Finding Contentment in Motherhood
As I sit here and reflect on the story of Esther… I want to encourage you that you were placed exactly where you are for a reason. Moms, we have a way of comparing ourselves to each other and wanting to be just like everybody else. Let’s be real: that’s what half of Facebook and Pinterest is all about. Are you matching up to where you should be? Is your life as glamorous as the mom down the street who works in an office every day? Is your life as pretty as the other stay at home mom who is excellent at decorating herself, her house and her baby? Maybe you have double the amount of kids as your friend and your life is messy and chaotic … or maybe you thought you’d have more children by now but it isn’t happening as quickly as you’d hoped. Maybe we feel insecure, lacking in some way. We aren’t matching up to either the picture we’ve painted years ago in our heads or what we see on the other side of the screen. There are thousands of ways we could compare ourselves with each other. Mamas, we can see the tiny glimpse into others’ lives and be filled with envy or we can look at where God has placed us. Whatever income level, type of home, the amount of kids, body type, talents, curriculum we teach from or even how many shoes are currently in our closet, we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. The way I see it, we have two options:
1. To allow bitterness to creep into our lives day by day as we long for what we don’t have.
2. To embrace what God has done in our lives and where He has placed us.
Let’s focus on where God put us – we are placed here to love our children, to teach them, to guide them, to love our husbands, to help others, to be a lover of truth and to forgive in our hearts instead of allowing that dreadful bitterness to creep in. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'” God has placed you here. Right where you are. He wants you to step up do the works he has set apart for YOU to do…”for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14)
