Mercy & Grace | 10 Bible Promises for Mamas
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.
Lamentations 3:22-24
Have you ever struggled with mom guilt?
Whether it feels like you’re doing too much or not doing enough, trying to control every moment or feeling distracted and disconnected, working too much or desiring to work more, being quick to anger or not knowing how to discipline your child?
I remember early into my motherhood journey, struggling with insecurity in being a good enough mama for my sweet boy and being so overwhelmed with the crushing weight of mom guilt. In that same season, as I was praying through all those feelings and insecurities, I remember the Lord speaking to my heart that I was not alone.
So, I took a poll on Instagram, asking mamas the same question I was wrestling with, “have you ever struggled with mom guilt?”
And with over 100 mamas replies to that question, 100% of those mamas answered “yes.”
We live in a world where almost every mama is struggling with some form of mom guilt in her own way. Though the cause may be different, the outcome of feeling guilt is the same. When we are living with mom guilt, we are not receiving the promise of God’s mercy and grace and the enemy uses this guilt to draw us back into condemnation and shame.
Mama, God is rich in mercy and abundant in grace. He chose to withhold the punishment we deserve and instead, gives us the gift of salvation through faith. While we were once guilty sinners, the cross declares we are innocent. Jesus chose the cross for sinners and paid every debt in full. When His Word declares, “there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus,” God claimed victory over mom guilt and set us free from every ounce of guilt and shame.
When we come to God with our insecurity as mamas and the weight we carry of guilt and shame, the only response we will ever receive is the richness of His mercy and the abundance of His grace. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus and the cross claimed victory over the mom guilt, which brings redemption and freedom to the struggles of mamas with insecurity, guilt and shame.
1. God is merciful.
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,and cleanse me from my sin!
Psalm 51:1-2
Mercy is the forgiveness of sins and withholding of punishment we deserve.
God is merciful and offers us mercy, not because we can earn or deserve it, but because He sent His Son to take our place. Because of Christ, we are now forgiven, the wrath of God withheld from sinners and poured out on our Savior. Our God is rich in mercy because of His great love for us, and this mercy is now ours to all of eternity. His mercy is an act of His compassion and lovingkindness towards us if we open our hearts and choose to receive it.
Mama, do you receive this gift of mercy and are you offering your own heart this same mercy that you have already given?
When we struggle with mom guilt, insecurity and shame, we are invited to receive the mercy offered to us in Christ on the cross and apply that same mercy to our own hearts in motherhood. As mamas, out of a love for our children and desiring to be the best mamas we can be, we hold ourselves to a standard of perfection that we are never able to reach. But, when we receive this mercy, we are covered by the spotless, perfect blood of the Lamb, set free from the bondage we carry of perfection and being enough in motherhood.
2. God is gracious.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:4-9
Grace is the free and unmerited love and favor of God as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowing of blessings.
God is gracious and His abundant grace flows out of what He’s already done on that cross. There is nothing we can do to earn or deserve it, but receive it as a gift simply because we are in Christ. When the Word became flesh, Jesus dwelt among us and He carried the fullness of grace. And when He died on that cross, taking on the punishment we deserve, He also rose victoriously, which poured out the immeasurable riches of His grace.
Mama, are you living in this abundant grace and receiving every undeserved, unmerited blessing God has for you?
When we struggle with mom guilt, insecurity and shame, we are invited to receive the fullness of grace offered to us in Christ. Because we are His children, and now co-heirs in His throne of grace, we receive free and unmerited love of Christ though salvation and the abundant blessings that overflow. The enemy aims to tell our hearts that we are undeserving of this grace, but because we have been saved by grace through faith, God has now declared that we are worthy in Christ, and promises to pour out blessing after blessing in the riches of His grace.
3. There is no condemnation for those is Christ Jesus.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2
Condemnation is to be judged as guilty, wrong, rejected and worthy of receiving the blame.
When God declares that we are His and invites us into the fullness of His mercy and grace, the enemy’s aim is to keep us in our guilt, insecurity and shame. Even though we have been saved, the enemy seeks to distract and discourage mamas, to keep us living like we are not saved. In Christ, there is no condemnation, no more guilt, rejection or being the ones to blame.
What if we made the claim that in Christ there is no such thing as mom guilt?
When we are in Christ Jesus, we are covered by the perfect, spotless blood of the Savior, which leaves no room for insecurity, guilt or shame. The enemy will do everything in His power to keep us in the bondage of condemnation, but the cross had the final say.
In the richness of His mercy, God has chosen to withhold what we deserve and in the abundance of His grace, God pours out infinite blessings we do not deserve. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and that truth changes everything in motherhood. God has promised us this to us, when He sent His Son to the cross to bear every ounce of our guilt, insecurity and shame.
So Mama, let me ask you, are you receiving the gift of God’s mercy and grace?
God is inviting us to embrace the fullness of His mercy and grace, to live free of the condemnation of mom guilt, when our Savior shouted, “It is finished” and rose victoriously on the glorious day. When our hearts fill with mom guilt, insecurity and shame, let’s receive this hope and declare these promises over our hearts again and again –
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in Him.”
May we be the mamas who choose to take hold.
As a way to celebrate these 10 Bible Promises for Mamas, I have collaborated with my dear friend, Annalisa Sawtell, who is an incredible artist with an inspiring love for Jesus and a heart for seeking beauty where truth and grace collide. Each week, she will be releasing a floral art print that captures the heart of each promise. Our hope is that mamas would download these weekly prints as a way to reflect on the weekly promise and embrace the scripture that reminds us of each truth.
Mercy & Grace | Hibiscus
Follow along with Annalisa as she shares more beautiful artwork and inspiring words on Instagram and at annalisavsawtell.com.
Join us for this ten week series as we unpack each one of these 10 Bible Promises for Mamas! If you missed the introduction to the series, click here to read. God has promised us peace, joy, presence, strength, guidance, deliverance, rest, purpose, mercy and hope in all things. I pray that His word is our stronghold and His promise is our hope. I’m praying for you, mama!
