It had been a morning—battling a defiant 2-year-old, brokering peace between two stubborn, warring sisters, and exerting some serious discipline in relation to truth-telling.
Wrung out and exhausted from a challenging parenting week, it was a pretty intense start to a Sunday morning. And then I heard it:
“You’re not good at this.”
Where it came from I didn’t know, and yet in that very moment, I could not disagree with it.
“You’re right,” I conceded. “I’m not.”
“You’re failing them. Should you even be a mom?” And I paused and wondered, “should I?”
The questioning voice continued all the way to church as my children continued to antagonize, and I continued to react in kind.
Defeated, I stood to sing as the familiar lyrics from Hillsong Worship reached my ears:
“I am chosen
Not forsaken
I am who You say I am”
I am who YOU say I am.
Not the enemy. Not unrealistic societal expectations or impossible social media standards. Not anyone else who may have an opinion—not even myself.
Only Jesus.
Everything else is a lie. A lie that to a tired, crushed spirit seems almost believable. A lie that can so easily take root in my heart, poison my mind, and distract me from who I truly am. Who God says I am.
A beloved child of God—worth dying for.
If you find yourself today, struggling under the weight of so many lies, misconceptions and distorted truths, hear this, friend:
One bad day doesn’t make you a bad mom.
One lost opportunity doesn’t make you a lost cause.
One day where you didn’t feel that you were enough, doesn’t make you any less than enough for Him.
Because, grace.
Because, Jesus.
So, on those days when you believe the very worst lies about who it is that you are, take captive every thought that is not from Him (2 Corinthians 10:5). And replace it with Truth. Then you will remember who HE says that you are.
And you will smile.
