by Ruth Schwenk
Consider what “clothing” you might need to change, what character qualities might you need to “take off,” so that you can put on humility. Accept God’s call to focus more on others and less on yourself. Clothe yourself in humility. Doing so will help you love God and love others well!
Father, teach me to walk in humility. Clothe me with a sincere and sacrificial love for others. Enable me to be less preoccupied with myself and to be more focused on You. Give me the attitude of Jesus, who lived to love and serve others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
• In what ways is pride most dangerous to your parenting right now?
• Rick Warren said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”3 How can you practice self-forgetfulness today?
Looking Beneath the Surface
“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
—JOHN 4:10
Friends who truly know us pay attention and see things in us that other people don’t. They notice when we are doing well and when we seem to be running on empty. Friendships that fuel our souls are friendships with vision. We all need friends who see clearly.
Have you noticed how often we read in the gospels that Jesus “saw” people? Jesus was good at noticing, and He was good at seeing. He was a friend of sinners; He saw people, loved them, and moved toward them with compassion.
Jesus saw His first disciples standing along the sea (Matthew 4:18). Jesus saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying sick in bed (Matthew 8:14). Jesus saw the multitudes hungry and was moved with compassion (Mark 6:34). He noticed the sick woman and set her free (Luke 13:12). Jesus saw that the rich man’s idol was his money, and He was filled with sorrow (Luke 18:24).
Jesus is a great example of the kind of friend we need and the kind of friend we need to be.
The gift of other people is that they know us. They love us enough to sometimes even confront us in grace and truth. A community of faith in which people are pursuing Christ is a beautiful gift because they delight in honoring God more than in keeping us happy at times. I love how Henri Nouwen described the role of Christian friends: “It is far from easy to keep living where God is. Therefore, God gives you people who help to hold you in that place and call you back to it every time you wander off.”4
We all need friends with vision. We need friends who know us, love us, and see when we need to be encouraged, challenged, and even held accountable. We all need the gift of friends who hold us in that place of walking with God and call us back to Jesus when we wander, grow weary, or feel alone.
Father, thank You for keeping Your eyes always on me. You know me, love me, and see me. Help me have eyes to see those around me. Give me wisdom to pay attention to other moms who might be struggling. And bless me with the gift of friends who see me, care about me, and support me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
• Why do you need friends who not only love you, but who love you enough to tell you the truth about yourself?
• What is one thing you can do to be a friend who pays attention?
Staying Power
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
—HEBREWS 12:1
Being a mom is not a jog in the park, is it? It’s easy to get tired. Worn out. Both the Christian life in general and parenthood in particular are much more like a marathon than a leisurely jog. Each is a grueling run, not a quick sprint. Each is full of twists and turns, ups and downs. And like any lengthy and challenging journey, parenthood is full of moments when we want to throw in the towel!
That’s one reason I love the reminder from the writer of Hebrews that this calling we are all chasing requires perseverance. We are to stay in the race, enduring when we’re bone tired and emotionally spent, patiently and steadfastly working to fulfill our purpose to raise kids who will one day grow up to love Jesus and love the world. In other words, this isn’t an easy assignment. The truly meaningful things rarely are. We can’t afford to be easily swayed. We are to “run with perseverance.”
We are told not only to run a race, but to run the race God has marked out for us. Not the race of a neighbor, friend in Bible study, coworker, mentor, favorite blogger, pastor, or friend. We are to run the race Jesus has marked out for each of us. Run the race marked out for you!
By fixing our eyes on Jesus, we stay faithful to the course He has for us. The promise for those who persevere is that, in time, we will reap a harvest. We will see the fruit of our labor (Galatians 6:9).
So don’t give up. Keep going. By God’s grace, keep persevering as a parent. It will be worth it!
Father, give me grace today. Fill me with Your strength. Renew my faith, my energy, my focus. Help me stay the course, running this parenting journey with patience and perspective. Remind me to run my race faithfully, knowing that You are with me, supplying all of my needs every step of the way. In Jesus’ name, amen.
• Where are you most weary as a mom right now?
• When have you been tempted to run someone else’s race?
Looking at the Cross and Beyond
Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!
—REVELATION 5:12
Nearly every room and every wall of my childhood friend’s house had a cross on display for everyone to look at. Since I wasn’t a Christian at the time, I didn’t think much of it. I’ve now spent twenty-five years following Jesus. We don’t have crosses hanging on every wall of our home. But over the years I have spent much time looking at the cross. Admiring it. Meditating on it. Thanking God for all that He accomplished through it. Rejoicing that my sins were dealt with on it.
On the cross Jesus was crucified for my sin. He took my place for the punishment I deserved. His shame covered my sin. Instead of God’s wrath, I now drink of God’s love. But I am also learning not to stop at the cross.
One of Jesus’ earliest followers was a great example of not only looking at the cross, but looking beyond it—to see Jesus as He is now.
When Jesus hung on the cross, the disciple John saw Jesus as He was. John was “standing nearby” (John 19:26) as Christ died for the sins of the world. And then we’re told that John, much later in his life, was given a vision of Jesus as He is now, the exalted and reigning King.
What a great reminder to look not only to the cross, but to look to heaven’s throne. Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised to life, and now He is reigning as King of kings. He is alive. Ruling in power. Sovereign over all creation. Worthy of our praise. Deserving of our trust. Returning soon.
We need to look to the cross, but we also need to look beyond it to heaven’s throne.
Father, thank You for the cross. Lift my eyes today to see Jesus as He is. In control. Ruling. All powerful. And soon returning. In His powerful and beautiful name, amen.
• Why is it important to look at both the cross and the throne?
• How does looking from the cross to the throne enable you to live more freely and joyfully as a mom?
A Heart of Praise
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.
—PSALM 150:6
Have you ever noticed that the book of Psalms ends with praise? Psalms was the prayer book for the nation of Israel. This collection of heartfelt lyrics contains cries of anguish, pleas for help, honest questions, petitions for justice, and declarations of faith. The songs reflect what most of us would pray in private but dare not sing—especially not in front of other people!
I love the writers of the psalms for their realness. Their words remind us that we’re all flawed, yet we can all come to God. We come messy, hurting, questioning, tired, and waiting. God is okay when we come to Him with it all.
And then praise. Finally, praise. The last five chapters of the Psalms are filled with praise. They serve as a great reminder that no matter how we come to God, when we truly enco
unter His love, we can’t help but leave Him with praise. All of the messiness, pain, and waiting gets swallowed by a chorus of “Praise the LORD”!
Let’s start today with where all of history will end—in an attitude and spirit of praise! Don’t go through today focusing on what you don’t have or what you wish you had done. Lift your eyes to see all that is yours in Christ. In both your heart and your home, lift Jesus up in praise for all that He has done, is doing, and will do one day.
Lord, You are worthy of all praise. You are powerful, good, wise, faithful, and loving. There is no one like You. Lord, help me lift my eyes above my circumstances and my emotions and see You for who You really are and all that You have done. Fill my heart with praise today as I shepherd my children and love my family. In Jesus’ name, amen.
• Some people hide their emotions. Other people seem to be slaves to their emotions. Why is it so important to take your emotions—both good and bad—to God?
• How can the way the book of Psalms ends in praise encourage you as a mom?
The Gift of Being Known
“What do you want me to do for you?”
—LUKE 18:41
I love to talk. Just ask my husband! Words come easily to me. And often.
That being the case, one of the things I love about the opening chapters of the Bible is the fact that God speaks too. God spoke, and creation happened. He brought forth light, life, beauty, and order. Lately, however, I’ve been noticing how often God and His Son asked questions.
God asked Adam, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). He asked Cain, “Where is your brother?” (Genesis 4:9). Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15). And when encountering a blind man in Jericho, Jesus compassionately asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Luke 18:41).
God asks questions like these because He cares. He asks questions and invites conversation for our sakes. Questions bring discovery, intimacy, and many times, needed change. The truth is, many of us are far better at talking than we are at asking questions.
Maybe that’s why it can sometimes be easy to be together, to be in community, yet never get beneath the surface. Our talk can get in the way of the truth about challenges, fears, pressures, and heartaches hidden in our hearts.
Questions are a rare gift to a friendship. When we ask a friend a question, we give her the opportunity to be known: How are you doing today? What are you struggling with most right now? What are you most excited about? How can I be praying for you? What’s going on in your marriage or family? What kind of work is God doing in your heart lately?
Be a friend who is willing to give the gift of being known. Don’t settle for just talking. Be intentional about asking questions. It is a rare but necessary gift that we all need to grow in as we become more and more like Christ.
Father, help me be a different kind of friend—a friend who intentionally asks questions. Create in me a heart that loves the people around me and shows my love by noticing, asking, listening, and speaking words of wisdom, truth, and encouragement. In Jesus’ name, amen.
• Why do we tend not to ask questions?
• What do you need to change in order to be a friend who asks questions?
You Are Invited
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”
—ISAIAH 55:1
What do you really believe will satisfy you? What is it, right now, that you think about? What, if you had it, would make you happy?
The Bible uses the language of drink and food to describe our deepest longings. We do get physically hungry and thirsty, but the thirst and hunger Isaiah referred to are metaphors for what our souls really need. This language of drinking and eating is meant to point us to what will truly satisfy, strengthen, comfort, and fulfill us.
Four times in Isaiah 55:1, we see God’s gracious invitation to “come.” Those who are thirsty, “come” to the source of living water. Those who have no money and are hungry, “come” and be filled at no cost.
Israel as a nation had wandered from their God. They had gone looking for joy, satisfaction and pleasure in other places. Like all of our own misplaced pursuits, the Israelites had taken their thirst and hunger elsewhere and come up empty. Apart from God, they felt the void. The emptiness. Brokenness. Because there is only one Source that satisfies the soul.
In John 4:10, Jesus said we are to come to Him, and we will find our thirst quenched. He is living water. Jesus’ invitation is still open. God is still asking. Will you “come”? Will you have your deepest thirst and hunger met by Him?
Come find God in His Word. Come to Him in prayer. Kneel before Him in humility. Get alone to hear His voice. Today, right now, Jesus is inviting you to come to Him to be satisfied.
Father, only You can satisfy my soul. Forgive me for turning to other sources too soon or too often. Thank You for your gracious invitation to “come.” I come to You today. Fill me. Comfort me. Satisfy my deepest thirst and hunger. In Jesus’ name, amen.
• Where do you look to find comfort or satisfaction?
• What is one thing you can do today to find your satisfaction in Him?
Pursuing Wisdom
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
—PROVERBS 1:7
After twenty years of marriage I can confidently say that there was not enough premarital counseling in the world to prepare Patrick and me for all the different and difficult circumstances we have encountered thus far! We don’t enter marriage—or life, for that matter—with everything figured out. That’s why we need wisdom. And lots of it!
The Bible presents two ways to live: wisely or foolishly. One way leads to life; the other leads to death. Wisdom, which is the path to life, is really skilled living. It is knowing and applying God’s truth to whatever comes along in our lives so that God is glorified and we experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). These are all fruits of the Spirit-filled and Spirit-empowered life.
With all of the everyday decisions, circumstances, stresses, and challenges, husbands and wives need to seek God’s wisdom. The good news is that the Bible says when we lack wisdom we should ask God, who gives wisdom “generously” (James 1:5). When we seek wisdom by reading the Bible, God gives it. When we search for wisdom in prayer, God gives it. As we seek godly counsel, God graciously and generously gives us what we need to live in a way that honors Him.
Today, pray that God would give you and your spouse wisdom. Wisdom to know and understand the truth. Wisdom to make godly decisions. Wisdom to walk in righteousness. Wisdom for parenting. Wisdom with finances. Wisdom to love and serve each other well. And wisdom about how to glorify Him in your marriage.
Father, I want You to be at the center of my marriage. Help us revere You as a couple. Give us a heart of wisdom that we might know You and live well in a culture that is lost and broken. Keep our steps far from the path of foolishness. With all of the different decisions and circumstances we find ourselves in, give us wisdom to do what is right. We want to please You and honor You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
• Where do you need God’s wisdom most right now?
• What is one way you can pursue wisdom today?
A Song-Filled Home
The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.
—ZEPHANIAH 3:17
Sing to me one more time, Mommy,” my daughter said.
From the time our kids were born, I found it easy and natural to sing over them. Tucking them into bed, I’d sing “Jesus Loves Me,” “The B-I-B-L-E,” and “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” Each of our kids loved to sing when they were young, which is why every last song was always followed with, “One more time, Mo
mmy!”
There is something about music and singing that soothes the soul. And not just at bedtime. Music can soften a hard heart, quiet our fears, give us hope, and remind us of God’s truth. In a home, music can change the tone or help create an environment for thanksgiving, joy, laughter, and fun.
Over the years we have intentionally turned on music in our home. We play worship songs from an iPad or phone. We add worship music to family devotions. And even though my kids are getting older, they still occasionally ask me to sing with and to them.
Are you filling your home and your kids’ hearts with song? The Bible tells us that we are not the only ones who sing. Like a father or mother, the God who created us sings to us and over us with love, affection, and approval. Let’s do the same for our families and in our homes.
Father, thank You for rejoicing in me. Thank You that because of Jesus, I am forgiven and loved. Help me create a home that is filled with praise and gratitude. Use my home as a sacred space. Fill my home and my heart with songs of love, truth, and praise for all that You have done. In Jesus’ name, amen.
• How has music had the biggest impact on you spiritually?
• What are a few simple ways you can add music and singing to your home?
What Not to Say to God
