About twice a month, a group of women and I meet together to discuss biblical womanhood. This past week, we talked all about the snake in the garden that deceived Eve by whispering lies in her ear. Whether Eve believed she could be like God, or lacked confidence in who God had made her to be, we can recognize that Satan has been tricking women since the beginning of time.
With social media today, it’s so easy to feel like you are lacking somehow. Whether it be how you dress or how you dress your kids or what your house looks like, we are constantly comparing ourselves to others.
I’ve been reading through Rebekah Hargraves’ ebook called Lies Moms Believe and I cannot say enough good things about it. If you are a mom that is struggling with not feeling good enough or desiring more of a God-honoring path in your motherhood, definitely check it out! She also recently launched a companion study that goes along with the book.
It’s helped me recognize that the lies that we believe can truly influence the mom that we become. We can run from these lies and go to Christ or we can run towards these same lies and deny God’s plan for us.
Lies We Believe About Ourselves
We all at some point in our lives have felt like we are not good enough. It may be with how we look or how we parent, but in some way, we have felt inadequate. As humans, this struggle is real, because we are not God. He is the only one that is and ever will be good enough. When we acknowledge this in our motherhood, we will find comfort in knowing that it’s okay to mess up. It’s part of our nature to struggle and make mistakes.
When we strive to seek Christ and honor Him, we can remind ourselves that we are made in the image of God, but we will never compare to His goodness. We should avoid idolizing ourselves, our accomplishments and our family, because anything aside from Christ can easily become a distraction from our true calling.
Lies We Believe About Others
I have written about my love for Fixer Upper before but I’ll say it again; I love Chip and Joanna Gaines (like everyone else on the planet). They just seem to have it all together. Their marriage, their style, their kids, everything seems perfect. So, if I get farm animals for my kids to care for, will they be as well-behaved as the Gaines children seem to be?
It’s seems so silly, but as moms, we think these things. We see how someone else is doing life and suddenly feel the urge to be like them because it appears so wonderful.
Or maybe it’s the opposite. We are too focused on the sins in others to recognize our own sins. In the church, we can believe that those that are serious about their faith are too judgemental. We can fear to have any accountability and honesty with those in our church because we want to seem like we are okay.
But, as moms, we desperately need community. We need to open up and share our struggles with those that will encourage us through scripture.
Don’t fear the church because you are afraid of them seeing your mistake but instead seek friendships with those that want to honor God in their life.
Lies We Believe About God
Lastly, but most importantly, we believe lies about who God is. Most of the time, I do this without even thinking about it.
God isn’t a genie that should instantly grant our wishes. He is a loving Father that knows what is best for us. We must trust Him even when we don’t understand what He is doing.
Parenthood is a great reminder of this. How many times do you wonder if the discipline and training that you give your children is accomplishing anything? I’m certain God feels the same way for us.
But my point is, it’s not about us. Anytime we seek personal gain and believe the lies that Satan is telling us, our life can veer off track. Our life should praise God through the good and the bad. It’s not easy but He is worthy of this praise. We should seek to love Him and know Him even when it feels like He is silent.
We also believe that we don’t have time to read our Bible. As a mom of many little ones, I know this lie very well. Over the years, I’ve learned that my relationship with God should always come before any other relationship in my life. It is the one where all other relationships flourish and grow. If I don’t find time to know God and talk to Him, how can I be an example of who God is to my children and husband?
If we want to honor God with our parenting, we must know the Word. If you struggle with finding time to study the Bible, take it one scripture at a time. Try having a family Bible time and reading the Word together. It’s important for your children to see you reading and learning the scriptures. This may mean that your desired quiet time is actually quite the opposite of quiet, but pray that God would use that time to help you all grow.
He is alive and at the time we need it most, He will reveal to us His power and love.
