Identity Shift

The Lord God is my strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk (not to stand still in terror, but to walk) and make spiritual progress upon my high places of trouble, suffering, and responsibility. – Habakkuk 3:19 (Amplified Bible)

If you have any drama in your life, you have probably experienced what I call identity shift. Accusations  can wear away our confidence. They can shove us off our secure platform, where we see ourselves as a capable, effective Mom, to the sucking mud, where we believe ourselves to be a bumbling, selfish Problem. That’s identity shift.

I remember lying awake, feeling “cast down,” like the psalmist (Psalm 42:6). Accusations had left me guilty, utterly ineffective as a parent, bound by self-doubt and hopelessness. Of course, the lie I heard was that there was no point in praying. I felt as though a wall stood between God and me, and he would not want to hear me if I called.

After a few hours of trying to think my way out, I remembered what God is like. “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” (Psalm 50:15) Nice invitation! Far from standing aloof when we are down, God longs to deliver and restore us. He is near – only a prayer away.

So, accepting the faith that God gave me, I prayed. And then I remembered who I am in Christ.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone; the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Our identity in Christ is outrageously holy. This is not because of any merit on our part, but because God applied Christ’s righteousness to our account when we accepted his forgiveness and grace. Quite apart from our actions, whether sinful or godly, God sees us as holy. Our identity is no longer wrapped up in sin. It’s made new, hidden in the purity of Jesus Christ. It’s very capable of raising children.

We, needy sinners, are enveloped in God’s love and holiness, equipped to love the people in our lives. No accusations can reach us there.

Mom Power

He will gather the lambs in his arms… and gently lead those that are with young. –Isaiah 40:11

At church this week, we learned that our message and power are Christ himself. The sermon was mostly about service throughout the church and beyond, but I felt it also applied perfectly to the very ordinary ministry of raising children. The key verse was Colossians 1:28-19: “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” “Everyone” includes our kids. Note that it’s Christ’s energy in us – not our own.

 “Apart from Me you can do nothing,” Jesus reminds us in John 15:5. As a single mom, I’ve had many opportunities to test this out. Often, I haven’t known what to do or how to answer my kids. When I’ve “let go and let God,” I’ve seen God answer my desperate prayers in amazing ways. I want to learn to rest in Christ consistently. This requires me to actively resist my tendency to proceed alone, and choose to receive his equipping power.

Being a mom brings great joy, but also worry, fears, and stress. Each stage in a child’s life presents its own set of challenges. I remember panicking briefly, sixteen years ago, when my firstborn learned to crawl. I thought, “God, help me – he’s mobile! This changes everything!” This feeling hits me each time my children enter a new phase. I realize afresh how inadequate I am. Parenting is a huge responsibility!

Jesus is the wisdom for every dilemma, the courage for every fear, the strength for every task. Isn’t it a relief to know that God’s power is ours to the extent that we surrender to and rest in Christ? God stands ready to help us raise our children, whom he loves even more than we do.