As mothers, our fears and lingering anxiety over those fears can be endless.
From the moment we conceive a child and begin feeling unusual cramping, our hearts start to pound a little harder. As we approach labor and delivery, we fear that our delivery won’t go as planned. Sleep-deprived and maybe even traumatized, we bring our little bundles of joy home and watch over them while they sleep. Then, we often fear something could go wrong when we leave our child at daycare or with a family member for an extended amount of time.
This is only the beginning of our fears as a parent.
As our kids grow older, we fear they may be bullied at school or join the wrong crowd of friends.
We fear their safety as they pull out of our driveway by themselves for the first time.
And as we reflect on our fears and rehearse them in our minds, anxiety settles in.
These fears are all real things to be concerned about. The feelings of anxiousness are valid.
Yet, today, I will challenge us to shift our perception of who we are and what we can control versus who God is and what He can control.
God and God Alone
The only thing the Bible mentions we should fear is God himself (Deut. 6:13-14). That means nothing else in this world should be able to take God’s place of fear and reverence. Thus, God should rule over all things we fear, because He does rule over them and He has the capability of ruling over them.
In the book The Cry of the Soul, Dan Allender describes fear as this:
“Different people fear different things with different levels of intensity, but all of us fear what we cannot control. Fear is our response to uncertainty about our resources in the face of danger, when we are assaulted by a force that overwhelms us and compels us to face that we are helpless and out of control. Fear is provoked when the threat of danger (physical or relational) exposes our inability to preserve what we most deeply cherish.”
I don’t know about you, but motherhood has exposed how little I control my life and the people around me, especially my children. I have had countless days of feeling defeated after unsuccessfully putting my infant to sleep or catching my 6-year-old in a lie. After spending hours on Google researching sleep-training techniques or flu remedies, I’ve found my limited resources leave me less than equipped for the many tasks demanded of me.
I’ve fallen victim to the belief that it is I who must hold all the pieces together. That I must protect my child and keep them from all harm and mishaps. That it is I who determines their safety. Although God has graciously allowed me to play a large part in this role, I have shamefully placed myself in God’s position. It is God who has all the resources that can rival any threat.
Who Is Fighting Your Battles?
You, Princess of the Most High, were never meant to be your own savior and provider. Nor were you to be the savior of your family. You forgot your most valuable resource, Your Heavenly Father, who wants to fight your battles for you. But do you really believe that He will show up for you? Have you given God opportunities to prove to you that He has your back? Or have you continued to juggle everything on your own, taking matters into your own hands, trying to save yourself and those you love?
We were never meant to carry the burden of making sure bad things don’t happen. And when we try to, we quickly realize our resources aren’t adequate for the challenges of each day.
Thus, we spiral into fear, anxiety, and despair. The Lord God said that He would be the one to help us, strengthen us, and hold onto us with His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).
Look up, Daughter. God is right next to you every minute of the day waiting for you to look His way and ask for help.
So it’s time to lighten the load. Tell the Lord exactly what fears you are placing in His hands. If you’re unable to pinpoint exactly what is overwhelming you, ask God to reveal it to you. Make time and space to truly get to know WHO God is so you can begin to experience His love for you. Spend some time with your Father in Heaven. Even if it’s with four children climbing in and out of your lap begging for your attention. Begin by acknowledging His presence and praying that He would reveal Himself to you in the midst of the chaos.
Today:
- Choose one thing you can eliminate from your daily life in order to make room to spend time with God.
- Use your extra time to release something to God. During this time, also ask Him what else you need to surrender to Him and wait for a response. Read your Bible and pray that the Lord will answer you during your time with Him.
- Continue to pray to Him during each anxious or fearful moment of the day.
When your resources and abilities don’t measure up to the threats of your day, remember that you have the ultimate resource of God with you who wants to help and is capable of rivaling your threats. He’s by your side every step of the day.
Let’s pray that He will open your eyes and show you how He is truly walking alongside you every moment of the day.
Father,
Open my eyes so that I can see You walking alongside me every moment of the day. Holy Spirit, remind me that my Father in heaven has all the resources I need. Help me surrender the feeling of needing to save myself and my family. Please help me develop genuine trust in You. Remind me of the ways You have already shown up in my life. I pray that our relationship will deepen. I pray that I can hear Your sweet whispers and promptings in my spirit. I pray that I can experience Your peace. Thank you for never leaving me.
-Your Daughter who is anxious and afraid
Victoria Archer, MS is a scientist turned stay-at-home mom. Her passion for healing people physically was radically transformed into healing women spiritually. While homeschooling her four children, she has made it her mission to help fellow mothers encounter Christ during the difficult seasons of raising young children. She is the author of the devotional, Surviving Your Postpartum Season, founder of Braless.Blog, and a Bible study leader. When she’s not changing diapers and teaching first-grade math, she’s serving alongside her husband who pastors a group of house churches with the mission to “love one another”.