Motherhood can be beautiful, exhausting, sacred, and completely disorienting—all at the same time. And for many moms, one of the biggest surprises is how difficult it can become to feel close to God in the middle of caring for young children.
In this episode, I’m talking with Elizabeth Berget, author of Love Like a Mother: How the Sacred Work of Motherhood Reveals the Maternal Heart of God, about what happens when the spiritual practices that once sustained your faith suddenly feel impossible. Elizabeth shares honestly about her own postpartum experience, the guilt she carried when she couldn’t maintain her usual Bible study and prayer routines, and how that season led her to discover a deeper understanding of God’s maternal heart.
We talk about how Scripture gives us both direct and subtle pictures of God’s maternal qualities, how motherhood can actually help us understand God’s love more deeply, and how moms can connect with God in the middle of diapers, dishes, nighttime wake-ups, and toddler meltdowns.
Inside this episode, you'll learn:
Why early motherhood can feel like a spiritual desert—and why feeling disconnected from God doesn’t mean God is actually distant
Elizabeth’s own postpartum experience with exhaustion, anxiety, and the guilt of feeling like she wasn’t doing enough spiritually
The maternal imagery for God throughout Scripture, including God as a mother bear, mother hen, nursing mother, and one who comforts and sustains His people
How the ordinary work of motherhood can reveal something about the character of God and remind us that we are made in His image
Practical ways to connect with God throughout your day when an hour of quiet Bible study simply isn’t realistic
How understanding ourselves as image-bearers of God can help us navigate the massive identity shift that comes with motherhood
Why caring for your physical body is part of caring for the person God created you to be
One thing I want every mom to remember
You are not distant from God just because you don’t have the time or capacity for the spiritual practices you used to have.
God is with you in the middle of the diaper changes, the nighttime wake-ups, the toddler meltdowns, and the endless ordinary work of motherhood. He is not looking at you with disappointment because you didn’t manage to have an hour of quiet time. He is gentle toward you in this season.
As Elizabeth reminds us, “God is so gentle to you in this season. So exceedingly gentle.”
About Elizabeth Berget
Elizabeth Berget is a speaker and author of Love Like a Mother: How the Sacred Work of Motherhood Reveals the Maternal Heart of God. Her work has appeared in Christianity Today, Coffee + Crumbs, Mothering Spirit, and other spaces where mothers gather to find meaning in the mundane. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband, three kids, and one mischievous dog.
Connect with Amanda and Colby
You can learn more about Elizabeth and her work at elizabethberget.com, follow her on Instagram at @elizabeth_a_berget, and subscribe to her Substack, Back of the Flock. Her book, Love Like a Mother: How the Sacred Work of Motherhood Reveals the Maternal Heart of God, is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going…
Have you ever felt like you were in a spiritual desert during motherhood? What has helped you recognize God's presence in the middle of the ordinary?
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Want More Support in the Postpartum Season?
Motherhood was never meant to be lived alone.
If you're looking for a Christ-centered community where you can bring both your practical questions and your spiritual struggles, I'd love to invite you to join the Postpartum on Purpose Community.
Each week we gather to study Scripture, pray together, worship, encourage one another, and renew our minds with God's truth. It's a place where you can be honest about the challenges of motherhood while continually being pointed back to Jesus with biblical encouragement, practical wisdom, and supportive community.
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