Woman, Wife, Mother
Many times we hold back, thinking that we’re doing the world a favor. The truth is that we aren’t. God put something great inside of you and holding back stops the world from encountering the greatness the He has placed inside of you. Go ahead and shine bright for all the world to see. As you do, you’ll give Him the glory.
Question: What’s holding you back? What are you afraid of?
As a woman that loves to plan, I often try to keep things orderly and functioning well. I like my planner, my pen, and my paper. And although I haven’t always been this way, I do my best to plan everything out. That plan is subject to change because I am married with four children, and really, because I am a human being, living in this world. Yet, still there are times where I am thrown completely off because of my desire for predictability and order.
If I can be honest with you, this has to do with my desire to control situations, so that things aren’t thrown off-balance and I’m not flung into a situation that I didn’t expect or feel that I can’t handle. Again, I haven’t always been this way, but in trying to be a woman of wisdom, I have desired to think through situations and plan how I am going to handle them. My plan would be perfect if I set in some high authoritative place, like God, but I’m not Him. I am merely a woman, clothed in flesh and living my life the best way that I can.
I have always had big dreams and this year, I took the plunge in to two of them.
Coupled together with life, I have found myself in a place of frustration because, well, we don’t live in a box. Although I set deadlines, things happen. For instance, I hurt my back and could not do all of the things that I wanted to do physically, so I had to rely on my family. They were very helpful and I am blessed to have them. Needless to say, my schedule was thrown off. I attempted to pull and push my way out of my physical limitations and, as it should be assumed, it took a toll on me emotionally.
I planned and structured events and business deals, but all parties just did not have the same schedule as I had. If I were to put it in the simplest way possible, my desire for perfection, was only that, a desire. Perfection was not going to, nor is it ever going to happen.
Ok.
Let me stop here for a second. I think you and I need to allow this statement to just sink in.
Perfection is never going to happen.
Our desire for perfection and control, literally sends our spirit out into a realm of frenzy because we were never meant to be perfect or in control of everything. We were placed in this world with the Spirit of the Living God to lead us and guide us throughout our lives. He is here to help us maneuver through the situations, ins and outs of life. No matter how much we try to take the steering wheel, its not our place to be in total control.
Think on this.
When life is busy and we want to be…., we have a tendency to try to attempt to take the reins from God. We attempt to control life. We don’t do it purposely, but when we do this, hurry up and go “thing,” we are trying to take our lives out of the hands of God. He’s the one who makes this whole world function and yet, somewhere in our minds, we believe that we can do it better. No matter how sincere or humble we are, we have all done it at one point and time in our lives. Believe it or not, we do it again and again. Then we wonder why we are stressed.
We wonder why things don’t seem to be going right.
Where did the problems come from?
Taking our lives out of the hands of God, not following His will, trying life our own way…that’s where the frustration comes in. And no matter how giant or small of a moment it has been that we have found ourselves in this place, we have to come back.
We have to ask Him to forgive us. We have to push forward in His will, listening to His Spirit, and seeking His face. That’s it!
When we do this, with a sincere heart, laying it all before Him, He takes the reigns and fixes our lives, orders our steps, and makes life beautiful again.
That’s what the KING of the world does. He rules and reigns. He orders and fixes our hearts and our lives.
In short…maybe not so short…
Our desires send us out of whack. The world is only doing what it does normally. It is functioning chaotically and we are striving for it to have some sort of order. Yet, in this process we forget that we are not all-powerful. Perfectionism is not really an accurate picture of any human being on this earth. It is simply and ideal. And we all love ideals.
Control is not really all that we perceive it to be. It is simply that a perception. We aren’t in control.
Yep! I said it…
We aren’t in control.
Whether reactive or proactive, we are not in control. It isn’t until we step into the will of God. Taking our rightful place in His plan, using the power that has been given to us by God, through Christ, in pray and in faithful deed, that we are in control…with Him.
Faithful deed…
Not fearful actions. We have to be living and walking in faith when we proclaim that this and that will be, expecting that it will be.
Now…let’s do this.
Let’s check ourselves with the word of God and see where we stand. Let this be our continual endeavor…to be in right standing with God.
Please take a moment to read Psalm 19 below and the watch the video at the end of this post.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Life is so full.
It is full of ups and downs, ins and outs, goods and bads. Whether we realize it or not, enjoying life is a choice. That’s why I choose to make time for the beautiful things in life, daily.
Sometimes I get so busy doing that I have to remind myself to eat. I don’t forget to do what needs to be done for my children, but as a wife, mother, student, entrepreneur, web designer, minister, blogger, author…you see where I’m going with this, right?!
I’m pretty busy.
I’m sure that you are pretty busy too.
We can get all boggled down by the daily things that need to be done. Sometimes this busy-ness and doing can attempt to steal the joy that we have on the inside. Yet, if we are diligent to focus on the things of God and the blessings that He has given us, our joy will remain.
That’s why I say it is a choice. You and I get to decide if we are going to stay focused on the negative or are we going to use the negative to inspire us to do something great.
See, for every problem, there is a solution inside of someone on this earth. God place the answers within us. When we focus on Him, He will reveal what needs to be done to us.
The busy-ness of life drains us. This is one reason why God tells us to rest.
I take my rest at various points in the day. I stop to smell the roses, kiss my babies, and laugh with my husband. I shut it all down for a few moments to breathe in the fresh air that God has blessed us with.
Yesterday, I sat outside of my house and looked at the flowers. I have seen a praying mantis, grasshoppers, and a spider eating…yes gross, but it all adds something to my life.
I look at these things and I see that God has made such beauty around me that I would be doing myself a disservice to not take a moment to look at it all.
Today I want to encourage you to take a moment to look at the things around you and the people around you. Find something beautiful and be thankful for what you have seen.
A thankful heart is a cheerful heart and a cheerful heart is full of joy.
As a mother, with four children, I know that it is hard to send my babies out into the world. Daycare, school, events, none of this is easy. We are charged, as moms, with one of the best and hardest callings in the world. We are called to nurture and love our children; to help them become who God has created them to be. We carry our children within our wombs, as they grow. Once they are born, we raise them, as best as we know how, loving them and protecting them from danger. We teach them how to live. We show them how to love. We train them and coach them to be who God has created them to be. Yet, we can’t keep them in our physical arms forever.
One of the first challenges of a working mother, a mother going to college, or even one that volunteers, is putting her baby in daycare. If a mother happens to avoid that one, she will soon face the challenge of sending her 4 or 5 year old to preschool or kindergarten. If a mother chooses to homeschool, she still does not escape the challenge of raising her child and slowly allowing him or her to go off into the world and explore through social connections. We haven’t even talked about high school, college, or adulthood.
We hear the news reports. They aren’t fun to listen to or read. Children go through so much today and it is very public. Turn on the nightly news and hear of manipulation, abuse, scandal, kidnappings. If one is not careful, a mother could have a panic attack trying to figure out how she could protect her babies from all of these troubles and more befalling them. Will they become sick? She wonders, am I a good mother? Will I do them any justice? However, she forgets one thing. It is not her call to protect her child all of the time, throughout the entire duration life. She is not God. [bctt tweet=”However, she forgets one thing. She is not God.” username=”@beingmrsmom”]She has to do what the Bible says.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.~Philippians 4:6, 7
We can all use a little peace. Add with the stress of the world and the cares of this life, we could definitely use a lot of peace. This peace does not just come. You have to do something in order for this peace to even begin to come your way. You have to be willing to give God the things that you are most concerned about. In this case, your children and their futures need to handed over to the Lord. I want to help with this today.
There are key scriptures that I have prayed over my children for the past 14 years. When situations arise and fear attempts to grip me, I have to remind myself of what the Lord has said. He would not leave me nor forsake me. (Deuteronomy 31:6) I have had to speak, pray, and meditate on the promises of God. I have to remind myself that God is faithful and that all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. (2 Corinthians 1:20) I have to praise Him, when I recognize His faithfulness. So, what exactly does His word promise? I am going to share 10 prayers with you that are directly related to the scriptures in the bible and God’s promises to us, who believe. The prayers are in bold and the scriptural references follow them. When you pray these prayers, pray them out loud. Get them ingrained in your heart, so that you pray them with faith and without any doubt. (James 1:8)
[bctt tweet=”Rest assured that God will hear each one of your prayers.” username=”@beingmrsmom”] Pray them in faith, knowing that He cares about you and everyone & thing the you care about. I tell you this; the Lord is faithful. He is not a man that He should lie and like one of my favorite scriptures says, if you put your faith and trust in the Lord, you will not be put to shame. (Romans 10:11)
I would recommend that you pray these prayers over your children daily. Watch as the Lord fulfills His promises to you and your children.
I hope that you were blessed and encouraged by this.
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We all have a propensity for self-doubt. It is apart of our human nature. We live and we learn. Sometime we win and sometimes we lose. However, these situations are not and cannot become an indicator to ourselves nor to anyone else of who we are. I used to be afraid of the judgements of men. By men, I mean people. I use to wonder what everyone would think of what I said, did, and thought. I lived in the constant bondage and fear of being rejected. No matter how sure I was of what I was doing, some how, I still doubted that it would be approved.
What I learned over the years was that I was looking for approval from the wrong source. I wanted people, in their own frailty of human nature, to approve what I was doing and who I was. I was ignorant of the fact that real approval cannot come from mortals. It can only come from the One who has the power to judge all. I studied hard to show myself approved to men. All the while wondering why God had not showed who I was to them. I must admit, looking back, I missed it. I was never meant to study to show myself approved to men. I was to study and work and live and move and be to show myself approved to God. For He is the One that stamps me with the seal of approval. And while I was seeking the approval of men, God was cheering me on in my everyday endeavors as a woman, a wife, and a mother. Yet again, I would miss it. I had not allowed His words to penetrate my being. I looked at who had walked away and forgotten about me. I looked to who had said I was not enough and I wasn’t qualified. I missed it. I should have been looking to the One who called me and qualified me. I should have looked to the One who was there and always remains; the One who said, I was and still am enough.
Today, I am able to share this because I have been through some trials and hardships. I have been hurt and realized that I allowed men and women to change what God had made in me. I have learned from my struggles and from the LOVE OF GOD. I am no longer moved by the looks, judgements, and harsh words of people. I am different because I am loved.
Today, I want to challenge you to see if you can relate. Look into your past and see if there were times and situations that caused you to forget who you were and feel less confident. See if you have ever replaced God’s approval with the desire of being approved by men. As you do this, realize that you need not earth any more for approval. You are loved.
Today, I’d like to share with you a few thoughts that I shared in Instagram, this morning. Perhaps you’ll find it encouraging and helpful.
Yes! We all have things to do today. People will tug on us and attempt to pull is in different directions. Our minds will cry out for guidance, but this one thing is true. “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7. Say this with me. “I have a sound mind.” Say it again. “I have a sound mind.”
We must allow the word of God to permeate our being and allow Him to lead us, not the tugging of individuals and systems that need and want us to move as they say. Yes, obey the authority of the land, meet the deadlines, work hard, be successful, but first…find yourself rooted and grounded in Him. Take the time before you go, to stop and seek His direction. Give yourself the freedom your soul needs to receive from Him all that you will require for the day. Take a moment to write down your thoughts and plan for the day ahead of you. If you put Him first, And acknowledge Him in all of your ways, He will make your paths straight and order your steps.
If you think that I’m just talking to you, I’m not. I’m also talking to myself. I have a million and one things that I need to do today, but only God knows what my human capability for accomplishment is on this day and so, with all that I have and all that I am I take the time first to submit myself to Him.
I stop to say, “Father, have your way in my life today. Let your peace rule and reign in my mind. I will not allow the fear of failure or rejection be the thing that rules my mind. For that is not the type of mind that you have given me. You have given me a sound mind and I have power.”
If you are reading this today, I challenge you to take the same stance that I am taking. Don’t be overcome by you todo list. Start with a clean slate and allow the Lord to help you fill it. He will not fail you. Romans 10:11 days that “no one that puts their faith in God shall ever be ashamed.”
I place my faith and trust in Him and I KNOW that HE WILL NOT FAIL ME. I just have to be willing to submit my will to His and follow Him.
I pray that you are both blessed and motivated by this today.
Have a wonderful day.
