Moms, are we enough?
Moms everywhere are overwhelmed. This video clip resonates with any woman who has struggled with the question, “Am I enough?” The parodies for Mother’s Day were abundant during my research, and each time I thought to myself, “Yes! I’ve been there!” Whether a mom qualifies herself as a stay-at-home mom, a work-from-home mom, or a work-outside-the-home mom, she will find herself asking the question, “Am I enough?”
Have I done enough for them?
Have I taught them enough?
Do they love Jesus enough?
Have they learned to brush their teeth enough (If you have boys, the answer is no. They have not!)?
As a work-from-home mom, I’m constantly struggling with balancing my days between work, husband, kids, and the overwhelming amount of dishes and laundry. It’s a battle, and so many times I find myself thinking I’ve failed. I’m not enough. I can’t do it all and do it all well. There’s truth to that statement. I can’t do it all and do it well. So the laundry continues to pile up—the dishes get washed when we’re out of them—and the house gets cleaned when we have company. It feels like a race I’m losing, and I know that Jesus promises me so much more.
John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
I don’t always feel as if I’m living an abundant life. I so many times allow the thief into my house. He lies. He tells me I’m useless. I’m losing. I’m failing. He tells me I’m not worth anything. He says, “You’re not enough. You’ll never be enough.” The thief robs me of my joy and kills my spirit.
We try so hard to be enough on our own, striving for something that is unattainable—perfection. And we fail. Every. Single. Time. But Jesus has come to give us life and to give it abundantly.
Jesus tells me, “I have come so you can have life. And not just any life. I want to give you abundant life. Life full of joy. Life full of purpose.” And although the thief is right, I’m not enough, he leaves out the good news—Jesus is. We can never be enough or do enough in and of ourselves. But Jesus is enough. We find our worth in him. And then we are enough.
Do you feel as if you are living abundant life?
Do you feel joy in your task of motherhood?
Or does the weight of the world pull you under the waves, and you are drowning in their depths?
What about in your work for the cause life, are you enough? Have you saved enough babies, women, and families? Are you struggling with balance and doing it all? Have you put the pressure on yourself to do it and do it perfectly?
And what about those women walking in your door? Are they worried they won’t be enough for their babies? Is this an obstacle they must overcome in order to choose life? How can we assure them they’re enough, if we don’t believe it ourselves?
This video reminds us that God created us each with gifts and talents and purpose. And when we abide in him we are enough. We don’t have to prove ourselves anymore to the world, or to our husbands, to our kids, to our organizations, or to the world. We are free to be who we are and who God created us to be. Our failures will still be present. Our work will still be long. But we will rest in knowing that our worth is in him, and we are enough. No more striving to prove ourselves. Just a simple embracing of the freedom and joy that God gives to us.
How are you tending to the moms on your team? Are they worn out? Do they feel like they’re enough for their family and their job? What can you do to relieve the burden so that they are able to serve your clients but also serve their families? Do you have an event coming up? What can you do the month before to ensure that each mom has the bandwidth to be productive and present at the event without feeling like a failure to her family? Encourage your leaders to identify ways to prepare for extra hours and events by giving each mom on your team permission to create some margin in her life.
Kim Griggs
Writer/Editor
Sparrow Solutions Group