Dear Mom,
Have you ever wanted to quit? Yeah, me too. Recently. Some days this mom thing is just way too hard. We face the same problems day after day after day.
Your child tells a lie, again. Whining abounds over the school lesson, again. You hear complaints about doing chores, again. Fighting erupts over toys, again. Your child yells at you, again. That’s not even considering the constant laundry, dishes, cooking. The redundancy can just feel like way too much to handle.
Then the enemy lies to your heart, again, telling you that you just can’t do this mom thing well.
Perhaps you hear Paul’s words from II Timothy:
“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition.”
II Timothy 2:24-25
And these words haunt you, because you know you have failed. You weren’t kind, patient, or gentle in correction. You yourself entered the conflict and became quarrelsome. (Do you wonder how I know?)
But are we missing Paul’s main point? Before succumbing to the self-condemnation, consider the instructions he has already given in this chapter.
Be Strong in Grace
“You therefore, my son (my daughter!), be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”
II Timothy 2:1
Responding to your daily struggles requires great strength. Strength that comes from grace. Grace that comes from Jesus, who knows quite well how you respond to the frustrations. Grace from God our Father, who sees you through Jesus. Grace that only comes in the midst of weakness.
Suffer Hardship with Me
“Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
II Timothy 2:3
Why do we get the idea that being a mom should be easy? We are soldiers in a battle, and battle is not easy. Hardship is just part of the deal. The daily struggles, big and small, are hard. Rather than waking up expecting a calm, simple day, perhaps we should expect that some degree of hardship will meet us today.
Endure for Eternity’s Sake
“For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”
II Timothy 2:10
When you wake up knowing that today will be hard, intently focus on the goal: Salvation and eternal glory for those who are chosen. For your children. Today is not just about today. It is about eternity.
For the sake of your children’s eternity, yes, you can endure. I expect that, despite your feelings, you are doing it. Even if you crawled back under the covers this morning, you didn’t stay there. You got up and went about the task in front of you.
When you want to quit, yet you get up and face the hard task one more time…
That’s endurance.
You might not always be kind, patient, and gentle. But you are enduring. You are doing well.
So confess your real failures. Receive Jesus’ grace that gives you strength. Expect the difficulties. Then endure those difficulties one more day, looking forward to the eternal glory that comes only from Jesus Himself.
Never forget that Jesus sees. Keep pressing on, and one day He will say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
For now, He would say to you, “You are doing well. Your children will be blessed by your endurance. Keep on going one more day. I am with you, and My grace gives you strength.”