Two Truths & a Lie About Abundance: A Full and Meaningful Life is for Moms Too
Motherhood so often feels like less, doesn’t it?
Less sleep. Less time to ourselves. Less quiet. Less freedom. Once, my daughter woke me up in the middle of the night screaming because her socks had fallen off her feet, and I can tell you I felt less of all of the above as I—half-asleep and frustrated—helped her find them and put them back on. As mothers, we spend our days pouring ourselves out for our families—giving of ourselves even when we feel we have nothing left to give. So, when the toddler suddenly stops sleeping through the night, the plans have to be cancelled because the babysitter is sick, or the quiet morning is interrupted by a baby who figured out how to climb out of his crib, it can start to feel like we drew the short end of the stick in our lives.
The act of being poured out for the sake of another is hard—no question about it—but, as mothers, we are not left to exist in survival mode and wait for an easier future. Instead, we are promised an abundant life right now, in every situation.
Truth: We Are Promised Abundance
In John 10, Jesus addresses a crowd after he has just given sight to a man who was born blind. The Pharisees are mad, per usual, and unable to see Jesus for who he really is, but the now-seeing man sees it all clearly and acknowledges his belief in Jesus as the Son of Man. In response, Jesus declares himself to be the Good Shepherd. He tells the crowd, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
By definition, abundance means “more than is necessary,” and the life Jesus promises is just that: rich and full in a way that doesn’t have anything to do with money, physical possessions, or circumstance.[1] Jesus isn’t promising that our kids will suddenly sleep through the night or that we’ll avoid all pain or grief if we choose to follow him, but he is offering extraordinary amounts of love, joy, contentment, grace, rest, peace, and perspective (to name a few) to get us through whatever each day may bring.
Truth: Abundance is Found in Christ Alone
This abundant life is found only in Christ—something he points to one verse earlier: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). Jesus’ desire is for everyone to enter this narrow gate, but he acknowledges not everyone will accept that he is the only way in.
If we want to live a life of abundance, we must see ourselves as fallen people in need of a savior. In Christ, we receive grace when we are owed nothing but death. We are extended forgiveness every single time we continue to sin. We are given the power to obey God and reflect his nature to others when we previously had hearts of stone. It’s through redemption that we find the life Jesus came to give us. Or, as he puts it another way: “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Lie: Abundance Isn’t for Moms
It’s not hard to put an asterisk on Jesus’ words in this passage and read instead, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly*—unless you’re in the thick of mothering children, in which case you’re going to need to wait a few years.” After all, how could an abundant life apply to someone running on two hours of sleep and a mug of cold coffee?
But Jesus doesn’t mince words. He could never be accused of speaking carelessly. Everything he says is divinely inspired, purposeful, and completely trustworthy all the time. This is why the last four words of verse 10 matter so much. They are a purposeful qualifier for the life he came to give us.
“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Full stop. Mothers included.
We don’t add the asterisk intentionally; it happens over time and under piles of laundry. It’s the moment we begin to look wistfully at the past as we remember all the freedoms we once enjoyed while also gazing longingly toward a future when our kids don’t seem to need us every 3.4 seconds. And if we’re not careful, these moments give way to bouts of self-pity, complaints to our friends, and service led with bitterness instead of joy. We must not live as though the abundant life is just outside our reach.
Abundance is available right now, and it is not contingent upon circumstance or difficulty. Our kids’ socks might still fall off their feet in the middle of the night, but through Jesus, we are armed with more patience for those middle of the night wake-up calls. We will continue to face pain and suffering, but through Jesus, we are able to look at our lives with an eternal perspective and find more hope. Our difficult parenting challenges will remain, but through Jesus we are promised exceeding amounts of wisdom, grace, and spiritual rest.
As mothers, we aren’t meant to settle for less. We are meant to live a life overflowing at its brim because we serve a God who is able to do far more abundantly than all we could ever ask or imagine.[2]
No asterisks.
[1] Blue Letter Bible, “Perissos,” www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G4053.
[2] Ephesians 3:20
