Blog Post by Guest Contributor Betsy Price

Does that surprise you?

Now please do not misunderstand. The fact that I am not a perfect mom, and I am glad about it does not mean that I do not try to become a better mom.

For instance, each day I attempt to practice I Corinthians 13:4-8a in loving my child.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (ESV)

Betsy is patient and kind….um, not always, but I do remind myself that is what love is. And the fact is it is hard not to boast when you have a child as intelligent, beautiful, talented, and as godly as mine! I do often insist on my own way, and I do get irritable when I have to explain the same math problem five times. Sometimes, I really do wonder if I can bear it.

You can see just from that passage alone, I am far from a perfect mother. I am glad that I am not! Let me explain why.

• It shows my child that no one is perfect. There will be many Christians along the way who seem like they have it all together. They do not. What a relief to know that behind everyone’s Sunday Mask, they are real people with foibles and failures. Even adults can struggle.
• Confession is a part of the Christian life. Even after you are saved, you will need to confess your sins. Jesus washed us with his blood, but our feet continue to get dirty during our walk in life. We need to make sure to wash our feet.
• Grace-ful forgiving. Forgiveness comes through God’s grace. We all need His grace and to give grace to others. It is not grace if we earn it.
• Restoring relationships. If my sin or imperfection hurts another, I need to restore the relationship. That means if I lost my patience during that math problem, I need to ask my child to forgive me. I need to demonstrate humility and honesty.
• It is a process. Sure, we have positional sanctification, but that progressional sanctification can sure be a challenge. Regardless of our age, we should desire and strive to be more Christ-like. There is always going to be something we can work on or an area in which we can grow.

All those are good enough reasons on their own. I have one more reason however, why I think me being imperfect is good for my child.

If I were perfect, she would not need to look to her perfect Father.

If I loved her perfectly, never failed her or others, and always met her needs the way they should be met, then she would not have as much need to seek God. When I fail her, He will not. When I am not there for her, He will be. Though I may not make the right choices, He has a perfect will for her. My deficiencies can lead her to seek out her all-sufficient God in a meaning way.

It is not just me telling her she needs God. It is me showing her in both my positive (and negative) actions that she needs God.

And that I still do, too.
Betsy Price is a stay-at-home wife & mom and homeschool teacher and she enjoys it all (most of the time!). NO, she doesn’t get bored! And what is her purpose? “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever!”