“We don’t need the world’s version of motherhood; we need a risen motherhood, transformed by the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. We need his shed blood if we’re going to shed our guilt and failures. We need his fullness to fill us when we are empty. We need his sacrifice and hurt so we can sacrifice for others until it hurts. We need his wounds to cure our wounds. We need his atonement to atone once and for all for our sins. We need his death to give us life.”
Does life as a mom sometimes feel hard? Confusing? Like you aren’t meeting your own or others’ expectations? You aren’t alone. I often have these feelings as a mom, and I especially wrestled through these thoughts as a new Mom. I was first introduced to Risen Motherhood by a friend. She mentioned she loved to listen to their podcast where Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler discussed everyday moments of motherhood through a gospel lens. I found each episode to be encouraging and practical and always left me with the gospel hope of grace. As Risen Motherhood grew, they not only continued their podcast but wrote their first book entitled, “Risen motherhood: Gospel Hope for Everyday Moments.” The book is separated into three parts: Why does the gospel matter in motherhood? Gospel hope for the everyday moments of motherhood, and How do I learn to apply the gospel in motherhood?
In Part 1, the authors start with the gospel story and then apply it to the general concept of motherhood. I appreciate their commitment to the redemptive narrative we find through Scripture as an avenue to preach the gospel to ourselves. They explain the gospel story through creation, fall, redemption and consummation and then practically apply these themes to motherhood. What does it mean to believe the gospel and apply this redemptive narrative to your life as a mother? They ask questions like: “How would motherhood function without sin and brokenness?” and move to “How does the assurance of future hope change my perspective and the way I have hope right now?”. This method moves us from the problem and shifts our thoughts to how Christ redeems it, always leaving us with the hope of full restoration to come.
Part 2 then takes practical everyday moments of motherhood and uses this redemptive pathway to learn to apply the gospel to the situation. I enjoyed how practical this section was. Often, we have a general idea of what obedience looks like, yet this section gets right into the nitty gritty. We can read about how a gospel lens changes our heart attitude when your husband works late again, changing diapers, postpartum body image and later into our school choices. Each chapter ends with practical questions to help you see God in the situation, and how you can find Jesus in it. The authors move us from looking at mundane moments to living for Christ, “But we can pursue excellence in our hidden, everyday moments, knowing that “to live is Christ.” Even folding laundry is “from him and through him and to him.” And that isn’t mundane at all.”
Finally, in the last section we learn how to apply the gospel ourselves into our own motherhood. Emily and Laura leave their readers with practical tips on how to study the Bible and encouragement to persevere no matter your season. “In time, by God’s grace, all this learning, communing and meditating makes a difference. It’s not about earning knowledge, but about storing up God’s Word in our hearts so our hearts begin to mold into his.” Remembering the gospel, rehearsing the gospel and applying the gospel changes everything about parenting. It moves us from parenting out of our own strength into shaping us into his image. I would encourage any mom to pick up this book and receive encouragement and rest in a Saviour who loves you.
For more great gospel centered resources, check out Risen Motherhood’s website:
Questions to consider
Can you summarize God’s purpose for motherhood in your own words? How does that compare with your idea of the ideal mom?
How does the gospel offer you freedom from guilt in motherhood?
What messages do you currently preach to yourself in the hard moments of motherhood? Where did these messages come from, and how do they compare with the gospel?
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