How to find peace in Jesus when you’re worn out

“’I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’”

John 16:33 (NIV)

Sometimes we have phases in life that feel like we’re playing “Whack-a-Mole.” You know, that carnival game where you have to keep “whacking” moles as they pop up – and they keep popping up.

Life gets like that sometimes. Maybe oftentimes, really. One problem is barely resolved before another one pops up.

Occasionally, multiple moles pop up all at once. It gets overwhelming. The car breaks down. The dishwasher leaks. The whole family gets a stomach bug. An unexpected bill arrives in the mail.

The list goes on. We have trouble in this world. It seems as if nothing is ever easy, doesn’t it?

But, this verse reminds us of a truth we can cling to for hope when we are busy whacking one mole/problem after another: Jesus has the victory.

He died on the cross for our sins. He loves us beyond compare.

In the end, we’ll be with Him and all of our troubles will fade away. That is something to put our hope and faith in today!

Prayer:

Dear God, life is hard and full of trouble. I thank you and praise you that you have overcome the world. Remind me that you are in control. Fill me with the hope and assurance that you are always with me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A devotional for moms who struggle to surrender control

“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’”

Hebrews 13:6 (NIV)

Preschoolers tend to go through a phase of wanting to help with everything. For example, when my kiddos were that age and I was baking something, they usually wanted to help.

But, if I’m honest, their “help” usually was less than helpful. It made the task longer and messier.

Sometimes I think I do that with God. I see a situation or problem and act like a preschooler, “I’ll help!”

Then I make a bigger mess and the process takes longer than intended. I’m thankful God has way more patience that I do.

I’m also thankful that when He is our helper, He is truly helpful. In fact, He is the best helper. Not only does He love us so completely but He knows the future and knows what we need, even when it’s different from what we want.

All too often we forget that. We try to be like a preschooler and insist on doing things our way. We want to be independent and solve problems.

Just like my kids would often find in our baking endeavors, however, we need someone in charge who sees the big picture and can help us get through it.

If I left my preschool children in charge of baking on their own, it wouldn’t have turned out well. With my help, we created all sorts of yummy from homemade granola to delectable brownies.

Let’s take a step back and remember to let God help us rather than us try to help Him. Then we can enjoy the delicious fruit of our labor in full.

Prayer:

Dear God, please forgive me for trying to take matters into my own hands instead of trusting you. I ask that you help me in every part of my life. Open my eyes to see where I’m trying to hold onto control and help me give control to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God’s presence through baby giggles to teen talks

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.”

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)

You know how when you are exhausted with a newborn or toddler and someone looks at you and says something like, “You’re going to miss this”? That always made me want to smack them. (And the Holy Spirit kept me in check to just give them a wry smile instead of a wallop.)

But – and it pains me to say this – this sentiment is pretty true. I do miss some parts of motherhood to babies and toddlers. I miss the version of themselves that my kids were back then even while enjoying the version of themselves they are right now.

However, I don’t miss everything. I remember the struggles and exhaustion. I’m OK with letting those slip into the past.

Through every single phase of motherhood, I have had moments of pure enjoyment and moments of pure stress. Yet in all times and every way, God has also been right there with me.

I remember talking to Him and pleading for help to get my baby boy to sleep because I was so utterly exhausted I couldn’t go on. I also remember praising Him for that same baby boy giving me his first smiles.

Sometimes in the fray of motherhood, it can be hard to see and feel the peace of God. In fact, sometimes we long for literal peace.

I do know, however, that one day I’ll miss this phase of parenthood just like I sometimes miss the others that have come before. Our children and parenting them is constantly changing.

Our Heavenly Father, though, is constantly faithful and true. In the midst of whatever phase we find ourselves in right now, we can trust He is with us.

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to see you in the phase of motherhood I’m in right now. Give me presence of mind to really soak in and be present in this stage of my children’s lives. Fill me with your peace when I get overwhelmed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God provides—even in the middle of meal plans, laundry piles, and to-do lists

“’Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?’”

Matthew 6:25-27 (NIV)

Something I didn’t expect in motherhood and that no one warned me about ahead of time was how much my life would revolve around food and clothes.

It started in pregnancy as I paid attention to what I should and shouldn’t eat. I also had to figure out what clothes were going to work for my changing body.

Then when my children arrived, I had to figure out food and clothing for them. Food and clothes have remained constant even now my children are older.

Meals need to be made, groceries need to be bought, laundry needs to be done, clothes that are too small need to be purged, clothes that fit for the coming season need to be bought. And on the list goes!

I know life is more than this as a mother. There are so many other facets of motherhood I never expected and have knocked me off my feet – in positive ways.

The way I can look at my teenager daughter and get a glimpse of her toddler self. Or the way my son smiles at me just when I need it most.

These are some of what keep me going in motherhood. I don’t need to focus on all the to-dos and worry about all of it. I just need to learn to relax in God as a mom, as a woman, as a person.

I can trust that He will take care of us and do a much better job than I could ever do on my own.

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for providing for me. I can get so caught up in the worries and struggles of life that I often miss seeing the good parts. Take my stress and fears. Open my eyes to see more of you and your goodness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Letting go of lies and stepping into God’s truth

“The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.”

Isaiah 32:17 (NIV)

As someone who has often struggled with self-confidence, I have marveled at others who are confident. They walk into a room with their heads held high and talk to others. They share their opinions and stories.

Basically, they are at peace with who they are and they own who they are. I’m not so great at that, to be honest.

For years, in fact, I realized I was struggling against the lie that nobody wanted to hear what I had to say. As a naturally quiet person, it was easy for me to keep to myself in many ways.

I didn’t necessarily realize that was the lie I was believing until God opened my eyes. Because sometimes we get stuck in our heads. We start believing truths that just aren’t true.

When that happens, we aren’t living in peace. We’re living in anxiety, stress, fear, discontentment and awkwardness.

That’s not God’s intention for us. He intends for us to live in peace and as a result have a quiet confidence that comes from Him.

If we are so full of God that He is shining out of us, then we can live out our truth in confidence. I may not always have self-confidence, but I do always have God-confidence.

Prayer:

Dear God, I ask you to fill me with your peace and righteousness. Fill me up with you so that I can walk in your confidence, especially when my own confidence is struggling. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Learning to forgive when your mama bear instincts kick in

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:13-14 (NIV)

We talk about forgiveness a lot in the Christian community – and it makes sense. The Bible tells us time and again to forgive others as God as forgiven us.

And from a mental wellness standpoint, I also know the benefits of forgiveness. Carrying around hard feelings toward someone else is only hurting ourselves.

While I’d like to think I’ve made progress at forgiving others and am doing well with it, one area of struggle for me is forgiving those who have wronged my children.

That’s hard for us moms, isn’t it? Our inner mama bear can’t help but come out when we see our children hurt or wronged.

We want to fight. We want to defend and retaliate. Though we should most definitely stand up for and advocate for our children, we don’t want to get caught up in holding grudges and not forgiving.

The truth is, I don’t think I can do this on my own in some situations with some people. So that’s where love comes in. I need God to pour His love into me to ease my anger and frustration so I can let it go, forgive and move on.

What are you holding onto today that it’s time to let go? Ask God to pour into you so you can let go and move forward.

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for forgiving me. I ask that you pour your love into me so that I can forgive others – even when they have hurt those I love. Show me how to move forward. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Trusting God with your children

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

Even if you aren’t predisposed to anxiety (as some of us are!), motherhood can certainly bring it out in you.

As a child, I remember seeing overprotective moms on television sitcoms telling their child to be careful with a stick or he might poke out his eye. I thought it was silly and over the top.

Then I became a mom. A stick! You can do a lot of damage with that!

We want so much to protect these people who God has given us charge over. We want them to be safe and secure and have all the things they need. All of that leads to worry and anxiety.

It starts at the very beginning of their lives and continues. I’d guess it continues your entire lifetime as a mom, no matter the age of your children. The worries change and evolve, but they are always present.

But God didn’t create us to be filled with worry and anxiety. He knows that our natural tendencies, especially as mamas. So many times, He reminds us to just trust Him.

This verse from 1 Peter says it succinctly. We can turn our anxiety over to Him because He loves us.

Just as we don’t want our own children to worry, God doesn’t want us to worry. We can trust that just like we take care of our kiddos and make sure they are safe, so is He taking care of us and them as well. That’s something we can rest in today.

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for caring for me enough to take my anxiety. Help me to turn my worries and fears over to you and rest in your goodness today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Even in the wilderness, God creates streams of hope and renewal

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

Sometimes what we need most is the hope of a new beginning. I’ve had seasons in my life that were hard and exhausting. Yet, none of them have lasted forever. They always come to an end.

The changes may take longer than we’d like. But God is faithful and making a way through all the struggle and hard times.

As moms, the hardest times are when our children are suffering. Recently, both of my children had health issues at different times that we were at a loss to diagnose and treat.

I’d spent years in such a situation myself, but that didn’t cut me to the core like it did when my children were going through it themselves.

My love for my children is vast and deep. Somehow, God loves us even more than that. When we are struggling, He must surely ache for us. We can rest in His love and trust He is making a way through the struggle, even when we can’t see our way past or through it.

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for always being with me in the struggle. Give me hope and encouragement to keep going. I trust that you have a plan for my life and for my good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Even in the busyness of motherhood, God calls you to rest!

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.”

Hebrews 4:9-10

Mom life is busy life. There are always tasks to be accomplished. Always.

Never taking a break for rest can be tempting, but it’s neither good for us nor what God intended for us.

It can be easy to scoff at the idea of a day of rest when you’re a mom, especially when you have small children. Yet, we do need rest.

And so we must give ourselves permission to not be productive all the time. We may not get an entire day to just sit and do nothing. That’s probably not feasible.

However, we certainly don’t need to beat ourselves up for slowing down and taking a break. It’s OK to ask for help, take a nap or just do what it takes to survive for a day.

Let today be the day you give yourself permission to rest!

Prayer:

Dear God, it can be really hard for me to find time to rest. There is always so much on my to-do list, and I struggle to be still. So many people depend on me. Yet, I know you created me to need rest. Open my eyes to see opportunities for rest you give me. Help me to relax in peace knowing that having downtime isn’t a sin. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

How the shepherds’ quick obedience challenges us to act when God calls

“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’”

Luke 2:15 (NIV)

Have you ever had a moment when God asked you to do something? I have. A few years ago, I was at a local hardware store and heard an employee talking about the health struggles she was having.

God asked me to speak to her and tell her I’d pray for her since I also was dealing with my own health struggles and had for years.

I’d love to tell you I spoke with her, she was encouraged and we became good friends. But that’s not how the story goes. Instead, I resisted. I kept my mouth shut.

I wasn’t like the shepherds who immediately jumped up and took off to see the gift God had given them. I didn’t obey that day.

Their example is one we would do well to take note of and heed. More than anything, I want to be so in tune with God that when He prompts me, I act immediately without giving a second thought.

Prayer:

Dear God, forgive me for the times I have not followed your leading. Open my eyes and ears to see and hear you at work. Show me what you would have me to do, and give me the strength to do it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.