You Are Equipped For Motherhood
Today we have a guest – it’s blogging mommy of 5 – Christin! She blogs at Joyful Mothering and is here to encourage us!
The echoing of, “Mommy, can you…”, “Mommy, may I please have…”, “Mommy, she took that away…” and “Ma Ma!” all ring in my head as 4 children all compete for my attention. The tension threatens to suffocate me and in an attempt to break out of it, I release it in a less than wise, “Everyone just stop!”
Who ever thought I could handle the needs of these beautiful lives; these little souls who beg to be shaped?
Do you ever feel like you just cannot do this thing called mothering? You wonder why God chose you to take on such an enormous task when you simply don’t feel good enough or equipped for the job; when your patience has “run out” for the last time?
Sometimes you forget. Ann Voskamp calls it soul amnesia, and oh how I can relate.
But, you are equipped. Right now, right where you are. God has anointed you with everything you need to be a mother. Our dilemma isn’t whether or not we can mother, nurture, and care for our children; it’s whether or not we will.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Not only is this Scripture true for training your children, it’s true for training yourself.
God gave you the gift of motherhood, not to see if you could handle it, but knowing you could because He has equipped you. When what you need seems just out of reach, pray. He has equipped you with the ability to pray.
“You do not have, because you do not ask God.” James 4:2b
But check your motives. Be sure they are pure. Do you really need what you’re asking?
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:3
God will not leave us in need. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of opening our eyes to a perspective we may not have considered. Sometimes we need to get creative with the resources we do have. Don’t feel creative? That’s something you can ask God for. He will give you the ideas you need. He’s amazing like that!
I remember asking God for patience when my first child became a toddler. Oooh those were tough times. Rather than “giving” me patience, He gave me 4 more children. He is equipping me in ways I never imagined! Each of my children is dear to me, and each of them have taught me something new and deeper about motherhood.
When I first began homeschooling, I wasn’t sure how we were going to pay for all the things we needed. Some people are gifted with natural frugality. I wasn’t. So I prayed for the means, and He provided.
God loves us and He loves our children. Picture a father wildly in love with his child. A father who doesn’t want his child to lack in anything she needs and wants her to learn important lessons in life. Multiply that by a thousand, and that’s God. Hard to imagine isn’t it?
You do not have to do this alone.
Are we lacking faith, believing God doesn’t really care about these little “issues”? I assure you, He does.
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32
Remember to do your part. When you need strength, read His word and meditate on it. The armor of God is something we must put on everyday. Pray throughout the day and stay connected with Him.
Be a good steward of what He has given you.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
Mother as though you were equipped with what you need, because you are! Walk it out!
Christin is learning the beauty of grace and learning how to pass it along to her children. She has a passion to encourage other mother’s in their calling and come alongside them on their journey through her blog Joyful Mothering. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter as @ChristinWrites.
Photo Credit
Thanks Christin for this encouagement.
Walk with the King, 
What an encouraging post! I really enjoyed how you mention that we need to check our motives before we asking from God. I can’t count the times that I asked, sometimes begged, God for something and later was so extremely thankful that He didn’t answer the way I wanted! You’re right He ALWAYS knows our needs so much better then we do.
🙂
Hey Courtney
I loved this post- thank you for sharing it.
I do have a question that I hate to ask in the comments but I don’t know where else to go…I have signed up for the Proverbs 31 study and I have not gotten anything emailed me to me yet. I signed up twice and now I am getting your postings twice in my inbox. I also thought I signed up to receive the e-book and I guess I did not…. I am quite sure I am missing something (that is probably clearly marked) and again I am sorry for taking up this space for this question.
I would just love to be a part of the study….
Thank you so much for all your encouraging words! Blessings.
I am glad to hear that you are getting my posts into your inbox – that means that you should have the link. Go to one of the emails from Women Living Well and look at the very bottom of the email – you will find these words “Click here to download the free ebook “The Proverbs 31 Woman – One Virtue at a Time.”
Just click there and it should open – if for some reason it does not open or you can’t find it – please email me at courtney@womenlivingwell.org and I’ll send yout the direct link 🙂
Thanks for joining me on this journey!!!
Courtney
I really appreciate this post. I was on the brink of tears yesterday because I felt like I just wasn’t doing anything right. I think my low-carb diet is partially to blame but the truth is I have that feeling frequently. But Christin is right, God does equip us for motherhood. So instead of praying for strength, patience, organization, etc., I said a prayer of thanks for allof the things I can do: making the beds, teaching the children, exercising, nurturing my relationship with my husband, controlling my thoughts, etc. — all the things that, when that, taken as a whole, seem to overwhelm me, but when I look at them item by item, I know I can do. Perspective is such a blessing!
Amen Ginny!! I need to remember as well!! 🙂
Thanks Ginny for that perspective of praying for the things we can do well. I have been really hard on myself lately – focusing on all the things I am lacking in and forgetting what I am doing well and actually accomplishing in my day! Thank you…
Great post! During my day today, I thought several times I would never get through the day. As my oldest is close to 6 and my little one is turning into a full blown toddler with tantrums and constant cries for attention, I have days where I think I will never make it till bedtime. But like others have said, it’s all in your perspective as to how you handle the challenging moments that come with motherhood.
I HAD to click over just to comment. It’s like I could have written the first part of your post. Thank you so much for posting this today It truly blessed me Chrisitn.
KM, You are so welcome. I thought if I deal with that, surely other mother’s do as well. Blessings to you!!
This is just what this soon-to-be new mom needs to hear! Thank you, Christin!!
Sooo welcome Brenda!! Thanks for coming by! 🙂
Christin this is great! I pray for patience every. single. day. I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 1 1/2 year old! When I start my day out with precious time in His Word it is amazing how my bandwidth increases! Thanks for sharing your heart!
I loved your encouraging words! You are so right! God is a good Father and He cares about each and every area of our lives. He is our strength and our helper. When we are weak, He shows Himself strong. Thanks for sharing, Christin. Your posts continue to inspire me 🙂
That was lovely. as I sat reading it I have one child down the hall emitting battle cries and the bulldog is out the back door barking at something invisible. O how I can relate! have a joyful day and thank you for sharing that! my favorite part:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Not only is this Scripture true for training your children, it’s true for training yourself.
Brilliant statement! As Moms we spend so much time TRAINING others…we do need to continue our learning as WELL! Praise God!
Thanks for the Word in your blog today. I have two grown children and four grandchildren. So I am past those harried days, but the Word applies to this grandma too. Your gracious message meant so much to me as I’ve had a week of doubt and anger because of a problem. All your scripture references gave me encouragement. Thank you!
Oh Lonnie, I’m so glad! Praise God!
Thank you, Christin, for your encouraging words. I am always blessed by you. Motherhood is so tough!! We have 2 sons and live on a large dairy farm. I struggle to balance it all. I have this BAD habit of trying to do it all in my own strength. You know where that gets me…in a mess and being a failure. When I get to the end of my rope, He is there with open arms, ready to guide, lead and be my lifeline. And I ask myself, why oh why do I try to do it alone and end up here yet again? Thank you for wonderful reminders!!
Wow Christin. This is so what I needed today. We do have everything we need THIS day–give us THIS day our daily bread—THIS day our patience–THIS day our wisdom–THIS day our inspiration. God is faithful to help us THIS day, but it always, always starts first (for me) with being in His Word and letting it seap into me. Otherwise I’m trying to do it all on me, in my flesh. And my flesh fails. Thank you for pointing me to Him. Blessed to call you sister.
I SO needed to read this today! (Its the first day of summer break here) On top of that I am planning my wedding AND buying a house (it’s a short sale and we just crossed the 6 month mark) Thanks so much for this reminder that we are not alone!
I am in my second phase of motherhood – grandmotherhood. What you wrote is also applicable to us grandmas who are provided daycare for our grandchildren. There are some days I want to call my son and say, “Figure out a way to pay for daycare because I can’t do this anymore!” Then God gives me what I need to make it through the day and I survive it in spite of myself. 🙂
What a much needed post! I was at that point last night, asking God why he choose me to be this precious boy’s momma. Exactly what I needed to be reminded of, thank you for writing it Christin and thank you Courtney for sharing!
Thank you so much. What a blessing this post is for me today. I’ve been struggling with this too. I keep forgetting sometimes that God has given me His strength to be the mother that He wants me to be. I have four children from 9 years old to 4 months old and this is our first year homeschooling. Thank you for your encouraging words and the perfect scripture references for me today. 🙂 God Bless You!!
It is like you read my mind. I’m sure I was thinking exactly this yesterday — WHY did God think I could handle having children?! But I know HE knows me and he has promised not to give me more than I can handle. I know that he has given me what I need and will give me all I need when I ask but sometimes it is just so hard (and I forget to ask) — and it doesn’t help when I’m super hard on myself. I’m thankful that I am not alone in my struggles and I will pray for all mothers who desire to do all they can for these precious gifts entrusted to our care. Thank you for the encouragement.
Right now, I feel like I’m counting down the minutes until bedtime… the kids are a bit whiny and I’m tired. So this post hit me. Thanks for the reminder to breathe before responding and to think about what they need for a few minutes longer. 🙂
You ladies have blessed me with your honesty. Thank you for sharing your struggles and for pressing on! You inspire!!
What a blessing to read such thoughts that cou.d only have come from the mouth of our Savior. thankful for te moments in the morning in which to read such passages to begin with the blessing estowed upon me from our heavenly father!
This post was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. My first child is still on her way, but already feel like I will never be capable of being a decent mom. I had to write out a quote from this blog and tape it on my bathroom mirror with the 2 Timothy verse next to it. I also put the link to this post on my blog.
Thanks so much!!