“Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are!” 1 John 3:1

As mamas, we have a lot of titles. Daughter, wife, mommy, friend, cook, housekeeper, chauffeur, gardner, accountant, personal shopper, dry cleaner, teacher, nurse, counselor, etc. Each identity comes with it’s own set of expectations and needs and we can feel like we’re being pulled under with the weight of the responsibility that we carry on our shoulders. In those early days home with our little ones we make charts and track feedings and plan schedules and call the nurses line more times than we’d ever admit to anyone else because we just want to do it all right.

And when they get older and start walking and talking and talking back, we have chore charts and potty charts and time out corners to teach discipline with love. We cheer as they learn new tasks and we kiss the scrapes and bumps as they fall down. And we get another snack, another juice box, change another diaper all while juggling three other identities at the same time as we make dinner, pay bills and make sure we don’t forget to send sunscreen to daycare.

Sometimes it feels like our true identity as mothers is ring master. Or concierge. Available at all hours to all people to do all the things and do them with a smile. Or to herd the wild animals into order while teaching them tricks and trying to survive.

That all sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? When we try to live up to the expectations of all of those titles we’ll inevitably fall into a comparison trap. We’ll start looking around to see how “she” is doing as a mama and wonder why we can’t do it that well. Can I offer a suggestion? Can we let go of all the titles, the hats, the identities that we claim and settle into just one?

Child of God.

That’s who we are. As sisters in Christ, regardless of all the other jobs you do during your day, you are a loved and worthy daughter of the King. We are already His - and no matter how chaotic our days seem or how badly we feel like we’ve failed at all the identities the world has placed on us, we are chosen and loved by the God who created the universe. The One who chose YOU to be the mother of your daughter(s) is the only One who has the authority to tell us who we are - and whose we are. And when we settle into the identity of Daughter of the King, we can look at the mamas around us and celebrate who they are in Christ instead of comparing ourselves and we can move forward in grace and confidence knowing that our failures and bad days and days where you just need three cups of coffee and a bag of chocolate? They don’t define our identity.

Christ has chosen us as His. And so we are.