When Adam and Eve sinned in the “Garden of Eden” there were huge repercussions. More specifically, in regards to Eve, one of the consequences was to bring forth children in pain. We’re all aware of the physical pain of childbirth, which is only temporary, but I also believe this pain involves the emotional pain we mothers experience through out our lives. Before the fall motherhood was meant to be painless in every way. All that changed in a brief moment of time.
“In pain you shall bring forth children”(Genesis 3:16b). Now motherhood involves growing pains.
For one thing we mothers have a tendency to be emotionally involved with our children. We feel their pain, hurts, failures and joys. At the same time, though our children grow up and leave home, these attachments and emotional ties we carry with us until the Lord calls us home.
What can we gain from the growing pains of motherhood?
We are able to come to a deeper understanding of God’s emotions toward us. God feels pain when we are struggling with sin, adversity, temptations, and just everyday life. Likewise, we also experience emotional pain with our earthly children as they wrestle with these same issues.
We are able to gain a perspective of God’s unconditional love for us. No matter how we fail, or what sin we commit against Him, God still loves us. We, as mothers, will always love our children unconditionally. Regardless of their shortcomings or misbehaviors, we mothers still love our children. Furthermore, our children do not have to earn or merit our love.
God looks on while we commit mistakes. There are times we break God’s heart, and He watches us suffer the consequences. We mothers watch our children make mistakes, or make poor choices and watch them suffer the consequences. In addition, God is there to love and comfort us in our failings. In the same way we earthly mothers love and comfort our children in their failings.
Lastly, motherhood teaches us to “die to self.” Dying to self is a lesson that may take a life time to acquire. Subsequently, as we sojourn through motherhood, we will encounter many realities of “dying to self.”
Motherhood will stretch us emotionally, mentally, and physically.
Ask any mother who has had a prodigal child, special needs child, or a colicky baby; and this list can be endless. Moreover how many of us mothers have had to endure something with a child that seemed to go beyond our limits of what we thought we could bear?
Finally, how about the pain we mothers feel when we realize our sins, mistakes, poor choices, or failures have affected our children in a negative way?
Hence, motherhood will definitely challenge us. But if we are led by the Spirit the growing pains of motherhood will cause real growth in our lives and produce good fruit in us.
I like the parallel between what God feels for His children when they are suffering..struggling..or disobedience as we also feel for our children when they go through the same things. You also mentioned the guilt we may feel when our children are disobedient perhaps due to our own disobedience. I am so glad for Gods mercy! I pray today for Gods strength for all moms in these perilous times in raising their children.
Yes, thank goodness for God’s grace as we experience failures at parenting. These are definitely difficult days to raise children and young mothers need our prayers.
What an inspired perspective for us to chew on for years. Thank you for posting this. It is really a great encouragement for you to find a gift God has given you and shared it with this needy world.
God bless you and Alex. Forever.
Karl Treen
God Bless you Karl and Kim. Miss you!