Nikki Daniels: Finding Freedom in Christ as a Working Mom | Ep. 83

All moms are working moms. We’ve each been called by God to love our families, train up our children, and use our gifts and abilities to glorify him in our unique situations. For some moms, this means they work exclusively in the home. For other moms, this means they work in and out of the home. In this episode, Nikki Daniels, wife, mom of three, and Assistant Headmaster of Advancement at Monte Vista Christian School, reminds us that God values us in every role he calls us to. No matter where we spend our days, our call is to be faithful with what he’s given us. The gospel will always meet a mom where she’s at and offer her the sweet freedom of a woman – not just a mom – rooted in Christ.

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Articles, Resources and Related Content:

• Having It All at Work and Home - Nikki Daniels, TGC
• Every Woman’s Call to Work - Abigail Dodds, Desiring God
• Women, Work, and Our Crisis of Identity - Carolyn McCulley, Desiring God 
• Will You Still Work When the Baby Is Born? - Macy English, TGC
• Women, Trade Self-Worth for Awe and Wonder - Jen Wilkin, Desiring God
• Finding Your Identity in Christ Looks Like Death - Trillia Newbell, Rosaria Butterfield & Blair Linne, TGC
• Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work - Tim Keller 
• What's Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done - Matthew Aaron Perman
• Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will - Kevin DeYoung
• The Theology of Identity with Matt Lantz - Hunter Beless, Journeywomen Podcast

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This fall, the RM team will be experimenting with adding discussion questions to serve as a launch point for further conversation. Our hope is that these questions will encourage you to dig deep and see how the gospel transforms motherhood.

Discussion Questions:

Think about all of the seasons you’ve experienced as a mother. Think about the seasons of your sisters and closest friends. Are there wildly different experiences, even in your own relationships? Most likely. While everyone is living a unique life, the one thing we can all relate to is the pursuit of glorifying God by serving our families well in the season we’re in right now (Eph. 2:10). Rather than compare ourselves to one another – which leads to mutual insecurity – let’s enjoy the freedom and grace Christ offers us. Our purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, and that looks different for every mom.

1. With our access to social media, parenting books, blogs, and more, moms need a strong, gospel-centered filter to separate the truth from the falsehoods. The world will always tell us what we should be doing or what our kids really need, but we want to honor God’s standards in our parenting. How do you grow a gospel-centered filter to discern truth in a world of personal opinions?

2. Saying no to the world’s ideas of motherhood in order to say yes to God’s design for motherhood will be costly. Thankfully, we do not need to fear man’s judgment, because we know that God’s design is always better. How does God describe a mother’s role in scripture? What matters to him?

3. We all have to prioritize our callings or we risk overwhelming ourselves and misplacing our time and talents. The gospel should guide our to-do lists, offering us perspective and freedom. On what roles does God place a high value and importance? When you look at your list, what are your “best things” in light of scripture?

4. The gospel applies to everyone – across history, culture, and geographic locations. Women have always served their families in different capacities. It’s encouraging to remember that God has already prepared good works for us to do in each of our roles: woman, wife, mother, worker. Everything we do is in service to him, so it all matters. How do your different roles in this season of life glorify God?

5. The two most common phrases for moms today are “we can’t have it all” and “we can have it all.” These anthems cause intense and unnecessary comparison amongst moms. A gospel-centered perspective of motherhood will continue to bring you back to Jesus, our truest portion and prize. When moms have Christ, they have it all, even if they have nothing else. What does it mean for Jesus to be all?