Lent Reflection on Motherhood and Fasting

This week we entered into the season of Lent, a time during which Christians fast, pray and prepare for the death of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who takes away the sins of the world. By His death we are given eternal life. Lent ends with the celebration of Easter where we rejoice in Jesus’ rising from the dead, and we look forward to the day when He comes again. I wanted to take some time for a lent reflection on motherhood.

Reflection

During these first few days of Lent I have reflected on just how much we give up as mothers already. For some of us, trying to think of a way to better ourselves, what to take on or what to give up can be very overwhelming and tasking. We may already feel spread thin. Keeping this in mind I started to think about how we as mothers can have a meaningful Lent.

God calls each of us to be humble. He calls us to belittle ourselves and not to seek credit for the things we do for others. Phillipians 2 tells us:

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Reading this, I feel that I already live this virtue in many ways just by putting my children first every day. How can I possibly do more?

Living Out Humility as Mothers

How can we as mothers be more in tune with humility? How can we be more intentionally humble on a daily basis? While doing this lent reflection on motherhood, here are some ideas I came up with:

• Thanking God for challenging moments instead of complaining about them (i.e. savoring and being grateful for the 10 extra minutes rocking your child to sleep because they are resisting nap instead of allowing frustration to take over!)
• Being vulnerable instead of seeking perfection (i.e. Being content with a messy house instead of worrying about how its appearance will be judged by others!).
• Letting go of your pride (i.e. not comparing ourselves to other mothers and how we are better than them. Admitting our own imperfections and accepting them).

After some reflection I realized we as mothers do not need to give up something super specific or take on anything extravagant to grow closer to Christ this Lent. As you can see from the examples above, we can grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord through paying attention to little things in our day to day routines.

More Motherhood Lent Fasting Ideas

Some other Lenten fasting ideas for mothers include:

• praying while pumping or nursing instead of scrolling through social media on your phone (especially night time feeds!)
• putting your phone away during meals and play time to better engage with your children.
• Instead of reacting emotionally in challenging moments with your kids or husband, respond with gratitude or patience and humility (i.e. thanking God for the challenge to respond positively instead of yelling at your child who is throwing a tantrum! OR smiling and kissing your husband when he gets home from work even though you had an overstimulating day!)
• For every negative thought you think about yourself or someone else, replace it with 2 positive thoughts.
• Every time you compare yourself or your children to other moms or kids, name 2 qualities about yourself or your children that make you or them uniquely special.
• Read a devotional during down time instead of your typical novel
• Listen to uplifting music or a podcast instead of watching your usual Netflix show (check out the Hallow App for great reflections and a 40 day Lenten Prayer Challenge.)
• Watch the Chosen instead of a movie with your husband.
• Become more vulnerable with people you trust instead of hiding what you are struggling with. Ask for help.
• Bring your children to church with you one day in addition to your weekly obligation (instead of a trip to the park one day take them to church to say hello to Jesus).
• Give up a specific snack or treat and replace it with a healthier option.

I hope this Lent reflection on motherhood has given you ideas on how to better yourself as a mother. May you have a peaceful and fruitful Lent!