Labor with Hope: Gospel Meditations on Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood by Gloria Furman

Labor with Hope: Gospel Meditations on Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood Reviews

• 
  Bethany Bowen-Wefuan

  The concept of this devotional is lovely--bite-sized biblical encouragement for expectant mothers. I was excited to read it for myself, and possibly to give it to my friends. But while the theology is solid, I found the writing difficult to engage with. Many sentences lack focus, and the theological insights regarding childbirth felt disconnected from the concrete situations of the assumed readers: the fears, expectations, planning, hopes, challenges, etc. of pregnancy or of going through the process of adoption.
• 
  Kiya

  This is not necessarily a comprehensive theological work on motherhood, but instead is a set of 25 short devotionals.
  
  I think some may find the content encouraging—it reads like a genuine act of worship from an author who found encouragement in what she discovered. However, for me it wasn’t encouraging—in fact, unfortunately, it was in some ways ultimately discouraging.
  
  Most of the devotionals felt very similar to me: it begins with a presentation of common aspects of motherhood and then (sometimes gently, sometimes not) condemns those things (“mommy martyr complex,” wanting sympathy, hoping in your body for a smooth birth, alternately feeling empowered [which the book presented as self-worship] or afraid [portrayed as lack of faith], seeing the beauty of birth without giving credit to God, etc.). To be frank, the book felt like it was terrified to give mothers any piece of encouragement, comfort, sympathy, or congratulations for fear of feeding our inherent need to self-worship. The only comfort that the book presented was the gospel—25 times. Normally, that sounds like a beautiful and helpful thing! But it was couched in strong warnings and a generally very negative view of moms and humanity in general.
  
  Also, the way that the gospel was presented each time followed a fairly similar formula: “you are selfish and unworthy, but God loves you anyway, so be grateful.” Most of the book’s gospel theological statements felt like repetitive Reformed/Evangelical talking points presented as absolute fact without a lot of nuance or context (for example: believing that your birth will go smoothly is prosperity gospel and unbiblical, believing that you can manage your pain to have a less painful or even painless birth is unbiblical, etc.) I didn’t often experience God’s mercy or love for me via this book, but often experienced condemnation.
  
  There were some interesting connections throughout the book, showing various aspects of God’s relationship to birth and motherhood in Scripture, and there was occasional interesting exegesis (like her take on the meaning of “saved through childbirth.”) I was reminded of compelling verses and aspects of God’s character throughout.
  
  Overall, I would not recommend this book to most mothers. It’s presented as a message of hope but is ultimately a very specific/conservative presentation of one interpretation of the gospel, coupled with a lot of warnings and condemnation.
  
  
• 
  Becky

  First sentence: Even the midwives were charmed.
  
  Labor with Hope is a devotional book; it offers readers twenty-five devotions. It isn't your typical devotional book. First, it offers much more than just a simple page or two with a Scripture nugget as a jumping off point. (The chapters are longer than that.) Second, it is geared specifically to women who are new mothers or soon-to-be new mothers. Third, the focus isn't me-me-me or you-you-you. The focus remains clearly and substantially on Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
  
  The goal of Labor with Hope is clearly stated in the introduction,
  "In Labor with Hope we will see how Jesus has everything to do with everything, including our spiritual nourishment in pregnancy and childbirth. We will walk together and examine the treasures we find in God's Word concerning many related topics--pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage, birth pain, new physical life--and how these common experiences point us to eternal realities."
  
  She concludes,
  "Worship was my goal in writing this devotional book, and it remains my hope and prayer for readers."
  I love how saturated Labor with Hope is with the Bible itself. It is packed with Scripture itself and also informed by Scripture. The writers truly point readers to the Word and illustrate the fact that, "the Bible is a buffet with plenty of soul food for those who are eating for two."
  
  Though to state the obvious, the good news of the gospel as unpacked in Labor With Hope does not just apply to moms-to-be. Far from it, the good news is for every one regardless of age, gender, or fertility. Whether believers are pregnant, planning to adopt, or have recently welcomed a new member to the family...or not...daily refreshment in the gospel is a necessity.
  
• 
  Tori Freeman

  I *should* have loved this book in theory, I love thinking and reading on the theology of birth but…Labor of Hope was a labor to get through. I am not entirely sure why. Perhaps it was too broad without enough depth? Too repetitive? It’s tough for me to articulate exactly why it didn’t hold my attention, but it didn’t resonate with me.
• 
  Abbie Lewis

  A sweet devotional for mama’s in all stages! The gospel applied to labor and stages of motherhood in short Bible filled chapters.
• 
  Nicole Murray

  25 short devotions on pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood. Different to what I was expecting, and I think sometimes not super engaging. But still a really helpful book to read while expecting a child (this is the closest to a social media launch this baby will get 😂) - important words of the importance of the gospel, the sufficiency of Jesus, the all surpassing worth of knowing Jesus as Lord - and, a reframing to remember that children and child birth are given by God to reflect truths of his fatherly love for us, and his deliverance of his children. Worth letting such truths wash over you!!
• 
  Kendall Oakes

  Received this book from meggie Calkins 🫶🏼🫶🏼 and it was such a sweet devotional book during pregnancy! As any devotional (imo) some are stronger and have more scripture than others, but overall I would recommend this to any pregnant women! Really put into perspective how much childbearing and pain point to the eschatological rumbling of our world, but Christian we have hope! Just as an expecting mother has hope on the other side of birth so do we as Christian’s have hope and pure joy waiting for us when Jesus returns to bring us home!
• 
  Shannon McGarvey

  Another short sweet gospel saturated book by Furman. Nothing life changing, but she isn’t shy about convicting you of your sin and pointing you back to Christ. Which is what I always need.
• 
  Liza Tabita

  This book is great for mothers to be and for every pregnant woman. It helps you see the important things in childbirth and pregnancy. We can easily forget the reason why we bare children, because todays culture is all about what you like and how you feel.
  This book is a reality check!
• 
  Maj Lewis

  Before reading this book, I had no idea there were so many references in Scripture to birth pains, labor pains and the like. It was interesting to hear the author’s interpretations of what she believes those passages mean.
  
  I really enjoyed this book overall. I found the author’s premise to be very relatable and tucked away some nuggets of wisdom to remember when my time of labor comes.
  
  My favorite chapter was 21 when the author discusses preparing for motherhood by training our feelings and being able to identify those feelings when they are not lining up with the truth of God’s Word. Furman states “God’s glorious Word is worthy of our trust even when our feelings disagree.”
  In this chapter she also states: “it is so important for us to know that we do not have to rely on our feelings and emotions when we consider the children we raise.” What a comfort that is to me! Knowing I have the grace of God and His Word for discernment and wisdom both in child bearing and in child rearing. To further support this point, Furman states in chap 21: “God equips his children for the ministries he has called them to, so your preparation is already on the way via His future grace.”
  
  Will be recommending this book to other moms and moms to be!
• 
  Abigail Stacy

  I listened to this on audiobook…which is not my favorite way to consume literature. It’s possible I would’ve enjoyed this more if I had the physical book and went through it more devotionally.
  
  Anyway, I appreciated the authors insistent theme of: your labor/your story/your parenthood/etc is not about you—it’s about God. These things teach us about who God is and how we relate to Him as His children. Both our sorrows and our joys ultimately reflect greater realities about our Sovereign Creator and Sustainer. We imitate God and not the other way around.
  Another aspect the author briefly touched on is one that I’ll continually need to be reminded of as a parent. That is that we are all upheld and sustained by Gods grace. Thus, we have no reason to boast in ourselves.
• 
  Lauren Berry

  Alright, I couldn’t put this book down. The amount of times that Gloria caused me to pause and worship the Lord was countless. Here are one of my favorite quotes from the book: “Day and night, why do we give ourselves away? Because of the gospel. This stunning portrait of the Suffering servant shapes a Christ-centered perspective for our motherhood. Every theme of pain and suffering in this world gives way to a vision of our glorious Christ. “
  -Gloria Furman, Labor with Hope Pg. 66
  
  I was looking for a book that would cause me to connect the gospel to pregnancy, child-bearing, birthing and motherhood and this is the book. She constantly reminds the Christian that childbirth is not about us but about God and His glory. She also uses what seems like every birth metaphor that exists in scripture and relates it to Christ’s suffering that we share in whether we are going to physically labor or not making the audience wide-ranging.
  
  Further, I appreciate how she includes those who may not be able to bear children and thoughtfully charges them with ways to carefully consider their role as an image bearer. If you want to be challenged in your views of motherhood, child-bearing or being born again as a new creation this is a helpful book for you-I can’t recommend it enough!
• 
  Lydia Curtis

  Very insightful to see how scripture talks about labor and childbearing. A great read for a first time mom through pregnancy or adoption. She uses her co-authors dissertation on labor in the Bible, which makes this a very scripturally rich and intellectual read — along with her gospel encouragement throughout.
• 
  My Little Happy Nook

  4 ⭐️
  
  Disclaimer- I’m not a mom, pregnant, or planning on having children in the near future, but I had a dear friend recommend this book to me so I had to read it!
  
  I really enjoyed listening to this book. This was such a sweet picture of the Lord’s plan for women and how pregnancy and childbirth tie in with the gospel and His plan. This was definitely a sweet listen even for someone who doesn’t have children. I would definitely want to read through this book slower in the future if I was pregnant/adopting.
• 
  Lena

  This was a really great listen! I enjoyed this short but gospel-centered perspective on pregnancy and motherhood.
  
  There are many spiritual parallels between childbearing and the gospel that are worth meditating on, and Gloria Furman does a good job bringing many of those to the surface. Worth the read/listen if you’re pregnant, adopting, already a mom or just interested in the topic!
• 
  Hannah

  A short read that I got a few good points and reminders from.
  I appreciated the re-focus on living for Jesus that this book provided, in amongst all the baby brain and preparations.
• 
  Josh Loomis

  I could not recommend Furman’s book enough for expecting parents. Her writing reads like a dense dissertation of biblical theology, which is exactly what it is. Each chapter reveals how prevalent the themes of childbirth and labor pain flow through the pages of Scripture.
  
  With an effort to point us to Jesus as we expectantly await our children, Furman helps reorient our thinking when it comes to the pains associated with labor, which is helpful for expectant mothers as well as fathers who stand next to the women they love throughout their pregnancy.
• 
  Starley

  The subtitle is accurate - simple, Gospel meditations for all things motherhood (before and after a baby is born or adopted). This was encouraging to me in the throes of first trimester morning sickness, and I’m sure it will be encouraging to read again as my due date gets closer.
• 
  Haley Juarez

  “He who was delivered through birth pains will one day deliver the world from its birth pains when He brings His new creation in full.”
• 
  Cassidy Purdy

  I wasn’t expecting this book to read like a devotional, but I enjoyed that it did. While repetitive, this book and the use of scripture in it, set my mind on the hope of the Gospel as I’ve navigated through the end of pregnancy and preparing for childbirth.
• 
  Rachel Clark

  Ok so this book isn’t what I was hoping it’d be… but it ended up being what I needed it to be. I was honestly looking for a book that would reinforce my convictions about the spiritual richness and beauty in natural childbirth and while it had brushes of that it was much more a biblical theology of birth pain and parenting and even included the labors of adoption as well.
  
  I was pridefully wanting something that would empower me for birth and pair some nice scripture to go along with it but instead I was humbled and reminded of my utter dependence on Jesus in all of life. It’s a short little book but packs a punch. Gloria is so obviously floored by the grace of Jesus that gospel truths just ooze out of her. I loved hearing the same truth put a hundred different ways so it could get through my thick skull!
  
  Some favorite lines:
  
  Childbirth is at the same time a painful trial and a matchless joy, a display of weakness and a feat of strength. Tasting death in order to give life.
  
  Pain is God’s megaphone to a deaf world (Lewis)
  
  You and I can be adopted children of Yahweh because of the cross. It is the intervention of all interventions… talk about a labor that is unlike anyone has ever seen or heard, ever! We are not biologically born into God’s family, we are spiritually adopted, labored over by Yahweh himself, and born again without birth pain.
  
  The curse of birth pain is reversed through the cross. Where Jesus accomplishes salvation and begets new covenant children who far exceed the biological children of ethnic Israel.
  
• 
  Dorothy Vandezande

  This book didn't do a lot for me. The first few chapters started out great, but it just continued to disappoint from there on. It's not well-written and though there were many good thoughts and presentations of the gospel, most of it felt very disjointed and repetitious.
  
  A major annoyance for me was the poor handling of the concept of pain in labor. It's a pet peeve when people look at Scripture and don't acknowledge that the word for Adam's work of making a living from the earth and the word for Eve's work of childbearing is one and the same and literally means "hard work." Not that hard work doesn't often come with pain, but that isn't the main focus. The author spent the entire book hammering us over the head with birth pains, anguish, suffering, writhing, agony, and similar verbiage. She attempts to offer hope, as per the title, but this seems like it would be a very discouraging book to read in pregnancy. Labor can be a beautiful time of reliance on God's strength, not just gritting your teeth to get through the misery. There is beauty in suffering and in offering up our pain to the Lord. There is also beauty in trusting God's perfect design for labor and birth and having faith in His goodness as the process unfolds, rather than allowing fear to rule our lives and hormones and cause needless pain as our bodies respond to our mental panic. I'm afraid this book will cause women to fear and dread labor, rather than to look forward to this holy work with faith and hope.
• 
  Niki Shirkman

  This book was greatly lacking for me in most areas. I bought it as I’m preparing for my fifth birth and found it not just unhelpful, but actually kind of discouraging and fear-inducing in some ways.
  
  The subtitle is “Gospel Meditations on Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood,” which I anticipated meant something along the lines of bringing biblical perspective and encouragement to the expectant mom. But instead it felt like a repetitive dissection of the Bible’s use of the analogy of pain in childbirth. I skipped over several parts as they felt redundant or at times even made my mind start to go to unhelpful places in preparing for birth.
  
  Disappointing.
• 
  Jennafer Welch

  This book is completely saturated with the gospel in every page. I think that it would be incredibly beneficial for a young believer, or a first time mom facing anxieties of delivery for the first time.
  
  As someone who has been a believer for some time, it did at times feel repetitive. But the repetition was nothing but speaking truth! The first few chapters weren’t very engaging, but I specifically enjoyed the chapters about abortion, and the hardships of parenting.
• 
  BrontëKas

  “What should you expect when you are expecting? Expect that God has designed every detail of your child’s life to direct you (and them) to worship him.”
  
  What I wanted was encouragement in the midst of fear, what I got was a theology of labor and childbearing. That is lovely (and it was well-written and gospel-centered), but I wish I had known going in. I also should have read it as a devotional. I think this would be really helpful for a mom in the throes of motherhood.
• 
  Sophie Miller

  3.5 stars. It was good, but I was expecting (and desiring) a slightly more physically tangible and practical read. Maybe that’s not the best way to say it, since the gospel is the most practical of all realities, but I was expecting more application perhaps drawn from her experience as a doula? I loved that they were bite-size chapters and that our eyes were always pointed to Christ.
• 
  Sarah

  Excellent. There are some real gems in here and I plan to reread it before giving birth in the spring.
• 
  Jeanie

  When we undergo light and momentary affliction in our mothering, then we see it for what it is- a reminder to look to the unseen. Birth is not about us, but about God.
  
  Motherhood is a two edged coin, a blessing and at times painful. Love can be that way and with our emotions, anxiety, fear as mothers motherhood can be pendulum that swings both ways. A blessing and painful. Labor with Hope is a great reminder of God's purpose in motherhood, pregnancy and childbirth. The title itself Labor suggests that it is a long process filled with all emotions and at times it can be drudgery and the most exciting thing you have ever done.
  
  Gloria Furman brings verses that I have skipped over and sheds more light on the gospel and how it relates to all things of being a mom. That pain, the anticipation and the reward. It all ties to the Gospel and how we can have hope in those difficult times but also remember to rejoice in the celebrations. Childbirth is about God and that was emphasized through out the text. It is a good point that childbirth reflects life and that is Gospel. With the gospel we have life and a hope. In light of that, there was a short chapter on abortion and why as Christians we should support the life message. Abortion is death. Motherhood is giving life and many times a sacrifice. As a mother/and a father, there is a sacrifice given to raising children. A sacrifice that reflects the gospel and gives glory to God.
  
  Highly recommend.
  
  A Special Thank you to Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
• 
  Conrade Yap

  Brother Lawrence taught us about the spirituality of practicing the presence of God. Paul Stevens and others promote the spirituality of work and the marketplace. Mike Mason shows us spirituality of practicing the presence of people. Seminarians remind us about the spirituality of study and research. What about the spirituality of childbirth? Gloria Furman advocates the following: "Jesus has everything to do with everything, including our spiritual nourishment in pregnancy and childbirth." In this book, she not only describes the spiritual connection in the present, she also shows us how these "point us to eternal realities." These two aspects are expressed in every chapter. From the creative narrative in Genesis, Furman shows us how the human procreation act is derived from God's creative initiative. Men and women are image bearers of God, and children born are image bearers of their parents as well. All of us are called to be fruitful and multiply for this is the very character of God. Fertility reminds us of fruitfulness and how our endeavours point us to God's glory that is to come. On childbirth pains, we learn from Scripture that it is because of the curse of sin. When God said "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing," we learn that it is not restricted to simply the birth moment. It is a part of the whole area of judgment because of sin. More importantly, it tells us our need for a savior. This is where the title of the book describes this paradox: Labouring in pain without losing hope. While recognizing the reality of pain, Furman also shows us the significance of hope. Like babies, we cannot deliver ourselves. In parenting, we learn how tough it is to bring up children. Even as we grapple with the seriousness of sin and evil, we also see the power of the gospel to deliver us from sin and death. Forgiveness through the gospel stretches far and wide, even to those who had undergone abortion.
  
  
  There are several other issues that the author pulls in when dealing with the subject of childbirth. She mentions the sacrificial love of the mother; the various biblical passages with regard to childbirth; motherhood; meaning of "saved through childbearing"; "born of a woman," etc. For the sake of their children, mothers would do all they can to provide for them. With abortion becoming commonplace, and the non-critical ease of assuming abortion is a normal act, she contrasts human impatience in terminating life with God's patience in giving us opportunities to repent. On the other side of abortion, there is the occasional painful choice of some mothers who chose to die so that the child may live. The gospel reminds us of Jesus who did the very same thing, to die on the cross that we may live. Furman briefly explores theological topics such as foreknowledge, salvation, resurrection, election, creation, faith, hope, and others.
  
  My Thoughts
  This book is about gospel meditations and Furman does exactly that with a balanced treatment of both the process of childbearing as well as theological reflections. She starts with a Bible reference for each chapter, reflects on that verse and connects the motherhood theme with theological truths for Christian living. At times, the book feels more like a Bible study session rather than a chapter on motherhood or childbearing. For that reason, I feel that this book is more a devotional with the childbearing theme. She deals with two themes quite comprehensively. The first is that of pain in which she helps those in pain understand that it is only temporary. Hang on to hope and look forward to the future deliverance and joy. Labour cannot be rushed. Likewise, hope cannot be rushed. We need to wait. This book aids in the waiting process. There are many instances of pain: "hormonal imbalances, fertility issues, miscarriages, pregnancy complications, menstrual pain, stillbirth, menopause, and maternal death." These are situations in which women need to be pointed to hope amid the suffering. Never underestimate the pain. Never make light of the power of hope as well. Helen Keller once wrote: "Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it."
  
  The second theme is trust in God. Page after page, she references Scripture to show us that God is always with us. We need to trust in His Word. For those in labour, this is particularly relevant as pain and birth tend to distract us from everything else, including our focus on God. Furman continually reminds all of us not to trust birth but to trust God alone.
  
  My takeaway is this. Hope is larger than pain. Faith in God is better than fear. With childbearing as one of the most profound pain ever experienced by a person, we learn that we are never alone. Mothers could feel most alone in their pain, regardless of how many people are by their side. This meditation on the gospel truths and the presence of God through all of our times would bring much comfort. Furman not only deals with the direct expressions of hope, she also takes us on a journey to recognize the folly of a life without hope. Both are essentially the same thing seen from different angles.
  
  Parents or parents to be would appreciate such a book and the biblical meditations on the themes of motherhood, childbirth, pain, and labour difficulties.
  
  Gloria Furman is the author of "Missional Motherhood" and "The Pastor's Wife." She is a wife, a mother of four, and a cross-cultural worker. She blogs at
  www.gloriafurman.com.
  
  Rating: 4 stars of 5.
  
  conrade
  This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.