5 Lessons From Mary For Moms Facing Uncertainty

When Christians contemplate biblical mother role models, Mary, the mother of Jesus, tops the list. Some may find her an unfathomable example to aspire to as we place her on a pedestal of perfection. Of course, her motherhood journey was on a divine path, but she most certainly was human—just like you and me.

How did Mary, a young mother unsure of what to do, navigate the dangers of her patriarchal society to remain safe, deliver the Messiah as an unwed girl no less, and raise the Son of God? And what can we learn from her? How does her example of trust in God during moments of uncertainty inspire us to rely on His guidance in our motherhood journey?

What lessons can we learn from Mary about facing uncertainty in motherhood?

We could write an entire dissertation about what we can learn from Mary. For our purposes, we will focus on five lessons. Check them out below!

Trust

In Luke 1:38 (NIV), Mary has just learned that she will become not just a mother but the mother of the Messiah. To which she responds to Gabriel, “‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.” She trusted wholeheartedly without question.

If I could go back in time to interview a historical person, Mary would be that person. I would ask her questions about her thoughts and feelings throughout her journey.

Scholars suggest Mary could have been as young as 14-16 years old. She was engaged but not married to Joseph. She could have been legally put to death.

I was 29 and married when I got pregnant with our first son. He was planned, yet I have never been so scared in all my life to be suddenly responsible for another person – a tiny, helpless human.

But Mary had nothing but trust and absolute faith. She sang songs of praise and prayed often. God chose her to be Jesus’ mother, and, in that choice, she was given everything she needed to deliver, raise, let Him go, and, when the time came, return Him to God. Psalm 127:3 (NIV) reminds us, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”

Suffering

Mary experienced suffering throughout her lifetime. Some of which modern moms can relate to. The prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35 NIV), being forced to leave their home (Matthew 2:13-15 NIV), Losing Jesus as a young child when he chose to stay behind at the temple for three days (Luke 2:41-50 NIV), knowing that her child was about to die (Luke 23:27-31 NIV), watching Him crucified and die on the Cross (John 19:25-30 NIV), remaining present as He was removed from the Cross, and His burial (Luke 23:50-56 NIV).

The story of Jesus when he was 12 years old, staying in the temple with Mary and Joseph, not realizing it, gets me in the mommy “feels” every time I read it. We have all experienced that tinge of panic. Mary even has a momentary lapse in regulating her nervous system and gets snippy. “When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother told him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you” (Luke 2:48 NIV).

Mary had moments of anxiety only motherhood can induce, and even she had to step back and realize that she had to let her Son grow up to be who God meant Him to be.

Sibling rivalry is a struggle every mother with more than one kid endures. Sometimes, as moms, we suffer a bit when we see one child struggling to be accepted by their siblings. John 7: 3-5 (NIV) shows that even Jesus’s “brothers did not believe in him.”

When Jesus was young, Joseph passed away. In my mind, this had to have been devastating to Mary. One of my favorite moments in the scripture is when Jesus makes provisions for her ahead of His death, demonstrating His love for her as a reflection of her own for him during his formative years (John 19: 26-27 NIV).

Through all these struggles, Mary kept her eyes trained on God.

Unconditional Love

We give our babies all our love and devotion because they are a gift from God, and we know it. Even when they behave in ways we do not understand or make choices we disagree with, even when they must do things that scare us for them, it is our charge to love them.

There is no better example of this level of love than Mary. She loved the Lord first and trusted His will. She loved her husband and nurtured all her children, including Jesus.

Mary joined Jesus in His ministry and saw Him to the end of his earthly life. She was 1 Corinthians 13 (NIV) in action.

Treasure Special Moments

Mary chose to look at the positive aspects of her experiences in the scriptures just after Jesus’ birth. There is much for us to learn from her example, given everything she went through with a lack of medical care, traveling, and an unsanitary environment.

I have not always embraced the positive side of life events. For example, all three of my babies had high-risk pregnancies, early deliveries via c-section, and spent time in the NICU. I imagine many of us have had similar experiences.

Two out of three of our children had extra visits with genetics and neurology. I can tell you with 100% conviction we have never prayed harder and praised louder than when they were in uncertain territory and then when they were cleared of medical diagnoses. One doctor even told us our baby was a miracle.

I was nowhere near cheerful or, as the TikTok trend goes, “demure or very mindful.” To be honest, I was a hot mess.

Then, I think about Mary. There she was just after childbirth in Luke 2:19 (NIV) with no overseeing medical professional (the barn animals hardly count), and she chose to hold those memories as treasure. The fact that she was cognitively capable at that moment of compartmentalizing and regarded the experience as a precious treasure reminds us that we all can choose to do the same.

Surrender to God’s Will

Mary’s faith led to her trust in the Lord when he asked her to do hard things, which led to His favor of her in the first place. When she was called upon to be part of all His wonders, she did not hesitate. Her obedience and willingness to surrender to God’s will and follow the path He wanted for her were immediate.

Motherhood is a Calling – Have Faith Like Mary

Mary trusted in His timing and provision. She undoubtedly experienced the rainbow of Christian mom-related emotions and fatigue. The takeaway we can learn from Mary is that even when we are nesting, scared, overwhelmed, grieving, spread thin, or empty nesting—all the experiences that come with motherhood—we are never set on this journey alone, nor do we ever walk it alone.