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A New Year is upon us and, for many, it’s a time to make some resolutions. While often these include things such as losing weight or exercising more, many of us recognise our need to be more consistent in Bible meditation, in exercising greater patience with our children, or in volunteering more at church or school. In other words, we set goals to help us accomplish things we know we haven’t been doing very well. While this exercise can help us reflect on ways we might grow in loving God and others, we must beware of focusing on all the things we “should” be doing, while failing to remember all that Christ has done on our behalf. The emphasis then becomes about what I need to do, (in my own strength and wisdom), rather than gratefully acknowledging the gospel grace that is ours through our Saviour Jesus Christ. What I have learned in over six decades of life is that resolutions centred on what I need to do better often lead either to a sense of guilt or shame when I fail to meet my goals, or else to a sense of self-righteousness when I take pride in how well I’m doing! And as a mum, I sadly admit that I have fallen off both sides of this self-focused cliff! But there is a better way… the way of the gospel, which teaches us about our ongoing need for God’s all sufficient grace.
When we recognise that we fall short of the mums we truly want to be, the apostle Paul assures us that “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work,” (2 Corinthians 9:8, ESV). I’m encouraged to know that Paul had to learn to rely on God’s grace just as we do. It was as Paul came to the end of himself, with no strength or wisdom of his own (2 Corinthians 1:3-11), that he came to understand that Christ’s strength was made perfect in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Mums can take comfort in this truth during those days when God allows us to feel our weakness throughout various seasons of motherhood. Like Paul, God wants to teach us to run into his arms of all-sufficient grace, rather than running ahead in our own perceived wisdom and strength.
So this New Year, as we make our list of resolutions, let’s begin by remembering what Christ has accomplished to enable us to live as daughters of the King. When we’re tempted to give way to mum-guilt, (or pat ourselves on the back for how well we think we’re doing compared to other moms), let’s call to mind that Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin (Romans 6:6). Let’s humbly remember that, apart from Christ, we fall short of God’s glory every single day, but that Jesus lived a perfect life on our behalf. For those who trust in his name, Christ’s perfect record has been imputed to us, which means that we are not justified by successfully checking off a list of resolutions, but only by Christ’s blood shed for sinners on the cross.
This New Year, as we make our list of resolutions, let’s begin by remembering what Christ has accomplished to enable us to live as daughters of the King.
As God’s beloved daughters, we are now free (and empowered by his Spirit) to walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us (Ephesians 5:1-2). And while, at the dawn of a New Year, we should certainly resolve to walk in a manner worthy of Christ, and to bear good fruit as we mother the children entrusted to us, when we fall short (and we will!), “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, ESV).
We will likely fail to meet all the expectations we have of ourselves this coming year, but as we trust in the finished work of Christ, we can rest in knowing that “he gives more grace” (James 4:6, ESV).
Receive more encouragement in motherhood from Linda Green and her daughter, Sarah Walton, in their new book, He Gives More Grace: 30 Reflections for the Ups and Downs of Motherhood Through the Years.
Linda served for 24 years as Women's Ministry Director at The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the suburbs of Chicago. She is married to Ray and mother to three children, and now lives in Colorado. Linda is the author, with her daughter Sarah, of He Gives More Grace.
