You’re Not “Just” a Mom

Here at Focus we hear from women who have an identity problem. When someone asks what they do, they say, “Oh, I’m just a mom.”

Moms often have a way of seeing their own shortcomings and minimizing the role they play in their kids’ lives. I don’t believe those perceptions are accurate, but I can certainly understand the factors that drive them.

A lot of young women don’t feel capable of being good mothers. Some had poor role models growing up, and now they fear they’ll repeat the same patterns in their parenting role.

Other women carry hurt from childhood into their adult years. That was the case with our guest on today’s program, Lisa-Jo Baker. As a teenager, she endured the loss of her mother. Compounding her grief was the fact that there was no one to help her navigate her transition into womanhood. As a result, not only did she think the job of being a mother was beyond her capabilities, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to have children.

Even women who have longed to be mothers since childhood tend to struggle with the mundane nature of it all. On the surface, there’s nothing glamorous about chasing kids around the house, fixing meal after meal, and stepping on toys scattered down the hallway.

Whatever your story, today’s show is all about reminding you that there is no such thing as “just a mom.” That’s because there is nothing ordinary about motherhood. Moms aren’t simply changing diapers; they’re molding character.

It’s a holy calling. And that’s not just some lofty description. Motherhood is a rich metaphor used over and over again throughout Scripture to describe God’s care for the church and the community of believers for one another. It’s that kind of nurturing that women bring to their families.

That’s why I agree with Lisa-Jo when she encourages moms to stop thinking of themselves as “just a mom.” A better identifier is “modern-day superhero.” Your cape may be a little tattered at the end of a long day of laundry and runny noses. But, moms, you deserve superhero status for all you do for your kids.

So give yourself some grace. Your role is more significant than you may fully realize. I think you’ll find our conversation today encouraging and uplifting, and you may just discover how to reconstruct a new story of who you are with your role as a mom central to that identity. You can hear “Finding Your Identity As a Mom” on your local radio station or find the program online via our free, downloadable mobile phone app.

How about a little extra encouragement? We’re offering “The Journey of Motherhood Devotional” as our free resource this month. This 30-day devotional includes a letter from Lisa-Jo Baker and can be downloaded for free.