Good afternoon ladies! Have you ever had mom guilt during the Christmas season? Possibly over not getting your child as many gifts as last year? Maybe you know how many gifts their cousins will receive. You are nervous for the big family Christmas dinner where all the kids will talk about their gifts, knowing your children received less. “Mom guilt” can come from anywhere but the holidays can add another layer of stress to any problem.
Mission field holidays can bring on extra mom guilt for the missionary wife as well. Worry filled questions run through my head usually about things I can’t change.
“Will my child miss all the traditions in the states?”
“Will he feel excluded from his stateside family from missing important holidays?”
“Will he realize that he gets a fraction of the gifts on the field versus in the states?”
“Will he be able to relate to his friends stateside about the holidays?”
In all reality my children are too young truly be affected by these things but since when don’t moms also include the future in things to worry about?
But hey, maybe if I worry about it all now, then when it gets here I’ll be done worrying!
Except we all know it never ever works like that! My previous pastor use to tell us, “You are only more tomorrow what you are today.” This has proven to be true in my life! Change begins today so let’s look at how we can be content this holiday and let go of mom guilt.
I usually just talk about what I read in my devotions and what God puts on my heart from that. There are so many verses on being content but today I will only be mentioning Hebrews 13:5-6. However if you have the time, dig deeper into God’s word about this topic! Christmas is my favorite holiday but it’s also a huge stumbling block in regards to contentment. Let’s look at the verses.
5. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Hebrews 13:5-6
Matthew Henry defines covetousness in a very simple way.
Covetousness – an over eager desire of the wealth of this world, envying those who have more than we.
Matthew Henry’s Commentary
The contrary to this, of course, is being content. We can look around at what we have today and be satisfied. The Bible says it’s not only possible to be satisfied when we are abounding, but also when life is less than we had hoped.
One crystal clear benefit of living content is being able to boldly profess the promises of God. In verse six it mentions boldly saying that the Lord is our helper and we don’t have to fear man!
When we allow covetousness into even a small part of our hearts, it begins to chip away at our ability to unashamedly claim God’s promises. We can not have a desire for the world or what others have and desire God at the same time. Sadly, if covetous speech is filling our mouth, there is a big chance that it’s not just abiding in a small part of our heart. Most likely covetous thinking, at this point, has taken root and is choking out God’s sweet promises.
Biblical self evaluation is always a good idea and something I need daily. Daily devotions could even be seen as a way to Biblically evaluate yourself and ask God to reveal sin we might be blind to. Don’t brush off mom guilt as a normal way of thinking. Take even these things into captivity and compare your feelings and thoughts against God’s Word. For me, holiday mom guilt is a covetous/worry problem. Both of these things have the ability to uproot me from being content in Christ.
Will I really let go of God’s promise that he will never leave me or forsake me, just because I’m not content with my child’s Christmas experiences? The God of the entire universe, Creator of Heaven and Earth, the very God who will crush satan’s head has promised to never leave me and never forsake me. Yet this promise is falling to the wayside because covetousness is taking root.
I am completely convicted while writing this! Do you ever read a verse and think “thats nice and true” and move on to the next thing. But then you meditate on the same verse and God just really steam roles you with truth, but in a loving way of course. I am officially steam rolled… but overjoyed at all the ways God is working to grow me!
So what reasons do we have to be content, thankful, and satisfied with what God has for us right now? For starters, “he hath said”, he will never leave us or forsake us. He is our helper, our defense. We do not have to fear others and what happens to us because God is for us. Boldly believing God’s promises and a content heart go hand in hand. I pray that God helps me battle covetousness this Christmas season so that his promises have free rein in my heart, thoughts, and speech!
What about you? What are ways you have struggles with holiday contentment or dreaded “mom guilt”? And what verses have you found to be the most helpful?
I hope you have seen God working in your life this December!
– Emily Wilkerson
Psalm145five 