I heard myself say it to my friend, and at the time I believed it, but I knew reality was much different.
“When things settle down, we can have lunch.”
The truth is, things never really settle down. There are always a thousand things going on at once. That is just my life. But for some reason I always think things are about to settle down and my life will slow down.
I’m a mom. What makes me think life will ever slow down?
I don’t think it really matters how many kids you have, the life of a mom is crazy! But, I think sometimes we make it even crazier than it has to be. And to make it worse, when we make it crazy, we like to brag about how crazy it is. It’s almost like living a hectic life is something to be accomplished. We wear it like a new pair of shoes; proudly and very visible to others.
Does today’s young mom see her busy schedule as badge of honor? The busier you are that greater your title of “Mom” becomes. Do we think our crazy schedules make us more acceptable and admirable in the eyes of others?
I once loved hearing people say, “I don’t know how you do it all!”, especially because I thought I was doing it all. Be careful moms. That is a dangerous road to travel. Pride will bring self-destruction. I learned this in the worst way.
Peter warned about this to the women who would read his letter.
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 1 Peter 3:3-4
In the days when Peter wrote this, the braiding of hair & jewelry were a big deal. It had become a consuming factor in the lives of many Christian women. No longer were they more concerned with their biblical roles as wives and or mothers, but only by their appearance. Peter was not saying they were not to be concerned with their external features at all, just don’t let it become the only beautifying you do.
He wanted them to be more concerned with their inner beauty than their outward beauty.
So what does this have to do with our crazy mom lives? I think we adorn ourselves with over committed schedules & good old fashioned busyness. It makes us look really good to others when we have an insane schedule & yet appear to have everything under control when reality is much different.
We can fill our time with events that give us opportunity to bring glory to God and grow in our relationship with Him or we can fill our time with events that don’t.
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12
If we are to be wives & mothers with a gentle and quiet spirit, we can’t be running from one thing to another. We have to learn to be still occasionally…daily is best. We need to create in our schedule a daily appointment with our Heavenly Father. It is essential if we are to be the wives & mothers our husbands & children need.
We need to be active in saying “NO“, not to our children when they need us, but to others who know if they ask you to do something it will get done. Just because you have 1 hour available on Wednesday’s doesn’t mean you need to fill it up. Leave it open & let God fill it up.
We need to constantly re-evaluate our schedules. Are you over committed? Are there things on the calendar that can be taken off, at least for a season? Is there something that is taking you away from your family more than you should be away? If you are not sure, ask your husband & your children. They can give you a big hint.
Adorn yourselves with a gentle & quiet spirit instead of an over committed schedule. Your family will be pleased. Your husband will be pleased, but even more important than that, your Heavenly Father will be pleased. His opinion is what really counts at the end of the day anyway.
QUESTION: ARE YOU TOO BUSY, SWEET MOM? HOW CAN YOU RE-EVALUATE YOUR SCHEDULE TODAY?
By:Dana Bailey
You can read more from Dana on her personal blog: A Little This-A Little That where she blogs about her crazy life as a mom to 11 kids & you can also find Dana at her JoyMoms Blog sharing how to find joy in motherhood.
IF YOU LIKE THIS POST, OR IF IT HAS ENCOURAGED YOU, PLEASE SHARE
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER too!
SUBSCRIBE to receive your FREE copy of Overwhelmed today!
AND/OR
SIGN UP to BEGIN a M.O.M. Initiative Mentor Group in your area! You will also receive a FREE copy of Overwhelmed and as a ministry tool, please feel free to make as many copies as you need.
- Ch…ch…ch…CHANGES Are Coming in 2017 for TMI - December 27, 2016
- What New Thing Are You Ready to See God Do in Your Life in 2017? - December 26, 2016
- Heaviness and Newness - December 23, 2016
