The Secret to Overcoming Mom Guilt

Mom guilt is the one feeling that unites every mother in the world. I believe the vast majority of us live with this weight of guilt for not doing it all perfectly.

Fathers don’t do that. Fathers don’t normally have the same guilt Moms carry. You never hear a dad say “I’m feeling low emotionally. I spent the day looking on Instagram and challenging my fatherhood

Dads think they are doing great! They are killing it!

My friend Jon Acuff has this great joke. He says that dads say, “Yeah, my kid got a misdemeanor, it’s not a felony. I’m doing great!”

Moms have a special ability to feel bad about things

Like there is this perfect standard out there and we’re all not living up to it!

Mom guilt is that feeling like we are dropping the ball, we don’t measure up, we feel like we are doing it wrong.

And honestly this goes for dads too, but Moms have a special talent for it.

Here’s what we hear as moms-

This culture tells moms that we have to get it all right so our kids turn out well.

We’re told that their entire futures are riding on our ability to perfectly control their lives.

And we’re told that their faith depends on our faith.

And we’re told that if we try hard enough and do everything perfectly maybe it will be good enough to raise good kids

But that is not what God says. These aren’t Biblical principles they are cultural. We can’t take popular cultural messages and make them into a new new gospel, right?

Jesus is never going to whisper to your heart that you are a failure, that you aren’t good enough, that you are condemned. We see in Romans. 8:1-2,

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

That means there is no condemnation for you

You are not condemned because

• your meals aren’t perfect
• your kid gets too much screen time.
• your husband left and you are doing it all alone.
• your house is a mess.
• you make mistakes.
• of the stares you get in Target with your kid throws a tantrum because air is touching his skin.
• you can’t afford what the kids wish for.
• you secretly sometimes feel resentful about taking care of your child with special needs.
• of your disappointment that your life isn’t always want you hoped for.
• of rebellious child.
• of your frustration at cleaning up the same messes every single day.
• your marriage is harder than you imagined it would be.
• you just need some time away from the kids you love so much.
• you feel like a failure.
• you can’t live up to the standards of your mom or your mother in law.

You are not condemned because you can’t do it all.

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

The voice of condemnation is not of God.

It’s the voice of culture.

And we follow Jesus, not culture.

That voice in your head condemning you is not him.

He will bring things to your attention lovingly, he will offer hope, and grace every time. Never condemnation.