What Loving My Children Has Taught Me About Sacrifice

Courtesy of Becky Thompson. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

When I was young, I knew that I wanted to be a wife and a momma. I imagined my life in both roles. I thought of the days ahead when I would care for my family and hold tiny babies. I looked forward to what it would look like to fulfill these dreams. I had sweet expectations of dinners around a big kitchen table and a house full of laughter. Being a wife and a mom looked like the opportunity to love endlessly.

I suppose as I look back on these desires, I wanted a family for my own gain. I wanted a family like I wanted a puppy and a swing set in my backyard. I knew that they would bring me joy. And they have. But since I’ve become a mom, I have learned that the act of caring for my husband and my children is perhaps the most selfless thing that I have been called to do. It requires so much sacrifice.

I realized just how true this was the moment my oldest son, now six, was born. I sacrificed my body to carry and birth my babies. I sacrificed my time. I sacrificed the attention that I could have given to other things. I sacrificed my space, my sleep, and what felt like my sanity some days.

But I think sometimes, as mommas, we can become so focused on what we must give up for our children that we forget there are some things we were never called to lay down. Because while there are plenty of aspects of our lives that motherhood might require us to give up, we cannot forget that Love has already made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.

The Father sent His Son, Jesus, so that we didn’t have to sacrifice our peace, or our patience, or our joy. The Father sent Jesus as the final sacrifice so that we could operate with the God of Hope filling our hearts and directing our paths. His sacrifice has made the way for us to be the best wives and mommas we ever hoped to be as we operate in the Love that flows through Him.

I suppose great love always requires sacrifice. But if His Love has taught me anything, it is that the sacrifice is always worth the gain. May this serve as a reminder for all of us to focus on the completed work of the cross so that together we might be able to fully live, love, and lead our children as we follow after Him.

About the author: Becky Thompson is an author, speaker, and the creator of the hugely successful website, Scissortail Silk, also known as BeckyThompson.com. What began in 2013 as a simple fashion blog has grown into a space for encouragement and inspiration for millions of women around the globe. Thompson resides in Oklahoma with her husband and their three children. Hope Unfolding: Grace-Filled Truth for the Momma's Heart is Becky's first book.