Reheated Coffee

BY AMANDA JACKMAN

Have you seen the new trend? Spotless homes posted on social media and elaborate Pinterestworthy birthday parties. Moms of five children compare themselves to moms of one child. A-type personalities compare themselves to B-type. The comparison game among moms is an all-out attack, making us feel inadequate and convincing us that motherhood is hard.

The weight of motherhood doesn’t come from the backs of our children. It comes from the voices in culture and society telling us how hard it is, essentially implanting negative associations with our children and distracting us from the present beauty of raising children. The world tells me my worth every time I open an app. But I’m not buying it anymore.

Children are a blessing, not a burden.

Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them (Psalm 127:3-5 NIV).

The children gifted to us as an inheritance from our Father were made perfect in His image, as were we. If we spend our time worrying about how we compare to other moms, who were made and trusted with their own set of children from the Lord, we miss out on what is right in front of us.

The world is loud. The world has opinions, and if I listen too much to what the world thinks, I miss out on what God thinks. And He said it was very good. He said children are a blessing, not a burden. He said, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28 NIV). He said, Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV).

Worry, anxiety, comparison, stress, and feeling overwhelmed are all tactics of the enemy. If he can wear down moms with anxiety and make us feel overwhelmed, he will be able to rob us of the joy that motherhood brings. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10 NIV). Let’s seek God for rest and recognize when the enemy is trying to wear us down. Motherhood is a joy and a blessing that sometimes can feel so hard if we let the wrong voices sway us.

Motherhood is a joy and a blessing.

Let’s lean into God’s promises in the depths of motherhood. Each new season brings new challenges. God—not the world—equips us for these challenges. The world distracts us from them. I don’t ever want to be too distracted that I miss the beauty of the moments and the people in front of me.

Amanda Jackman is from the small town of Imlay City, Michigan. She and her husband, Brad, have five children under the age of seven (Bradley 7, Juliet 6, Walter 5, Arthur 3, and Arlington 6 months). She has a Paralegal Studies Degree and enjoys reading and writing. She loves the busy life of being a wife and mother of five.