Recovering From A Mom Fail

“Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me’” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT).

Did you ever have a mom fail? I had a major one this morning. I didn’t mean to crush my daughter’s heart, but the words flew out of my mouth and the damage was done. As I thought later about my words, I realized they came from a place inside me that felt insecure, incomplete and lacking. Not only that, but my words hit a place in my daughter’s heart where she felt the same way.

Our focus verse today comes from a man named Paul. God called him to be a powerful gospel teacher, but Paul had a handicap that kept getting in his way. The Bible doesn’t tell us what it was, but Paul hated it and asked God three times to take it away. God responded, “My grace is all you need.”

As women who have been called to motherhood and who, at times, feel insecure, incomplete and lacking, God’s response is for us too. But if God’s grace is all we need, what is grace anyway?

Simply put, it’s undeserved favor. It’s whatever we need in the moment. Peace. Strength. Comfort. Wisdom. Hope. Joy. Paul said his handicap kept him in constant touch with his limitations. He realized, too, that Satan used Paul’s shortcoming to discourage and distract him from his calling. Satan hoped to weaken him, rendering him ineffective.

Paul fought back by falling on his knees in prayer. He knew that if he lived out his calling with humble dependence on God’s grace, he would see the power of Christ work through him time and time again despite his weaknesses.

Paul believed God and his life showed it. His life was a display of God’s glorious grace.

Friend, where do you feel the most lack today? Let God fill it with the luster of his grace. He’ll make you shine in your high calling. Understand that the work of a mom has eternal value. You are shepherding the hearts of children created by God himself. How humbling to realize that God has entrusted his handiwork to you! You better believe that Satan wants to discourage and distract you from your calling by making you focus on your shortcomings. He hopes to weaken and render you ineffective.

We don’t need to be discouraged by a major mom fail. We simply need to fall on our knees and ask God to redeem that failure. Your heart is so precious to him. Stop trying to do this mothering thing alone. Let God’s strength move in on your weakness and watch him fill your life so you are secure, complete and not lacking anything. God will make your life and your kids’ lives a display of his glorious grace.