The endurance of motherhood
As mother’s, we need endurance. We need to keep our eyes on the horizon, remembering what we want long term for our kids and connect how the little daily decisions impact those goals. Every time we choose them over our phones, that has an impact. Every time we choose discipline over ignoring, that has an impact. Every time we choose to slow down and just be with them, that has an impact. But over time this can also wear us down. It can exhaust us. It can leave us feeling empty and tired with nothing left to give. So how do we continue to make these decisions over the long haul, but keep ourselves from drying up, keep ourselves from being left empty? Well, we find an answer to this in Romans 15:4-7:
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
These verses tell us that the scriptures and God himself will give us the endurance and encouragement we need. How beautiful is that! But there are two steps, I believe, for this truth to become a reality in our lives. Those two steps are: we must truly believe this as truth, and we must be willing to step out of our natural day to day and step into deeper faith with God.
If we do not believe this as truth then it cannot become a reality in our life. If we are not willing to step out of what we see around us, and step into deeper faith with God, then nothing in our life will change. We will go about our days doing our absolute best to give our kids what they need, but eventually we will dry up. We will run out. And we won’t have anything else to give. That’s just the nature of motherhood and the needs of our kids. They need so much, that there is no way we can give them everything they need by ourselves. But how beautiful that God knows this, and He has given us all we need to be the mothers He desires us to be. He has given us the scriptures, which then the Holy Spirit highlights and speaks to us through, and then He has reconciled us back to Him through His son, Jesus! Giving us intimacy and relationship with Him! Ladies, that really is all we need. There is nothing more filling and powerful than being in the tangible presence of the Lord. His tangible presence changes everything. That is how He fills us, that is how we keep going, that is how we see things the way He does, by opening our hearts and recognizing His presence.
I just have to stop and ask, have you ever felt His overwhelming, tangible presence? If so, you know exactly what I am talking about. If not, my absolute biggest encouragement to you is to ask Him to open your heart & mind to recognizing His presence, and ask Him to help you feel His presence tangibly! I want to pray this over you, if you are reading this right now, Lord, I ask that you open hearts & minds to your presence. I ask that you remove barriers, remove religion and remove doubt to the possibility of feeling your presence! Lord, please overwhelm these women with your powerful & beautiful presence, and flood their hearts with your goodness & love! In Jesus name, Amen!
Ladies, Jesus did not die on the cross for us to barely get by in life. The curtain in the temple was not torn for us to live life as ‘normal’. No, Jesus died for us to have a completely transformed life. A completely new life. A life where we walk with Him everyday. A life where we know His presence and He fills us and overwhelms us with His love regularly. So let’s believe the truth that God has given us everything we need, and let’s be willing to go deeper in our faith. Let’s stop trying to get by on our own, and let’s lean into Jesus more. Allow the scriptures & God to give you the endurance & encouragement you need, by prioritizing your relationship with God and reading His word.
