The Busy Life
“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”
Ephesians 6:11
Have you ever had a bad day?
You know, the days when you over sleep; your hair won’t cooperate; you spill coffee on your shirt after you’ve already left the house; someone forgets something as home; your coworkers are in a bad mood; you’re in a bad mood; the kids won’t stop arguing; your head hurts; you missed lunch; you have a to-do list as long as the pile of laundry; no food in the fridge to make dinner; you’re running late to the ten places you need to taxi your children to and from with almost an empty tank of gas; and then you get home, ready to finally rest, and realize it’s only Tuesday, and you have to do the same thing all over again tomorrow?
The more you start to think about it, maybe it’s not just a bad day.
Maybe that’s an average day for you...
And every day you feel the same, never-ending demands of life as a busy mom. You are exhausted just trying to survive the day, making sure things are taken care of, laundry is done, food is cooked, children are accounted for, and you barely have time to breathe, let alone take time for yourself. You know you are caught in the rate-race of life, but somehow you just can’t seem to get off the wheel.
Sound familiar?
If there is one thing I know about you, it’s that you’re tired of struggling, and you’re ready to start thriving. You’re ready for change. You want to feel in control of your family. You want to feel productive. You want to be able to have time for yourself!
But HOW?!
How do we do all the things and feel like we actually have it under control?
There are two things:
Figure out what is most important and let go of the things that aren’t.
There are always going to be things that want your attention. Notice, I didn’t say “need” your attention. The dishes don’t need your attention. The laundry doesn’t need your attention. Social media does not need your attention. The dog hair that is on your couch doesn’t need your attention. It wants your attention. As a busy mom, you have to value your time and spend it doing the things that are most important first.
Make God a priority.
Speaking of being intentional with your time, God wants your time. And let’s be honest, you need time with Him also. Spending time in His Word feeds our spirit, fills our cup, and gives us the renewed energy that helps us get through the day. It helps change our attitude; it helps shift our perspective; it enables us to manage our emotions better; and it equips us so that we can respond instead of react to the daily trials.
Let’s be real… These two go hand-in-hand, because it is through the mundane activity that the devil tries to keep you separated from God. I want you to think about all the excuses we make for why we don’t get “quiet time” to spend with God, why we don’t pray more, why we miss church, and why we aren’t in a small group. It’s because the devil has distracted you with the lie of “busyness” and convinced you that you don’t have time for God.
Let me remind you, you will always have time for God (and everything else you “need” to do) IF you make Him a priority. But it is critical that you recognize the schemes of the devil and put on the armor of God every day so that you are not persuaded.
“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”
(Ephesians 6:11)