Being a mom is among the greatest of all callings, but it is easy to forget our calling in the middle of the mundane day-to-day responsibilities that go hand in hand with parenting.
Perhaps a little bit of my story might prove to be helpful. Although, I have 4 sons who are grown and married, I want to take a few minutes to encourage the moms that are still in the thick of it. I remember when Jim and I were driving home from the hospital with our first son Nate and I started crying and said, “They didn’t even give me a manual- I have no idea what I’m doing.” I would say pretty much the same thing 31 years later. I often have said, “God didn’t give us a parenting manual because He wants us seeking Him.” Each child is so different and each life is so complex. One of mine and Jim’s favorite verses is from 2 chronicles 20:12 it says, “I don’t know what to do so my eyes are on you.” We have a God that loves us and our children so much that He wants us to Seek Him and He promises to lead us and instruct us.
Another one of my favorite verses is a promise found in Isaiah 54:13 says, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord and great shall be the peace of your children.”
That verse gave me so much hope, because I knew that even when I fail, the Lord was there teaching and speaking to my children. I can say He has been so faithful to do this.
I know as a mother one of our greatest weaknesses is fear. We could literally worry and be afraid of everything, Afraid that they wont be tall enough, happy enough, smart enough, afraid of what they’re eating or not eating, afraid of them dating, driving or what they will hear at school or see on their phones. It seems that there are so many things to fear in this world.
2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
In a recent sermon my oldest son Nate stated, “Fear is going to call but it’s not for you and it’s not from God.” This is because God has not given us the spirit of fear. When we are afraid it should cause us to turn to the Lord and seek Him in prayer.
Keep in mind that the Lord loves your children even more than you do and desires to strengthen you and to speak to them. We want to set a pattern for our children where they learn to find rest in the Lord, strength in Him and to go to Him when in need. We don’t want to walk in fear, but in the goodness, strength and peace of God.
A few years ago, before all my boys got married, I was half praying and half thinking. I prayed that the Lord would help me to be a better mom, a better wife, I prayed I would be more organized and keep my house cleaner, I prayed I would be a better Bible teacher and then I blurted out, “Lord I want to be perfect.” I wonder if you have ever felt that way? I just want to be perfect. Have it all together.
Just then I felt the Lord speak to my heart, “if you were perfect you wouldn’t need me.”
God is not looking for perfection He is looking for us to be needy, to look to Him and lean upon Him. He loves to help those in need. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Parenting keeps us in need and should keep us coming to Jesus. We don’t know what we are doing, but our eyes are on Him.
If there is a secret to motherhood that secret is in realizing that we cannot do it alone but that all we need is found in Jesus. It is in God’s word that He speaks to us. Make it a practice to call upon the Lord and look into His word for wisdom, strength, direction, patience and anything else you may need. He is so faithful!
Blessings,
Kristie Gallagher
Even a casual reading of the book of Job will reveal that this man is enduring intense suffering. His pain is both physical and emotional and has been intensified by he accusations and attacks he received from those he presumed to be his friends. It seems like Job has reached the boiling point and cannot endure it any longer. Under the pressure of his circumstances he determines to “Give free course to his compliant.” In other words, the guardrails are being removed and Job is giving himself license to freely complain about his circumstances.
Perhaps you have heard stories about the heroics of the men who aligned themselves with David. They are often referred to as his “Mighty Men.” This is a fair description for many of them since they went on to accomplish great exploits in the furtherance of the kingdom and in its defense from enemies both inside and out.
Paul Revere is famous for warning the the colonial militia of the coming of the British army, before the battles of Lexington and Concord. He actually helped establish an intelligence and alarm system designed to prepare the colonies for the movements of the British troops. A good warning system will help us prepare for what is coming. We may never know how many lives were saved by the efforts of men like Revere.
A few years back, when we were looking to purchase a home, my wife and I spent our days off going to open houses and visiting model homes. It was easy to tell the difference between the two. The model homes were immaculate. The decor was thematic, the furniture and carpets unstained, and the walls were noticeably unmarked by crayon, ink pen or dirty hand prints. At first glance, I would feel envious, for our house looked nothing like that. Our carpets showed evidence of four boys, who were incapable of wiping the mud off their feet before entering the house. The walls bore the evidence that they had not, in fact, washed their hands before or after dinner, and the couches proved that cups with lids are no guarantee against things being spilled. I would look at the model and think to myself, “Wow, wouldn’t it be nice if we could keep our house looking like this.” However, after a little consideration, I realized, there was an explanation as to why the model home was so clean and our house, well, not so much. No one lived in the model. It was a shell, four walls that contained furnishings, but no life.
The story of Jacob is a very common one. Although few of us shared the womb with our brothers, and fewer still came out holding onto someone else’s foot, many of us struggle with trusting our lives into the hands of God. That was Jacob’s problem. His life was marked with great and precious promises, but he failed to see how these promises could ever be fulfilled, so he sought to assist God in bringing them to completion. This led to a life filled with stress, deceit and unnecessary difficulty. It was not long before this man, who had been promised so much, lost almost everything. It was not until Jacob finally surrendered himself to God and His ways, that he began to experience the fulfillment of the promises that had been given to Him.
Jim Gallagher 