Love like a Mother: How the Sacred Work of Motherhood Reveals the Maternal Heart of God

by Elizabeth Berget

Discover the God Who Mothers

Motherhood is overwhelming, tender, exhausting, and beautiful--and can feel like a spiritual desert. But what if motherhood offers us an entirely new understanding of who God is?

In Love like a Mother, Elizabeth Berget gently invites us to rediscover the God of the Bible as the one who gestates, births, nourishes, comforts, and protects: just like a mother. Each chapter includes

● relatable stories from life with little ones;
● overlooked maternal imagery for God in the Bible; and
● practical, contemplative reflection prompts and breath prayers.

Weaving together rich and encouraging scriptural insights with relatable stories from her own life as a mom, Berget shows how mothers uniquely bear the image of God in the sacred ordinary of everyday life--even in the middle of dishes, diapers, and sleepless nights.

For moms feeling adrift in the early years of parenting, this book offers a lifeline to spiritual connection. Love like a Mother also serves as an inspiration to moms in all stages of life, perfect for gift-giving and group discussion.

Genres: Parenting, Christian, Theology, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published May 5, 2026

Reviews

[Sarah French · Rating 5 out of 5]

It might be that I read this during my second trimester when I’m already emotional, but I LOVED this book. Seeing God as a mother—in the midst of becoming a mom myself—has given me a beautiful & kind expansion of my faith, thanks be to God!

[Anna Rollins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a stunning and thoughtful examination of the ways the work of mothering reveals the nature of God. This book is so important

[Dawn Klinge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warm and wise book about the mother love of God. I was familiar with Elizabeth's writing before I read this, so I knew she would approach this topic with deep insight. I wasn't disappointed, and it exceeded my expectations. Being a mom of older kids, I figured much of this book would be geared towards moms of littles. I was wrong. This was a book that met me where I am and reminded me of the amazing way God loves all of her children.

[Bekah Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, Love Like a Mother, is a warm and nourishing resource to explore a largely forgotten, but incredibly important, part of God - the feminine part. Understanding that God is like a mother is not just important for moms, but for every human made in the image of God (spoiler: that's everyone).

[Whitney Dziurawiec · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Pretty good, as far as motherhood books go. I didn't know when I started it that mothers were the audience of the book (I think I thought it was more theology than Christian living), so I had to adjust my expectations as I read. Admittedly, some of it just read as a mom blog but there were some decent insights. It is probably the recommendation I'd give if someone asked for a book on motherhood.

[Levi Moberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Like a Mother by Elizabeth Berget is a wonderful mixture of memoir and theological reflection on the maternal nature of God and how He relates to us as a mother. Through this book, Berget mixes personal storytelling (both from her personal life and the lives of her friends) with theological reflection involving deep and thoughtful exegesis of the biblical text to uncover the maternal images of God littered through the book. The end result is a moving and carefully crafted work that ultimately leads to a much deeper understanding of who God is to us. A view that only favors the "masculine" is unbalanced and loses credibility in many ways. However, my only complaint is that Berget often views "mothering" as a uniquely biological process through the birthing experience. Now she does utilize the narratives of women who have fostered or adopted as well, but her depictions of motherhood seem largely to be centered solely on a Western ideal that understands mothering as an action done in the nuclear family. She also does not seem to address the role of "mothering" in our churches, as many women may act as a "mother" to a younger mentee, even if they are not actually adopted. As a body of Christ, we have mothers and fathers our whole life, even beyond the immediate family structure, and Berget's limited exploration of mother leaves me wondering how God reflects the mothers of the church who "adopt" the younger people of the community and help foster them. Overall, a wonderful resource and deeply moving as I felt my heart tugged both by the moving narratives and thoughtful theological reflection, but I felt this was too deeply steeped in traditional Western family norms to apply widely. However, even with this concern, Berget's theological maximalist approach to wring the biblical text dry for the maternal images of God is thoughtful and a joy to read.

I received a free advanced copy of the book via Netgalley, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alison Bradley
1:44 PM (4 minutes ago)
to me

I can't remember ever hearing a sermon telling me how God loves me like a mother. Yet, in my own motherhood, I've experienced the mother heart of God in a way that has made me believe my own belovedness in a deeper way. I feel the weight of my own love for my children, the ways I delight in them and nourish them with my very body, and can believe this is how God loves me.

As soon as I heard Elizabeth Berget was writing this book, I've been eager to hold Love Like A Mother in my hands. I've been lucky to be one of the people reading an early copy, and it has been so nourishing and affirming to find the God I've discovered as I love my own children in these pages. Elizabeth writes of her own journey as a mother and the tender stories of friends, from church history to Scripture itself, this book draws from a multitude of sources to paint this more full picture of who God is.

While I think this book will especially be a gift to mothers, to see how we uniquely image God, this is a book I believe everyone would benefit from. These images and stories are ones that have often been absent from our teachings of who God is, yet, we will all be better for a more robust, gentler, fiercer understanding of the way God loves us: like a mother. Highly recommend.

*Of course, books about mothering can be tender, especially for those who are experiencing infertility, pregnancy loss or the death of a child. I was especially touched by Chapter 4, Seared Hearts and Scarred Hands: The Mother-Love of God in Loss and Infertility, and the tenderness of how mother love shows up in grief and loss, and is honored in these pages. There's a trigger warning at the start of the chapter, and obviously, if you're in thick of a season of loss like this, it might not be the right time. But I felt so grateful for how this part of motherhood, that no one wants, is included as a way that reflects the heart of God.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, and I think it will be a good gift for new moms and moms in the trenches. It explores theological ideas about a mother's love and how we can see God in mothering.

It is not for everyone. The first third of this book is focused on the physical aspects of birthing. These images, along with images of a nursing God, have been very important to my faith as a mom. However, I would not hand this book to a foster mom or an adoptive mom. There is somewhat of a mention of infertility, and there are references throughout to fostering and adoption through foster care, but no real engagement with other adoption discussions. As a mom who had fairly uncomplicated fertility, birthing, and nursing stories, I thought much of this resonated. I think it will resonate with a lot of people, but there are some people who will feel understandably left out of this particular portrayal of motherhood.

The second thing I want to say is that the book says, at the beginning, essentially, "This isn't the only metaphor you have to use." I wish the book had the confidence to offer Mother God as a metaphor without having to couch it. The folks who get mad about the idea of using the metaphor of Mother God are never going to get on board, so we should stop trying to placate them. Rachel Held Evans called God "she" one time, and Owen Strachan is still mad about it. With that said, I hope a lot of men also read it.

The author mentions that her oldest was about 13 at the time of writing the book. My kid is slightly older, and I think my role as a mother has shifted in huge ways in two or three teenage years. There is a lot of mothering that was unexplored in this book - this is very much about those early and difficult days, and there is nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to mention it as an observation.

[BookishMama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading a new nonfiction in the mornings recently, Love Like a Mother: How the Sacred Work of Motherhood Reveals the Maternal Heart of God. Right off the bat, I very much appreciated the short snippet sections that made it easy for me, as a mom, to read in the short bits of time I had available and then pick it back up at a convenient time.

This is not my first time encountering writing that shows the way God mothers Us and highlights the way we Mother as a result of being made in His image. I strive to be more like Jesus in my life here as a human, wife, and mother so this makes sense in a lot of ways.

However. I did grow up in a conservative Baptist church and occasionally bristled so I'm sure some of you will, too. I agree with the reality that God is a spirit rather than a y-chromosomed human male... but I guess my mind is like, "Right, exactly! A chromosomed SPIRIT male!" She does choose to use the he pronoun for God and only to show mothering traits, not to call Him "the divine earth mother' or something, too.

This was my first time encountering this author and I thoroughly enjoyed her lovely writing style. She paints some gorgeous word pictures! I immediately found her Coffee + Crumbs essays, too. I felt touched and moved by her imagery many times. I love motherhood and I appreciate her love for it, too.

I'll be very curious to hear your thoughts if any of you try this one.

* I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Courtney Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does God love us like a mother? Is God's love unconditional and unreserved? Is it intimate? Does God actually care about our every day needs? Does God walk with us, go before us, carry us in her womb? Elizabeth Berget's book answers a resounding YES to all! Berget explores all the ways God is revealed in Scripture as a mother figure--birthing, feeding, protecting, and nurturing her children.

Berget's exploration of motherhood draws mostly from the intensely physical years of early motherhood, and I found myself hoping for a follow-up that might explore motherhood in other stages of life and our children's lives. I would also love to see more about how anyone can mother, whether you have biological children or not, and when we care like a mother, we are reflecting the maternal heart of God.

I think my desire for more shows how much we need a book like this, and hopefully many more to come! Berget's portrait of God as mother is one that is far too often skipped over in evangelical Christianity, and one that we desperately need. Her words are so dignifying for the sacred work of maternal care, and I'm sure I'll be gifting the book to many new mothers in the coming years.

Note: The book relies heavily on the bodily work of motherhood, including the experiences of labor and breastfeeding. The author takes care to acknowledge the experiences of loss, infertility, and adoption/foster care, but it is worth noting that this could be a difficult read for some.

[Lorren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve followed author Elizabeth Berget online for years, so I knew she was researching and writing a book about the maternal character of God and looked forward to reading it… but I couldn’t have predicted just how SEEN I would feel in this book. Berget takes common experiences of early motherhood—pregnancy, birth, sleeplessness, feeding children—and through those experiences, illustrates how God loves and cares for us,

I expected to see examples of scriptural analogies. I worried a little that the book would be filled with saccharine platitudes about motherhood, but I shouldn’t have been—this book both affirmed mothers as doing God’s work while also gently encouraging readers to elevate their love and follow God’s maternal example. I also didn’t expect but delighted in all the examples from literature Berget pulled in to illustrate her points—I love finding truths that tie into the gospel in art and other unexpected sources, and Berget did so gracefully and artfully.

The book also contains practices and breath prayers at the conclusion of each chapter. The book did not at all feel like a self-help book to me, but these practices were beautiful and inspiring, and I look foreword to going back and spending more time contemplating them.

LOVE LIKE A MOTHER is a truly beautiful reading experience, and I am sure I will return to it.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Berget has written an incredible gift for young mothers. So many books in the Christian motherhood genre only add more expectations onto an exhausted mother’s plate, and Love like a Mother is just the opposite: an encouraging, nourishing, and wise companion for the journey.

Berget lifts up often-overlooked maternal imagery used to describe God throughout the Bible (from the “wombed love of God” to images of God as a mother eagle) to encourage mothers that they, too, bear the image of God – and to gently remind them that God cares for them just as they care for their own children.

Each chapter includes precise, yet accessible theological exposition brought to life with personal stories told in a witty, relatable voice. Berget strikes an interesting balance between pushing the bounds of our imagination of God (who is exclusively described with male language like “father” or “king” in most modern evangelical churches) while also bringing along readers who might be hesitant to use “mother” language for God. (She continues to use masculine pronouns for God, for example, and underscores that we should understand God as both father and mother, not one or the other).

Both well-researched and heartfelt, this book is a thoughtful gift for young moms and the church writ large.

[Marissa Burt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part theological reflection, part memoir, and part sisterly encouragement, Love Like a Mother is the book I'll now be giving to every expecting mother-friend. I am so glad Elizabeth Berget decided to write this!

With welcome humor, Berget weaves together her own relatable experiences of motherhood and anecdotes from other mothers with exegetical and narrative insights from the Bible. This makes for an outstanding contribution that honors the biblical imagery while addressing the gap so many of us experienced being formed by male-dominant paternal depictions of God. I also appreciated that Berget addressed infant loss, miscarriage, adoption, and foster care.

As I read, I found my faith strengthened and also wished younger-mother me could've read this book, especially during intense years of early motherhood. Berget's she-gets-it authorial voice brings the grace of being seen and an invitation to trust. There is a pastoral layer here, as well, as readers are both encouraged in their work of mothering and equipped to see how God mothers them in the process. In that sense, this is a book older-mother-me also needs, and provides an opportunity for readers to be re-parented afresh.

Highly recommend!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a gift of a book.

I’ve probably learned more about God and his love for and patience with us in the last 17years of my mothering, and sharing life in the trenches with other moms has consistently been a source of comfort and encouragement. And yet, Elizabeth manages to make connections that I’m not sure I ever had (for all the mention of being born again in the NT, I really hadn’t thought of it being like actual birth!). From these new connections, even more encouragement and deeper comfort have arisen. Parts of the book read something like a devotional; there is such a call to see God moving in our own lives and be aware of how He is loving us as we love our kids. The goal isn’t to elevate motherhood, but to see how motherhood points to God himself; he is our True and Better Mother.

I love the idea of seeing one more way that God whispers his love for us, his goodness and kindness toward us. I felt so seen in all the little tasks that tend to go unnoticed, the care and concern I feel for the small and big parts of each of my kids’ lives. He has felt all these things even deeper than me, and does an infinitely better job that I do caring for my kids (and me!).

[Sarah Butterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will expand your understanding of God in the best of ways! Well-researched and deeply rooted in Scripture, each chapter explores maternal imagery and metaphors for God. Weaving together her own experience as a mom, and including stories from foster and adoptive moms, she unpacks how we reflect God's image in our motherhood journeys.

I felt so seen in every chapter and highlighted so much! (Thanks to the publisher for providing me an early copy so I could interview the author for the Theology on Purpose podcast.)

Here's one of my favorite quotes:

"When we begin to see that God loves us not only like a father but also like a mother, when we realize that God has had incarnate experiences on earth that are comparable to our own as mothers, when we recognize that God speaks the shared language of birth with us, we can connect with God in these most transformative moments of motherhood."

I would highly recommend this book to mothers especially, and to anyone who follows Jesus and wants to grow in their understanding and experience of God.

[Caitlyn Elizabeth Coy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read this book as someone who has yet to experience motherhood but remains curious about God's maternal heart. Through vulnerability and storytelling, Berget shares her experiences walking through motherhood. She follows these tellings with Biblical interpretations, applying them to her own story, and through questions and practical applications at the end of each story, we each are able to apply them to our own.
I would say, as someone who is not yet a mother, her experiences though profound were not as impactful as someone who I would imagine to be a mother. Wherein, I will be buying copies in the future for my friends who are moms, but maybe not people who are not. That being said, the theological applications were impactful for all. Berget takes verses that have been shared time and again and unravels them with new insight that often gets overlooked or ignored in tradtional sharings.
Disclosure: I've received this copy from the publisher and was not required to leave a positive review.

[Catherine Busch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women are so often raised to limit and diminish themselves, and this can be especially common in religious settings. For many women, stepping into motherhood brings home the absurdity of the idea that women are or should be meek or weak. Those searching for Biblical justification of women's power will find it in the pages of Love like a Mother. I enjoy following Elizabeth's writing online, specifically the "Snacks for the Flock" installments of her newsletter, which are always delightful. I enjoyed her thoughts and research about the maternal expressions of God's love. She has an important message for our times and for our hurting Christian church. Most powerful was the idea that we limit God when claim he can only be a father. Some may find that position radical or shocking, but Elizabeth guides us through it with strength, compassion, and humor, as a great mother does.

[Kate Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Like a Mother has been my comfort read this season. Elizabeth Bergett writes with such tenderness, wisdom, and humor, revealing the heart of God as Mother in a way that's been deeply healing for me these past few weeks. Her book is biblically grounded and reveals God as a being not bound by gender but as someone who meets us where we are: in our fatigue, our pain, our joy, our peace, our sleepless nights. A God who nourishes and feeds us throughout our days and when we are at our lowest. I am not even a mother but I found this book to be incredibly comforting. I want to buy a copy for every woman in my life. This would make an excellent Mother’s Day gift.

[Dorothy Greco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Berget's work is new to me. I'm super grateful for Love Like a Mother. We lose so much by refusing to see God through a maternal lens. (If women and men are created in God's image, there has to be a maternal/feminine component of God.) Chapter 2, which focuses on labor and the ways mothers' bodies are broken as we birth and love our children, is heavily underlined. Love Like a Mother skillfully mixes Berget's personal experiences, theology, and developmental psychology. Def recommend—and realize that adoptive/foster moms might have to do a bit more work to find themselves in the earlier chapters of the book.

[Elsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed. I cried. I got chills. I read the whole book in one sitting.

Beautiful imagery. Accessible and relatable—especially for those who have given birth to a child, but many anecdotes related to mothers who foster and/or adopt. Will give mothers confidence that they are, indeed, “a force to be reckoned with,” and will expand one’s perspective, appreciation, and love for God, who willingly and eagerly describes himself with maternal language.

A staple in the bookshelf for new or new-ish moms.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Elizabeth Berget follows the life of a mother through pregnancy, giving birth, feeding children and finding time for rest among the constant demands and looking at the Biblical imagery that shows God as a mother. I feel like I have a better understanding of God and that I am more understood by Him than I previously thought. I appreciated that she included experiences of miscarriage, adoption, and foster care, and the challenges along the motherhood journey. I highly recommend this book for mothers!

[Rebecca Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

We don't always think of the connection between God and motherhood because God is most often referred to as Father. Berget opens the reader's eyes to the ways God loves like a mother by drawing the reader in with motherhood stories and rich scriptures.

This book surprised me in its depth and deep roots in the Bible, intertwined with relatable stories of motherhood. I left feeling more understood and loved.

[Kimberly Knowle-Zeller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Like a Mother is the book we need to read when we need the reminder that God is with us in our daily tasks of mothering. This book tenderly and with lots of humor reminds readers that God's love is like a mother and that we are so deeply loved. I love the personal stories and the deep understanding of scripture that Elizabeth brings.

[Hannah Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve heard some weird ideas about the feminine/maternal aspects of God. This book is (thankfully) not like that. It thoughtfully explores the tender intersection of theology and motherhood, and as a mom myself, it left me feeling more connected to and in awe of God than before. Beautiful and so well written!

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was deeply moving, and such beautiful imagery was presented on how to view God as Mother. It brought me so much healing, not only in my own mothering journey but in how I see and experience God. What a gift to see Him more fully through motherhood.

I got extra copies to give away as gifts! Highly recommend!

[Laura Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth does an artful job of weaving her experiences of motherhood and the character of God. She was able to expand and illuminate the metaphor of God as Mother—embodied love, protection and presence in ways that brought God’s love (and a mother’s love to life). Written about the early years of motherhood—birth, nursing, feeding, sleeplessness nights and self sacrificial love.

[Rachel Pieh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book, from the cover to the content. This book is the overflow of a mother's deep love for God and for family, her thoughtful reflections on scripture, and a willingness to approach faith with curiosity and good questions.

[Readingmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world needs more books like this. Reminded me of an old favorite: Henri Nouwen’s book Compassion (written with Donald McNeil and Douglas Morrison), which also delves into the same Hebrew words about the womb of God and compassion.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just what I need. Incredible look into motherhood and your relationship with God. How God is like a mother to us in many ways and the way He gives us that responsibility to mother the children he blessed us with. Highly recommend

[Bekka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful and comforting read. I struggle with God as father, especially having an abusive dad, but God as mother is softer and gentler. The book is aimed at mothers, but I still enjoyed it even as someone debating whether or not to have kids at all someday.