Supermom Syndrome

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

I had my baby in her carseat carrier with one hand, and my big, beloved McAlister’s iced tea in the other. I had just had lunch with a friend. “I’ll help you carry your drink to the car.” she so kindly offered. “I love your white overalls!” she added. Of course, being the supermom that I am, I refused her offer.

Pulling my keys out of my oversized purse, my drink slipped out of my hand, in slow motion, as I tried with catlike reflexes to retrieve it, to no avail. “Splash! Crash!” Not so catlike after all. My drink exploded on the ground and ice cubes went everywhere.

My poor sweet baby Madison experienced some collateral damage. I wiped iced tea droplets off her pretty little face and tried to recollect my drink. There was still about ¼ of the iced tea remaining in the cup, so I took a big swig. Iced tea ran all down my white overalls and body, as an uncomfortable soggy feeling mixed with remorse overtook me. The cup was severely cracked. I looked like a person in an old Gatorade commercial, iced tea style.

All of this could have been prevented were I to have accepted my friend’s help.

How often do we do this to God? We insist on our own way, only to learn the hard way.

A wise person once told me, “It is okay to depend on other people for help.” Such a freeing statement. The more we can learn to accept help from and depend on others, the more we are able to experience God’s grace.

God places people in our lives, and presents situations that require us to step up and out of our comfort zones, so that we can bless the lives of others. Oftentimes we are the giver in these situations, but sometimes the roles are reversed. When we refuse the blessings of others, we are hindering their ability to carry out God’s command, and denying them a certain level of joy.

It’s time we learn how to accept help. It’s time we hang our Supermom capes in the closet and accept kindness and compassion from others, and receive grace from our Super God.

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Cor. 9:8

By accepting the Lord’s blessings in our lives, we can abound in every good work. Only through Christ, by accepting his gifts and assignments, can we reach our full potential as moms and believers.

I am nowhere close to being Supermom, but His grace is sufficient for me. Only through Christ’s power, can my weaknesses be used for his glory. Through submitting, obeying, and yielding to the Lord God in all things, I can walk in tune with the plans, purposes, and grace he has for me.

I am learning it’s okay to accept help. It’s okay to live in the freedom of “I cannot do this mom thing on my own.” Learn to depend on other people in your life. In whatever way, shape, or form this looks like for you; accept help. The Lord wants to meet your every need, and sometimes he uses community to fill this gap.

We are not meant to mom alone. We were made to thrive surrounded by people. If your family does not live in your city, as mine does not, adopt other people and places to meet this need for you. MOPS, Mother’s Day Out, Women’s Bible Study, church, close friends; these are all great outlets that provide a community of people who want to step in and help.

Let people into your life. When we surround ourselves with Christian community and friends who build us up, the Lord is able to do miraculous things in our hearts.

Steps of Faith:

• Make plans with a friend who is a believer this week.

• Join a MOPS group or women’s Bible study.

• Meditate on the following verse, and ask God what this verse should like in your life:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25

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