The Brave Mom Step that will Change your Life

 

There are steps to becoming a Brave Mom – powerful, life-changing steps.  The first one has made all the difference in my own life. It’s the most important, and really, if you get this one down you’ll be well on your way to being a brave mom.

Overwhelmed was my middle name. I went to bed at night with failure thoughts and intent to try harder the next day only to wake up to the same failure thoughts that kept me in a perpetual state of overwhelmed.

I kept seeking the answer to getting on top of life, having order and feeling peace and maybe even {wishful thinking} a bit of joy.

Of course I was the only mom who ever felt this way. I knew I was so alone in my mountains of laundry and school papers and promises to get to the vacuuming tomorrow only to have it delayed by breaking up sibling squabbles and 3 potty training accidents and milk spills.

It wasn’t until I realized that what I was seeking first was ordering my life that everything changed.

I was seeking first answers to my problems. I was seeking first some happiness in the mundane life I had. I was seeking first kids who would obey me and do what I said. I was seeking first a clean and orderly home but not attaining any of it.

I loved Jesus and I worshiped Him and I went to church to learn more about Him every week. I even prayed and read my Bible faithfully but I was missing something and I was miserable.

Then one day it all came into perspective for me by reading Matthew 6:33

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Another versions says:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

“All these things” are your needs.

God taught us to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” When we are seeking first His kingdom we are yielding our will to His.

I realized that when I laid my life before Him each day and said “What is your kingdom about and how do I experience more of it here on earth?” He began to align my heart with His own. I began to read His Word, not just to check it off the list as the Christian thing I should do but to hear His heart and to seek His will. As I began to seek His kingdom first, my life began to take on more and more order.

I was absolutely amazed at how surrendering all of the issues I was facing and let them be second to seeking God, the things in my life that I desperately needed began to seem so small in light of Him. Those things that overwhelmed me and stole my joy? They began to come into order.

Here’s another picture to help you understand. God is so great and so big. When we give Him our lives He is all that we can see. He fills up our view and goes on forever. However, when circumstances happen in our lives that are hard or challenging, sometimes they become the thing that is right in front of our eyes. God is still there. Still bigger than all of it but because that need is right in front of our eyes we cannot see Him anymore. If we choose to look beyond that thing and keep our eyes on God, that thing begins to look so small in light of Him. When we honor Him above everything else He takes care of all of the rest for us.

It seems like a magic pill – just seek God first instead of what is burdening you. Simple right? Oh, but how easily we forget and take our eyes off of Him. This whole idea of laying down our lives and our will for His, well, it requires death. Death to our own plans and agendas. Death can be painful.  Once we do surrender and seek God first we may wake up one day and realize that we are back to seeking other things first.  We need to continue to examine our hearts and make sure that God is truly first. Let’s write it on our hearts, print it on our walls and meditate on it long so that we really get it.

Whatever has you feeling overwhelmed, can you lay it down and just seek Jesus today? I promise you that if you just seek Him first, He will meet all of your other needs, give you perspective and even make miracles happen. He loves you so and wants you to get his step. It will change your life.