament stories to Jesus, like the “Jesus Storybook Bible.” It is an engaging way to interact with your kids, with questions geared for great discussion. My oldest (age 7) is especially loving it, and it always the one who goes and grabs the book to make sure we get our devotion done. There are 5 lessons a week that take about 10 minutes. It is super manageable and brings a lot of intention into your Christian parenting journey. Even today, my daughter was whining about not getting something her sister was able to get. They had learned about the story of Cain and the word “envy.” It was a great tie in to discussion about her current feelings. Although I haven’t read them, the same author has two other books – Old Story New and The Gospel Bible Story.
- Seeds Worship CDs – These are my favorite kid music CD’s to play in the car. They are not annoying! The music is well composed but straight scripture. My kids have easily memorized scriptures since we have these playing in the car. Here are some of their CD’s: Seeds of Courage, Seeds of Praise, Seeds of Character, Seeds Family Worship
- Grace for the Moment – I haven’t actually gone through this one with my kids, but I have heard great things. It is full of 365 different devotions to last throughout the year. It’s written by Max Lucado, and I tend to love all of his work, so I look forward to doing this one in the future.
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