Some encouragement and hope for the exhausted mom. Momma, you were never meant to do this alone.
Parenting Is Hard!
Before I became a mother I thought I had a pretty good understanding of the whole parenting thing. In my mind it was quite simple. You love, nurture and provide for your child and discipline when necessary.
If you are faithful to do these things then your children should turn out to be happy, content, angelic little people.
God certainly has a sense of humor! He blessed my husband and I with not one but TWO very sweet, but very strong willed children. Needless to say it was not too long into my parenting journey that I discovered I WAS DEAD WRONG in my prior assumptions. Parenting is hard work!
… And I go to humble town on a pretty regular basis.
Please don’t misunderstand me, being a mother has brought me more joy than I can even explain. My heart is so full of gratitude for the blessings God has given me through my children. However, it is also through this amazing role of being a momma, that I realize my own failures, selfishness, limitations, and pride.
I am by nature an introvert, perfectionist, and worrier which naturally carried over into my parenting as well. Often I feel like a complete failure when things aren’t near perfect and stress over potential situations that I’ve created in my head, things that haven’t even happened yet!
I need peace and quiet to recharge which can be a bit hard to come by when raising two very energetic and talkative non introverts, and I have a tendency to keep things bottled up inside until there’s no room left in the bottle.
All of that to say that when I take my eyes off of Christ and allow my circumstances to overwhelm me I can quickly become a complete mess.
Related Posts: RAISING A STRONG WILLED CHILD: 4 UNEXPECTED BLESSINGS TO CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE
TO THE LONELY STAY AT HOME MOM: 6 KEY WAYS TO COPE WITH SOCIAL ISOLATION
Encouragement For The Exhausted Mom
I remember several years ago hearing someone say that God will not give us more than we can handle. My friend, that couldn’t be further from the truth. He does give us more than we can handle and in a weird way I am learning to be thankful for that. He gives us more than we can handle in our own strength so that we can see our need for Him.
It would be all too easy for me to take the credit for all of the good in my life had I not endured hard times and realized my weaknesses and need for a Savior.
Without Him I become frustrated, impatient, closed off and overwhelmed.
When I seek His help He so graciously gives me a new perspective and the ability to see things as He sees them.
Through the lens of His goodness and grace I can have joy, peace and patience even in the midst of trying circumstances.
God is using my strong willed kiddos to teach me many things, one of them being my need to let go of my desire to be the perfect mother raising perfect kids.
God does not expect perfection, but He does desire that we come to Him first when we are hurting, anxious, exhausted and even lonely.
He doesn’t expect us to have all of the answers, but He does want us to lean on Him and seek His wisdom and guidance.
The same God who created you and your children and who ultimately knows you better than anyone on the planet is also the Author of sweet rest and pure joy which He delights to give us.
Are You An Exhausted Mom?
Whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional, mom exhaustion can easily overwhelm and depleat any remaining grace and patience we have left on a daily basis.
I don’t know exactly what you are going through in regards to your children. But whether they are infants or grown adults there is nothing closer to a mother’s heart and I know that sometimes things are just hard.
Please remember, though, that there is nothing closer to our Heavenly Father’s heart than you, His beloved creation. He wants nothing more than for you to turn to Him for comfort and rest. He doesn’t promise to take away the hardships, but does promise to help us through them and can always use them for good.
Mommas, we can love, teach, protect, guide, nurture, comfort, encourage, and discipline our children. Even more importantly we can pray for them, lovingly share Christ with them and teach them the importance of reading and knowing God’s Word.
And then we can accept that the rest is out of our control, but that God is good.
Becoming a Godly Mother
If you are emotionally or physically exhausted, I encourage you to ask God for rest. (“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28).
If you are worried, ask Him for peace and the ability to learn to trust. (“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6-7).
If you are hurting, ask Him for comfort. (“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” Psalm 34:18).
God chose our children specifically for us to raise and will enable us to do what He has called us to do. And to my fellow mommas of strong willed children out there, remember that those wills of iron can be used for good. Especially in the culture we’re living in today.
Yes, motherhood can be exhausting, but it is also an incredible joy! And It could just be that God is going to use your children to make a difference in a powerful way.
Amanda says
We are so naive before having kids aren’t we! ? I would have never imagined how hard being a mom is but also how rewarding it is. My children teach me just as many life lessons as I hope I teach them.
Tabatha says
Yes, Amanda, that is so true! Motherhood definitely has it’s challenges and yet it is the most rewarding job I’ve ever had in my life. God sure uses my children to teach me many things, too =) Thanks so much for reading!
Liz says
As a mom of three very strong willed kids, I can relate 100% to this post. I still struggle with letting go of the idea of perfection. Sometimes I think it is my expectations that create our daily challenges not my kids behavior. I definitely notice that the more relaxed I am – the better they are!
Tabatha says
Liz, you’ve spoken some words of wisdom there. I wholeheartedly agree that sometimes it’s simply our expectations that create the stress and challenges of the day. Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out! God can use those strong wills for good 😉
Chrissie says
This is such a great reminder to remember the bigger picture when you’re in times of struggle as a mum. It’s a long journey, a rewarding journey, and yeah one that Jesus uses to reveal much about ourselves in Him. I find it so easy to get caught up in the little things, this is a great reminder that there is a much bigger picture. Thanks so much for sharing xx
Tabatha says
Thank you for your comment, Chrissie! I’ve said many times before that I’m pretty sure God blessed me with two strong willed kiddos so that I would realize I can’t do this on my own and very much need to stay close to Him. I’m grateful that He always does what is best for us even if it hurts sometimes. And yes, motherhood is a very rewarding journey indeed =)
Jessie Synan says
Parenting is HARD! I’m glad more people like you are addressing it instead of pretending all is daisies and butterflies. I love how you say that God chose our kids for us, what a beautiful way to look at parenthood ❤️
Tabatha says
Thank you for your kind response, Jessie =) Lots of blessings in parenting for sure, but also a whole lot of opportunities for growth!
Brittany says
The more I think I know, the less I know. Motherhood has definitely taught me that I am not in control, and I have to give it all over to the One that is. Love the verses you used to accompany your words. Thanks for this encouragement and reminder that God is working it all out. We just have to trust Him in this crazy motherhood journey.
Tabatha says
I completely agree with you, Brittany! I just told someone the other day that I almost feel like I know less now then when I first became a mother. I’m so grateful that God is patient with us and uses the trials for good. Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to read =)
Kristal Molina says
This is so good! I really needed to read/hear this today. Motherhood is hard but God speaks to us through our children and we have to continue to declare that our children will be our legacy….used by God in a mighty way. It’s so easy to get weary but thankfully we can turn to our power source Jesus Christ.
Tabatha says
Thank you, Kristal =) Yes, I agree with you that God uses our parenting journey to draw us closer to Himself and I’m so grateful that we have our Savior to turn to for comfort when the difficult moments come. Thanks so much for your kind words!
Melissa Hoyle says
I am embarassed to say this, but when I was a new mom, I thought God gave my kids me…but, my more mature self has realized that God gave me my kids…He didn’t give them to me because I was such an amazing person…He gave them to me because they matured me. It’s incredible how much they can change you for the better, isn’t it?
p.s. I was also that person…the one who thought she knew everything about parenting. Then, God gave me my first son, who went against all of my beliefs about parenting, such as my kids will never sleep in my bed (he was in there til he was 3! HAHA)
Tabatha says
Oh Melissa I completely agree with you! He sure does use our children to mature and teach us, doesn’t He? And even though it is the hardest thing I’ve ever done I am so grateful that He does. I think God has a special way of humbling us too lol… I guess whatever it takes though for us to become more like Jesus is worth it.
Tara Adams says
Being a mama of two under 2 I realized parenting is a lot harder than I imagined. It’s the most rewarding learning experience though. My children taught me a lot so far in motherhood, about life, myself, being a mom etc… I agree, God chooses us for our children. I learned early to depend on his grace to raise my boys.
Tabatha says
I’m so thankful for the grace that He offers us to help raise our children. We serve an awesome God! Thanks so much for reaching out, Tara! It’s honestly been so encouraging to know that I’m not the only momma who has had these struggles.
Boma says
God bless all mommas. And may tired mommas find the strength and encouragement they need to keep going, today. Thanks for sharing, Tabatha. Many blessings to you!
Tabatha says
Thank you, Boma! A good reminder for us to be taking the time to pray for that strength and encouragement each day. Thank you for reading =)
Lindsay Leiviska says
The challenges of motherhood are such a reminder of our own need for Christ and our ability to disobey and lose it and have mom meltdowns just as our children do. The grace of Christ in our parenting and for ourselves has been such a gift. It has taken me quite a few beatings from hard years trying to force these unrealistic expectations upon myself and my children to finally give me a new understanding of just how desperately we need Christ. Love your heart for God, your children and other moms. ?
Tabatha says
You said it all so well, Lindsay! Yes, I am so grateful for the grace He offers us too, it truly is a gift. Thank you for the encouragement and honesty as well. It’s comforting to know that I’m not the only momma out there who struggles. I appreciate the reminder of just how much we all need Him!