Motherhood is hard, But God

This past December, I read the book of Luke for my personal advent devotion. To summarize chapter one, the angel Gabriel visits Mary and Elizabeth (on separate occasions) to tell them that they will each conceive a child Jesus & John (the Baptist).

The scriptures say that when Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant, Mary came to visit her. Can you imagine with me for a moment what that visit must have been like?

Have you ever been pregnant with someone you were close with? You snap side by side belly pictures, talk about your symptoms, cravings and hopes for your birth. You discuss names and all the things you’re anticipating!

Then after your baby is born, you discuss the joys and messiness of motherhood. It’s something we do as mama’s to support one another, we listen, offer advice & encouragement.

Kids are not born with an instruction manual and it’s said that all kids are different. But one thing that is the same is God’s love for us, a mother’s love for her child and a mother’s desire to raise our kids knowing God’s love.

That is what Motherhood is hard, But God is all about. Because motherhood is so hard. But! With God, nothing is impossible! In fact, this is part of God’s plan for our lives as mothers, which means He’s equipped us for this work.

I couldn’t help but read Luke chapter 1 and remember all the women, past & present who have inspired Godly motherhood in my life.

Intentional Motherhood

I talk about why it’s important to be intentional in the prequel Motherhood is hard. If you haven’t read it yet, I encourage you to do so!

When I hear the phrase “it takes a village” it makes me think about the women in my life who have shown me how to be an intentional Godly mom. Women who inspire me to put my best foot forward and truly not leave my kids to chance. I decided to pose a simple question pertaining to motherhood and raising our kids intentionally through several different perspectives.

This project is simply ordinary moms just like you and I, having a conversation about the common goal of being intention tin raising our kids to know the Lord. I truly hope you are encouraged and are inspired.

Motherhood is not one size fits all. Everyone I know parents differently with some similarities. No two families operate exactly the same way. What works for you may not work for me and vice versa.

So, here we have some women with different stories, but one common goal. Raising our kids in the way they should go.

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

I hope you’re on board to be encouraged, because during and after each one of these conversations, myself and the woman I spoke to were super encouraged and motivated and now it’s your turn, join the conversation!

How can you relate to “Motherhood is hard” in terms of nurturing the heart of your children? To raise them in the way they should go? Please take a moment to answer below in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!

Q&A Intentional Motherhood

Question: What are your practical & realistic tips for being intentional and purposeful in raising Godly children?

But before we get onto the mama’s responses, I have an extra special response I want to include first. I asked my best friends college aged daughter this same question. I think most of us mama’s would want to hear it:

“Our parents have always been very open with us and allowed us to be open with them. They know how to be a parent when it comes to school, paying bills, etc. but know how to be a friend that we can just talk to and open up to. Even if our problems see small, they’ve never treated it that way and allowed us to cry and ALWAYS shared Godly advice with us every chance they get.

Even though they speak into our lives spiritually, they also don’t downplay the way society is and that things are different than what they were back then; and how to tie in our spirituality to our daily lives and “norms”. They’ve showed us how proud they are of us by showing constant praise.

Growing up it was good to have that healthy “fear” of our parents. Like yes, we were very open but we could not just “do as we please”. We had to respect that they were spiritually wiser and older when it came to topics such as school, careers, boyfriends, girlfriends, plans for our future, etc.” – Alexandria, daughter of a Godly mom

Intentional Motherhood with Anita

“Train a teen up in the way they should go.. this might look easy, it’s NOT! They have taken my emotions on major roller coasters and then back again. Here are my tips. Set boundaries. No means no. It’s a complete sentence. Bedtime is for bed. Chores have a deadline. School is your job. You are not an adult.. yet.

Give encouragement. Help them explore their varied interests. Learn who they are and what they enjoy. Learn new things with them. Tough love. There are repercussions for wrong behavior and actions. It is okay to reinforce them. If married, back each other up! No division!

Love them like Jesus loves. It’s sacrificial and worth all the pain. Keep praying. God will give you wisdom and witty ideas! Then pray again.” Anita McKaney, mom to 2, visit her blog Walking together towards God and on Instagram @anitamckaney

Intentional Motherhood with Crystal

“Oh the things the Lord has taught me about motherhood. When coming to Christ, he revealed to me a whole new truth. Motherhood is a ministry. I realized this was a vital part of raising little disciples who would go out into the world and make their own disciples one day. I thought, yikes! the pressure. But here are 3 ways I became intentional in raising Godly children:

This one is by far the most important. Leading by example. My daughters are learning how to be Godly women by watching me be a Godly woman. We are the biggest influence on our children. They will mimic our behaviors, habits and attitudes. When my daughters see me read my bible, they go and grab theirs. When they see me pray for others, they pray for others. They see me loving and serving others, they want to do the same. If you want to raise Godly children, your must demonstrate Godly character.

Take them to church. This has been a blessing because my children get to worship alongside their parents. They’ve seen others filled with the Holy Spirit. They witness alter calls where people run up and drop to their knees in His presence. They have first hand seen the Holy Spirit fall on people. They themselves worship and begin to cry in adoration.

Pray with them, daily. Let them hear your prayers for them. It helps them to learn how to pray but also to know what I ask God to do in their lives and how thankful I am to God for them. I let them lead in prayer and I give them the opportunity to pray for whatever is felt in their Spirit.” Crystal Casarez, mom to 4, you can find her on Instagram @callherblessedsisterhood

Intentional Motherhood with Cynthia

“One of the fundamentals in raising Godly children, for me, is to model vulnerability and sensitivity to the Spirit of God through a lifestyle of prayer. Our children need to know that the Holy Spirit is that solemn whisper inside of us, guiding us in our every day life. If we don’t learn to be vulnerable and sensitive to that whisper, we will live unguided and confused as to who we are and where our identity comes from.” Cynthia Cano, mom to 3, visit her blog xocynthiacano and find her on Instagram @xocynthiacano.

Intentional Motherhood with Whitney

“I still consider myself in the young motherhood stage even though my youngest is now a toddler. At 7, 5 and 2, my children keep the house standing most days. It’s easy to feel like my only accomplishment is keeping them alive (which can be quite an accomplishment!)

Still, I want to make a lasting impact, to foster a connection to their Creator, especially now as their little minds soak in what it means to trust, love and learn right from wrong. These are 3 easy, quick, super practical things I do to keep Jesus in the mind of my little ones.

1. I try to read 1 scripture with them every day. I also ask them to tell me what they think it means. While their answers are rarely theological, their willingness to explore the nature and character of God is a skill I hope they carry into adulthood.

2. When they are hurt, scared or emotional, I ask them if they want to pray. I can’t always fix their problem, but I can lead them to the “God of all comfort” (2 Cor 1:3)

3. I try to share with them what God is teaching me, even when it means I have to apologize for my own sinful behavior. I wan them to see that Christians aren’t perfect people. They already know I’m not perfect! I can use my weakness to remind them how desperate I am (and we all are) for a rescuer!” Whitney Akin, mom to 3, you can find more encouragement from Whitney on her blog Whitney Akin and on Instagram @whitneyakin

Intentional Motherhood with Courtney

“As a mom of littles, I want to ensure I’m starting their relationship with God off on the right right foot, so we read stories from a children’s bible and the Bernstein bears faith-based collection. As they get older, I want to set the example by having them see me prioritizing my daily bible readings, going to church consistently and showing them what having a relationship with God looks like. I plan on being open about the sins of my past so that they know that no one is perfect but that through Jesus, we can be saved.” Courtney Devich, mom to 2, you can read more encouragement on motherhood on her blog, Her Strength & Dignity and on Instagram @herstrengthdignity

Intentional Motherhood with Emily Allison

“The best thing a mother can do while raising her children in the faith is to live out her own faith genuinely in her every day life. Seeking God daily, being in the Word and allowing the Word of God to transform your marriage, your words, your patience, your attitudes and desires, etc. Our children will grow up in a culture that will assault every aspect of Biblical truth. The greatest shield of defense against the lies that the secular world will hurl their way is for them to have already seen the truth with their own eyes.

Your children won’t get a perfect mom, but they can see a real mom, on her own sanctification journey and following Christ day by day. Let them see what a Biblical marriage looks like, let them see genuine growth and sanctification in your words and attitudes. Talk with them and show they how to hold everything they come across up against Biblical truth. Raise a child up in the way they should go by teaching them God’s Word, what it says, and that we are here to obey it and bring glory to Him. Pray for your children and ask God that He will be faithful and bless your efforts.” Emily Allison, mom to 2, you can find a wealth of knowledge on her blog goodstewardsllc or on Instagram @emily.allison40

Please share this with another mama today, be encouraged, encouraged someone else! We are not meant to walk this path alone and God has interwoven our lives for a purpose. Be blessed & rise up mama, you got this!