It doesn’t matter how old you are sweet mama, you have seasons of limited rest. When kids are young, it’s barely any. When they are teens, you are awake waiting until they’re home! Both stages are hard but fun (like most important things in life.) A random verse I love is in Isaiah 40: 11 “…He will gently lead the nursing ewes..” God does not despise your fatigue. He isn’t mad you are struggling with simple survival. He is compassionate, kind & helpful. I’m praying for you mom pals today that He will give you a few minutes of stillness to lean into His love for you. It’s not performance that He wants from you-let Him just love you . #momlife#newborn#mommylife#mother#fatigue#mombies#isaiah40v11#teenmom#mothersofteens
TOP 4 RELIGIOUS MYTHS 1. “I guess God gave me this because He knew I could handle it.” The fact is, we CAN’T handle it. Every trial and challenge is allowed for us to experience moment-by-moment communion with God. He knows who can effectively “handle it”-Jesus. We don’t understand the power of God until He’s all we have. We can know He’s after so much more here. He wants us to come to the end of ourselves and lean on Him. Then, He can move on our behalf. 2. “God helps those who help themselves”. This is one saying that is actually utterly OPPOSITE. We can’t help ourselves because we cannot save ourselves. Jesus never need die if we could, in fact, help ourselves. If anything, we are helpless. God delights in that moment when we cry out, “God, I can’t do this anymore! I need you to help me!” Then, the Father can activate His power. 3. “God doesn’t listen to my prayers.” Typically, we say this because He’s either saying “No” to something we want or we have given up praying to a God that seems to ignore us. The fact is, He is overwhelmingly aware of us. He loves us, likes us, & wants to direct us. It startles us to think how much better God knows us than we know ourselves. He knew before He invented time that we would be so loved that He would give His only begotten Son. He listens constantly to us and reacts out of love. 4.”God couldn’t use me because I do so much wrong.” Tell yourself the biblical truth-He wants to use you. Because we naturally weigh our sins , we tell ourselves if the sin quota is reached, God’s done with us. Again, this flies in the face of the previous points . God knew that His Son would come to remove sin and transform the broken human to the victorious human. When He made us, He knew He would have to create an utterly new creation out of death. God wants us to embrace our true identity-not based on merit or mistakes-but on the effective blood of Christ. He makes us acceptable to our holy God and then gives us a calling to tell our story to others. When we doubt, we can ask ourselves, “Did Jesus take care of that sin? Is what He did enough to deal with my mess? Is my sin higher than the power of Christ?” No-it’s so much more-you are not only forgiven but commissioned as His representative on earth. May we speak this truth to ourselves, “God only uses the broken.” Like Paul.
I hear from many of you about your current calling from God -that of being a Pastor’s Wife. People will ask you, “What’s it like to be the Pastor’s wife?” For me, these 3 things keep me focused!
Identity Issue
Because we are Children of the King, evangelism and discipleship are the languages we speak. Exhibiting love for others and conducting ourselves in a way that honors the character of Jesus. We are missionaries first! There is no question we all have different spiritual GIFTS…some to give, some to serve, and some to teach. How glorious that Paul teaches that we are ALL to pray and ALL to love!! Now, we get to add to our circles of influence through chats on marriage, children, and sharing our struggles! WHEN WE WALK WITH GOD, we will love, lead, and impact well.
Heart Honesty
We must ask ourselves, “”Do I find my significance in BEING a Pastor’s Wife?” or “Do I find my significance in BEING a “Daughter of the King” whose value to the Kingdom is insurmountable? He will show you your heart’s motivation and give you power over insecurity and power over pride!
Only YOU can be you
You are called to be a “helpmate” to your husband and his calling as a pastor (loving the congregation pro-actively and serving where needed)….most importantly, to LOVE him. He is your #1 ministry. If God gave you children (one of the ultimate gifts!) then this is your #2 priority. As my wise husband says, “Only you can be their mommy.” I want to look back and say “I gave them my “all” in the context of a healthy marriage example and love for Jesus!”
He has made you for this! He will fill your heart with strength and joy !
