As I scanned the sea of moms from my view on the top bench, I noticed row after row of shirts with their favorite player’s name on the back. It was the “mom shirt.” And I wanted one. It seemed the best way to cheer on your kid in their sports endeavor was to wear a shirt with their name on it to show your support.
I worried that my child would feel left out if his mom didn’t have the mom shirt. I also worried that in my zeal to do what everyone else was doing, I might get carried away. I had been known to go all-in in the past, putting too much emphasis on what he did rather than who God created him to be.
How to Give Our All Without Letting It Affect Our Worth
Many years have passed since I sat on those bleachers and cheered my son’s team to victory (or defeat, depending on the day.) I loved that season of our lives, but I often wonder if I put too much pressure on myself to be the perfect mom. If I let the ups and downs of normal mom-life determine whether or not I was “good at it.”
I wanted to be a good wife, mom, pastor’s wife, friend, teacher, you name it. I also wanted others to think I was good at my roles.
Whatever role God has blessed us with in this season of life, our efforts to do our best can affect how we see ourselves. Past mistakes (or even achievements) weigh on a scale we set for ourselves where we try to keep balance. But one bad move tips the scale toward failure, and we feel like we aren’t fit to be in this role where God has us.
So how do we give our all to what we do without letting that affect our worth? Let’s begin by renewing our hearts and minds with this verse:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (ESV)
Next, let’s look at a mom in the Bible who kept her eyes focused on God as she fulfilled the important role he had given her.
We don’t even know her name, and that’s okay. When our identity is grounded in Christ, our name isn’t all that important.
What We Can Learn About Our Worth from Manoah’s Wife
A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son… He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Judges 13:2-5 NIV
God sent an angel to Manoah’s wife with incredible news. At a time when the Israelites had been oppressed by the Philistines for 40 years, she would soon give birth to a son who would lead the charge toward freedom for God’s people.
We know her son as Samson.
The angel gave her an unusual yet detailed list of instructions to follow while raising her boy. No doubt God knew her heart. Just like he does with us, God would equip her for the task ahead. I can’t help but think of how easy it would have been to get caught up in her role as a mother. Her son Sampson would have an important job to do, and she had an equally important role to play in his upbringing.
But even though we know her as Samson’s mom, God knew her as obedient and trustworthy. And from her example, we can learn this valuable truth.
When we know our worth in Jesus, we can walk in our God-given roles with peace, confidence, and humility.
Let’s look at a verse that proclaims who we are as children of God:
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1 NIV
Manoah's wife knew her Lord, and because of her great faith she was able to fulfill the task before her. Whatever role we are in today, we can have confidence in our identity as God’s child. When we do, we will find immeasurable joy in those roles we’ve been given.
