Too Blessed to Be Stressed for MomsSample

Letting Go of Mom-Guilt 

“The more words you speak, the less they mean. So why overdo it?” (Ecclesiastes 6:11 NLT).

Why is mom-guilt high on the suffering scale? 

Maybe it’s because we’re entrusted to love and protect these precious little people who bear our crooked noses and knobby knees, and when we bungle that sacred responsibility, we’re vulnerable to attack.

Satan’s full-time job is to attack us; the accuser (Revelation 12:10) takes his job very seriously. His agenda is to pelt us with sizzling guilt rocks until we’re paralyzed by blame, shame, and doubt. 

Dragging around that heavy guilt baggage makes us feel defeated, so how do we unload? 

Buddy up. Recognize that you’re not the only one lugging those overloaded bags. Find or form a Bible study or support group of sister-moms; you don’t have to navigate this journey alone (1 Peter 5:9 NIV).

Label your baggage, then lose it. Identify what’s weighing you down … mom-guilt has many subgroups: nursing versus non, working versus stay-at-home, daycare choice, mode of discipline, DIY remorse (“I should’ve made his costume instead of buying it”), Pinterest inadequacy (“why can’t I do all this too?”), and joining-pressure (groups/lessons/clubs), to name a few. We even view our child’s sports performance and academic achievement as reflections of our mothering. Guilt: claim it, name it, and then chuck it. 

Shake the mental Etch A Sketch. Don’t be conformed to this world’s standards. Who said you have to be Supermom to prove your worth? Certainly not your Creator! He doesn’t ask for perfection; He asks for humility. Papa God’s grace offers you a fresh start. He’ll blast those back-breaking rocks and “make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10 NIV). 

Our blunders are redeemable if we give our rock pile to the Lord and view reflexive guilt as an indicator of how deeply we care about our kids, rather than an incriminating neon finger flashing over our heads, BAD MOM … BAD MOM … BAD MOM. 

Our past mistakes can crush us beneath their oppressive rock-weight, or they can sharpen us into better mothers for tomorrow. So let’s stop looking back. When we stay riveted to life’s rearview mirror, we miss the pink horizon of hope before us. 

Additional Elements:

BFF Prayer: Thanks, Lord, for pulverizing my guilt rocks. Tomorrow’s a new day. Amen. 

Digging Deeper: Romans 12:2 NLT