Finding Grace in the Mom Mess
When caught in an impossible mom life mess, grace can transform you into a treasured woman who is enough because of Jesus!
It’s rare to find a perfect family—actually, I’ve never met one. I’ve known a few that came close, but perfection? It simply doesn’t exist.
When I was about 21, I was convinced I could do a better job than my parents when I had kids of my own. I wasn’t even close to starting a family yet, but I had all kinds of ideas about what parenting should look like.
The truth is, my parents were amazing—they were married for 75 years! But because I grew up in our home, I saw their flaws too. No matter how wonderful they were, they weren’t perfect.
And that’s the reality for every parent. Even the best ones fall short.
If perfect parenting existed, we might be tempted to believe it was our own skills that produced children who love and follow the Lord. But the reality is, even the most devoted parents are still broken people in desperate need of Christ.
It’s only by God’s grace that any of our children grow up to love and serve Him. And that truth lifts the burden of perfection off our shoulders—it reminds us that our role is to be faithful, but God is the One who transforms hearts.
“Everyone’s always trying to leave Jesus out, which is one reason we’re in the mess we’re in!” ~War Room~
The Bible speaks loudly about sinful families but is almost silent when it comes to harmonious ones.
Why? Because most families aren’t harmonious—people aren’t naturally harmonious!
We are broken.
Alienated from God. Alienated from each other.
And yet, here we are—selfish sinners, living under the same roof, sharing our space, our possessions, and the most intimate parts of life.
Each person in a family is unique, with different personalities, desires, and struggles. Even in the best families, there are power struggles between parents and children.
It’s the perfect setup for a sin-filled mess!
But here’s the good news: where sin abounds, grace abounds even more. And that’s where God steps in, bringing redemption into the chaos of our imperfect homes.
One Mom-Mess in the Bible
Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. Genesis 34:1
Remember Leah? She found herself navigating the chaos of motherhood in one of the messiest family situations imaginable.
Her story, told in Genesis 29, is tangled in rivalry, heartache, and unmet longing. She and her sister, Rachel, were both married to Jacob—a situation bound for conflict from the start.
I don’t know about you, but that’s a recipe for disaster!
Leah and Rachel became locked in a painful competition, racing to bear children for their husband. Leah gave birth to four sons and later a daughter, Dinah. But the household was filled with envy, strife, and even violence.
If ever there was a mother caught in the web of dysfunction, it was Leah. Yet, even in her brokenness, God saw her. He heard her cries. And He wove her story into His greater plan—because God works through even the messiest families for His glory.
She was much like you and me!
When Dinah was violated by Shechem, her brothers took justice into their own hands, slaughtering every man in the city (Genesis 34).
But what about Leah?
The Bible doesn’t tell us her response to the tragedy that struck her daughter and the brutal vengeance carried out by her sons. Yet, as a mother, can you imagine the depth of her grief? Her shock? Her sorrow?
Like any of us, she likely replayed the past—every word spoken, every choice made. Did she ever regret the rivalry with Rachel? Did she wonder how different things might have been? The Bible doesn’t say.
And perhaps that’s intentional.
Scripture often leaves gaps, not to withhold details, but to invite you into the story—to see yourself in Leah’s pain, her struggles, her faith.
One thing is clear: Leah had a heart that sought God. We see it in the way she acknowledged Him with each child she bore. Even in a broken, dysfunctional family, she turned to the Lord—and He saw her.
Are You in a Mom-Mess?
Are your little ones a whirlwind of chaos, no matter how hard you try to guide them? Are your teens pushing every boundary, speaking harshly to you and each other?
And meanwhile—your hormones are all over the place, and all you crave is just a little quiet. But instead, your home is filled with noise, demands, and constant interruptions.
Being a mom is hard.
The weight of raising children in this generation is a tremendous responsibility. And honestly? I’m not even going there today.
I know for me, even in a home that was fairly organized and running smoothly, I still found myself overwhelmed, struggling in the mess of it all. Not because things were perfect—far from it—but because motherhood reveals the hidden places in our hearts.
Nothing strips away pride, selfishness, and impatience quite like being a mom.
Yet, social media can make it all look effortless—beautifully curated homes, smiling children, and picture-perfect moments. But real motherhood? It’s messy. It’s refining.
It’s in the daily grind of raising kids that marriages are tested. Differences in parenting styles can spark frustration. Small disagreements can turn into major battles. And in it all, sin is exposed—not just in our kids, but in us too.
So if you find yourself deep in the mom mess, don’t lose heart. Instead, take ownership of the areas where sin has crept in, surrender them to God, and let Him shape you into the woman He created you to be.
Because even in the chaos, He is working in you. ❤️
You Are Enough Journaling Workbook
This is a beautifully designed resource for deepening your walk with Jesus while navigating life’s complexities! Discover your true identity in Christ!
LEARN MORE NOW!
You Are NOT Enough!
The world loves to tell us, “You are enough!”—but the truth? We aren’t.
Not on our own.
I am only enough when I surrender and allow Jesus to live in and through me.
Yet, when my day begins, the weight of life presses in, and I often feel like I’m not enough. My mind gets tangled in the lies the enemy wants me to believe:
🔹 You’re failing as a mom.
🔹 You’re not enough.
🔹 You have no worth.
🔹 You can’t do anything right.
🔹 You should have never become a mom.
Have you ever heard these whispers in your heart?
Remember when your child was just a baby? You beamed with pride, dressed her in the cutest outfits, and couldn’t stop talking about her when she wasn’t with you.
Then she turned two. Life got complicated. The tantrums, the exhaustion, the endless need for patience—you found yourself desperately searching for solutions, answers, help.
Motherhood has a way of exposing our weaknesses. But here’s the truth: You were never meant to be enough on your own.
Jesus is your strength when you feel weak.
Jesus is your wisdom when you don’t have the answers.
Jesus is your sufficiency when you feel like you’re failing.
So when those lies creep in, remind yourself: I may not be enough, but my God is. And that is more than enough. ❤️
What God Thinks About You!
God, in His holiness, cannot bear to look upon sin. And yet, in His incredible love, He still thinks good thoughts about you.
That truth amazes me.
When you have a personal relationship with God, everything changes. The weight of sin is lifted, the penalty of death is removed, and you are washed clean by the blood of Jesus.
God declares that you are His treasure—highly valued and deeply loved.
✨ Genesis 2:7 – He breathed His very breath into you. And in the New Testament, He breathes the Holy Spirit upon you!
✨ Genesis 1:27 – You were created in His image. Think about that! Any negative self-talk that tells you you’re not enough is simply not true.
✨ Psalm 139:13 – He knit you together in your mother’s womb, intricately forming every detail of who you are.
✨ Matthew 10:30 – He knows the exact number of hairs on your head (yes, even the ones you lost after each baby!). (Psalm 139:4)
✨ Psalm 139:14 – You are fearfully and wonderfully made! God designed you with purpose and intention.
✨ Matthew 10:31 – You are more valuable than many sparrows! And if He cares for the sparrows, how much more does He care for you?
✨ Psalm 8:6-8 & Genesis 1:26,28 – He gave you dominion over the animals of the earth. That means He created you with purpose—to steward, to lead, and to carry out responsibilities in this world.
So when the enemy whispers lies that you are not enough, hold onto this truth:
You are enough—not because of your own strength, but because the God who made you declares it so. ❤️
Go deeper with God with the Love Printable Pack!
Click the graphic below and you’ll be taken to a page to learn more about what’s included in the Anxiety Bible Reading Plan.
You are Special Even in Your Mess!
Messed up families and moms are what this world is made of.
It is an opportunity to surrender our whole being to God to fix our messes.
God loves when we cry out to him to fix us.
God uses our greatest messes to be our greatest message for Him.
When you have messed up on your mom-life, your life can be transformed when you are praying intentionally to the Lord to take your mess.
I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. I mess up. But God’s grace is bigger than my sins!
Have you been struggling with homeschooling your kids during the pandemic crisis?
Do not lose faith in God when you’ve made a mom-mess.
When your prayer life is a mess . . . remember that prayer is the bridge from your mess to God’s rest.
You’re not perfect. You make messes but God is in the transformation business and ca fix your mess.
Do you feel responsible for the mess you have made with your kids? I know how much this can hurt your relationship with the Lord until you KNOW you are ENOUGH even in your mom-mess.
How can I pray for you?