7 Encouraging Bible Verses for Struggling Moms
As I sit to write these words to you, there’s a pile of luggage at the bottom of our stairwell. It’s an array of minion-decorated backpacks, colorful duffel bags, and pink handbags adorned with flowers and fairies. Looking at it makes me feel overwhelmed. I share this with you before I share today’s Bible verses for struggling moms because I want you to know that I have walked in your shoes, friend.
I have endured months of sleeplessness with infants who refused to sleep.
The demands of motherhood have worn me thin, and I’ve locked myself in the bathroom while little fingers wiggled under the door.
Bible Verses for Struggling Moms
As I write to you today, I feel overwhelmed by the amount of packing necessary for a short two-night trip.
Two nights.
I have no idea how we’ll fit it all into the hatchback trunk of the CRV.
Trying to remember everything for a short family trip with young children is enough to induce mild chest pains in my anxiety-prone diaphragm.
I imagine you, too, know about exhaustion and overwhelm. You know how it feels when the walls close in, the sickness lasts for months, or the struggling teen continues to make terrible decisions.
Weary mom, I am with you.
I invite you to soak in the following Bible verses for struggling moms today. God wants to speak into your heart and life, and his Word is his love letter to you. Let’s bask in these Truths together today.
God’s Encouragement for Struggling Moms
1. Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
When I’m struggling, I often soak in Jesus’ invitation to draw near to him for rest. Take a moment to imagine Jesus holding you right now. He wants to nurture your heart in the same way you nurture your children. I encourage you to spend at least a moment resting in his love every day.
2. Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Does it ever feel like you spend all of your time tending to the needs of your family while your needs go unmet?
Friend, God sees.
Not a moment of your effort is wasted. Perhaps the greatest news of all is that when you love your family, Jesus counts it as if you are directly loving and serving him (see Matthew 25:40). He will care for your needs as well. He is also using the work of motherhood to shape your soul.
God is inviting you to die to self thousands of times, and in the process, you will emerge more mature and complete, looking like Christ.
3. Isaiah 40:31
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Most likely, you know how it feels to be so exhausted that you aren’t sure you can go on. Turn to Jesus. Ask him for strength, weary mom. He will renew your strength and carry you through the hardest days.
4. 1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
When I’m worn down, temptations often arise. I’m tempted to yell at my kids, escape into chocolate, or zone out in front of a screen.
Remind yourself that God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. When you do feel tempted to yell, binge, or escape, he will provide a way out.
5. Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
God wants to use every difficult moment of motherhood to help you grow. Your most challenging days are always opportunities to turn to him for strength in your weakness. He wants to make his power perfectly known in your weakest moments. He is also using motherhood to shape your heart to look more like Christ’s heart of selfless love.
6. Matthew 10:42
And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.
Did you know that God will reward you for the care you offer to your family? The work of motherhood often appears to go unseen. However, God doesn’t miss a moment.
7. Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
On the darkest days, remember this: You are loved with an everlasting God. God will be faithful to you. Continue to love your family with his love, and he will give you the strength you need for each day.
Let’s Apply These Bible Verses for Struggling Moms to Our Lives
The pile looms in the corner as the sun lifts a shining glint over the pine trees out the window. I pick a cuticle and open God’s Word for some truth to center my racing mind.
I’m reading 1 Chronicles these days, and the thin ribbon opens to a page I must have read before. The black ink is highlighted neon yellow: “Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples” (1 Chronicles 16:8).
I chew on the words and drink down black coffee. Fuel for the day.
Maybe this is the secret for this overwhelmed mom: Too often, I forget to chew on the words.
Too often I take them in like one more task to complete, like dishes that need to be cleaned or pillowcases that need to be folded.
But God doesn’t want it to be like this. He wants the reading of these words to be like the reading of a love letter: pondered and cherished.
As I ponder the words, I think of how life would be without these two small people bouncing about in need of snacks and crayons, and my eyes drift to the worn blue backpack at the bottom of the pile.
Your Simpler Life Wasn’t Necessarily a Better Life
Ten years ago, that backpack was the only luggage needed on every weekend trip. Ten years ago, I could fit all I needed for five days in that pack. Things were simpler. But simpler doesn’t mean better. There was less work at home, but it wasn’t better. It’s better now.
Ten years ago, my life was exponentially simpler. But simpler doesn’t mean better. #overwhelmedmom #parenthood Click To TweetI ponder these things and forgive myself for disdaining the work that sometimes comes with parenting.
Precious Overwhelmed Mom, Lean into This:
Meanwhile, the work set before me today is stacked higher than the bags on the steps.
There is laundry, cooking, and an article assignment that will take at least three hours. I’m not looking forward to it. It’s the gritty kind of work that feels more like a college research paper than a soul-satisfying outpouring from my heart.
I know motherhood is much like this: gritty and hard, sometimes soul-satisfying, but often feeling like mostly a means of keeping everyone fed, healthy, and relatively clean.
When I start feeling weighed down by the grittiness of it all, I think of a precious friend whose daughter’s life was cut short in an accident. I think of how much this friend misses her daughter and would give just about anything for more messes to clean up, more sibling fights to break up, more meals to cook, and more of her precious child’s dishes to wash.
And when I remember these things, I suddenly start to feel a lot less overwhelmed and a lot more thankful.
I think about these things as I thank God for the opportunity to travel together as a family for the weekend. My spirit gives thanks for words to write and dishes to wash. I thank God that although the work sometimes feels like a heavy burden, it’s more like a minion backpack filled with purpose and blessing.
A Free Devotional Filled With Bible Verses for Struggling Moms
I have a gift for you. Would you like to connect with God in ways that breathe fresh life into your weary soul? The Weary Woman’s 20-Day Devotional is my free online devotional to help you connect with God in your worn and weary seasons. You will find 20 daily readings to help you find refreshment in God’s presence. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today!
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