Am I a Good Mom?

Fellow mamas, we aren’t called to be our kids’ savior, but we are called to surrender them to the Savior.

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“Moooommmmm, can you come here?”

“Mommy, look at this,” my youngest exclaimed as he shoved his Mario action figure in my face.

“Mom, my math…”

All I wanted to do was send a text message that was now four days overdue for a response, but I couldn’t seem to find the headspace or spare second to send it.

I’m sure you can relate. We’re all finding ourselves filling roles we are far from qualified for, much less, even want to fill.

We are teachers (I’m using that term very loosely), cooks, technology experts, maids, activity directors, counselors—just to name a few.

Day after day we are met with the same billowing needs from the ones who call us mom.

Day after day we are bombarded with demands that don’t leave us much room for our own thoughts and feelings.

I don’t know how to be a good mom in this season.

Ever since that little blue stick read “pregnant” all I wanted was to be a good mom.

In a season that is redefining motherhood, good just doesn’t seem to fit.

And it’s just downright exhausting.

In the Old Testament book of Exodus, we meet a mom named Jochebed. Pharaoh decreed that all the baby boys were to be thrown into the Nile. When, Moses, her youngest child was born, she had to hide him for three months.

Let’s pause for a moment. Can you imagine hiding a baby? Me neither.

And that isn’t even the hard part.

The Bible tells us that when she couldn’t hide baby Moses any longer, she devised a plan that required her careful planning and instruction, but also required her to let go. Jochebed got a basket and placed Moses in the Nile River, so he ultimately would find safety in the arms of Egyptian royalty.

This sounds crazy to our baby-proofing crazed generation of mamas, but this was Moses only hope for survival.

And Jochebed was willing to do something a lot of us aren’t—let go of control.

Jochebed trusted God.

In this season of stretching, exhaustion, and unknown I don’t know that “good” should be our goal.

As most of us have discovered the hard way, we can’t possibly meet all of the nagging needs of our children.

We don’t always have the words to dry their tears or the energy to make every moment memorable.

Fellow mamas, we aren’t called to be our kids’ savior, but we are called to surrender them to the Savior.

Like Jochebed, our job as moms is to let go of control and point them to their true satisfaction, Jesus.

Our job isn’t to be a good mom.  Our job is to be a surrendered mom.

 

 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on erikaopperman.com.

Featured Image by Micah Hallahan

The views and opinions expressed by Kingdom Winds Collective Members, authors, and contributors are their own and do not represent the views of Kingdom Winds LLC.

About the Author

Erika Opperman is a dynamic conference speaker, empowering Bible teacher, and writer. She’s also a local church girl where she’s spent over a decade serving in leadership in the local church. As a communicator at heart, Erika loves nothing more than encouraging anyone who will listen with profound yet practical truths found in God’s Word. Whether it’s in her small group, on a conference platform, or in her local church on a Sunday morning, Erika comes alive in any opportunity she has to share the truth. In her former life she was a theatre nerd where she discovered and developed her passion to communicate. Erika is a girly-girl living in a boys’ world. Her “hubs” as she affectionally refers to her husband, Brian, is the best human she knows. They are raising their little loves, Axel and Max, in the Northland of Kansas City. The Opps are nothing short of wild, fun, and even a bit crazy. They most recently helped plant their church, Discover Church, where Brian serves on staff as the worship pastor. Erika has been known to laugh too loud, perhaps talk too much, and drink copious amounts of coffee. Erika lives life out loud! You can catch Erika in real time on Instagram, Facebook, or at www.erikaopperman.com.