I’m posting a devotion today that I wrote for NIV devotional contest for Mom’s. Hope you find it helpful. 🙂
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When I married my second husband I took his last name, Grace. God offered me another chance at marriage after failing the first time. With my second wedlock came a new role: stepmother to my husband’s son and daughter. As the mother of two daughters already, I knew and cherished the role of Mom. But I had no idea how vastly different the role of stepmother would be.
My new role proved challenging and full of obstacles. I made a lot of mistakes. And I struggled with rejection when my stepchildren didn’t embrace me right away.
But I knew I had been placed in their lives for a reason. I wanted to add value and make a difference as their stepmother. I began to pray about how to love and accept them as my own.
God spoke to me about offering grace more often. He reminded me that He freely offered grace as a gift to me when I didn’t deserve it and challenged me to do the same.
With God’s help, I began displaying more grace to my stepchildren. It wasn’t long before I noticed they were doing the same for me. They began to love and accept me as another maternal figure in their lives. Our interactions contained less conflict and more forgiveness. And now in their young adult years, my stepchildren and I enjoy meaningful, purposeful relationships.
I don’t deserve the gift of grace God offers me. But I accept it. And from a thankful heart I seek to offer God’s grace to my children and stepchildren, freely and abundantly.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
How do you show grace toward your stepchildren? Does it make a difference in your relationship?
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