Ways mothers can spiritually nurture themselves

Wearing caked makeup from the prior day because you crashed on the sofa. Walking around with formula stains on your sweater and it is too late to go back home and change. Such a glamorous life most bleary-eyed mothers are. Ordering diapers, having enough butt cream are normal. By the time you get to work it feels you already worked an eight-hour shift. Life is not lined up neatly or organised as it seemingly was previously. So when it comes time to spiritually nurture the soul, you have a limited amount of time.
However, if we stop for a moment at playing the victim, were we ever spending that time with the Lord before anyway? We can be brutally honest with ourselves. Guess what? God is not surprised by it all. That’s a good thing. Here are ways to nurture your spiritual life again.

Stop perfection
If you are aiming for things to be perfect in your spiritual life and as a mother, you will be disappointed. “The fastest way to break the cycle of perfectionism and become a fearless mother is to give up the idea of doing it perfectly- indeed to embrace uncertainty,” author Arianna Huffington said. How about that? Wow, another woman who has been through the obstacle course of perfectionism. If you first accept that you will not have control over the environment, then you can move on. Not only is this part of being a parent, but it is part of life. It’s how we deal with it that determines if we make it or not.

Set boundaries
Oh, those boundaries can become quite blurred during mayhem on any given day. God gave us boundaries to use for a reason. Even Jesus used boundaries when scores of people kept hounding him for healing. He knew instinctively that He could not help anyone if He was burned out. Tell your family that you need more space to pray or have alone time. If commitments are driving you insane, reduce stress in this area by cutting back. Realise that your spiritual life is important and without boundaries, you will never feel refreshed. Remember that everything is connected. If you are out of balance in one area, it can impact other areas of your life as well.

Find help
When Jesus said, “If 2 or 3 gather in my name, there I am with them,” there was a reason. When we are struggling, we need people to remind us that God is there in the light and in the darkness. Talk with other mothers who have been through something similar. Ask them to share their testimonies and to pray with you. Maybe you can set up a coffee date with another mother to connect to another adult! The enemy wants you to stop from finding strength and power that comes from a community group. If can’t get out all the time, call someone for advice.
Feed the soul
When you are in a flurry of activity, it’s easy to forget to read the Bible. Strengthen your inner man and make that a focus when facing the possibility of complete frustration and panic as a mother and as a woman. Galatians 5:22 reads: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” We need to tap into this power found in God’s Word.
However, if you cannot get to the Bible, find a sermon that will help feed you. If not, there are electronic devotionals and electronic newsletters that you can subscribe to.
Use technology as a tool to read and to study the Word. We can fit this in on a daily basis.

Watch your thoughts
Corinthians 10:5 talks about destroying thoughts and feelings that come against God’s Word. Start claiming a victory over areas of your life where there is lack “and cast down every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Choose the path of truth today--speak hope into your life and power over any given situation. You can find God today by clearing out your thoughts. Keep a list handy of affirmations that you can look over in a pinch. This will help to remind you to hang on and that things will be okay!

-compiled from belief.net