Motherhood is Ministry

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Colossians 3:23-24

Motherhood is hard.

There, I said it.

It’s hard.

And it took me a long time to admit that because motherhood is also one of the most precious gifts the Lord has ever given me. I prayed for this life. I longed for this life. And yet somewhere between the diapers, the dishes, the sleepless nights, the constant noise, and the overwhelming mental load… I became tired.

Not the kind of tired that disappears after a nap.

The kind of tired that settles deep into your soul.

The kind where you sleep through every alarm no matter how hard you tried to wake up early for quiet time with Jesus.

The kind where the laundry piles grow, dishes stack up, toys cover every floor, and you can physically feel the weight of unfinished tasks pressing against your chest.

The kind of tired where another spilled cup or screaming toddler makes you want to cry right alongside them.

I'm exhausted.

Mentally exhausted.

Physically drained.

Emotionally overwhelmed.

And as I write this at 6:26 AM on Mother’s Day, I realize what a sacrifice it is to pause from cleaning the kitchen just long enough to share my heart.

At any moment, my husband will leave for men’s group before church. My babies will wake up and realize mama isn’t beside them. And just like that, the cycle begins again:

Wake up.

Spend time with Jesus.

Clean up.

Change diapers.

Make breakfast.

Get the girls dressed.

Get myself dressed.

Rush out the door.

And before I know it, the house I woke up early to clean is already undone again.

I walk into church already overwhelmed, distracted, and exhausted instead of fully present for the worship I desperately needed.

Sigh...

No one prepared me for this part of motherhood.

The part where breaking generational cycles feels harder than expected because anger keeps slipping into your tone as you discipline.

The part where bedtime routines become emotional battles.

The part where being a stay-at-home mom can sometimes feel lonely even in a two-parent household because your husband is carrying the weight of providing while you carry the weight of managing the home.

The part where answered prayers can slowly begin to feel like burdens too heavy to carry.

Selah. 

But even here… there is hope.

Maybe I don’t fully feel it right now, but truth is not dependent on feelings.

Jesus says:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10

The enemy would love to steal our joy in motherhood.

To destroy our peace.

To divide our marriages.

To kill the calling and destiny of our children and family.

But God sees us.

And the same God who called us into motherhood will sustain us through it.

So yes, I am tired.

Mentally exhausted.

Physically drained.

Emotionally overwhelmed.

But I will worship anyway.

I will "take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Because motherhood is not just work.

Motherhood is ministry.

And ministry is worship.

Even in the dishes.

Even in the tantrums.

Even in the sleepless nights.

Even in the unseen sacrifices.

The hidden work matters to God.

Every diaper changed with love.

Every bedtime prayer whispered in exhaustion.

Every meal cooked.

Every tear wiped.

Every act of service done in love.

He sees it all.

And maybe today, instead of asking God to remove every hard thing, we simply ask Him to meet us there.

To strengthen us.

To renew us.

To remind us that holy work often looks ordinary.

Because sometimes worship sounds less like music and more like:

“Yes Lord, I will serve my family again today with gladness because you have gifted me with them.”

Let's pray.

Prayer

Lord, I thank You for who You are—for You are El Roi, the God who sees. And you see me. Your Word says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” So I come to You weary, burdened, overwhelmed, exhausted, and frustrated with life.

In my frustration, I have struggled to see the beauty in this gift of motherhood that You have given me. But today, Lord, I choose to praise You.

I praise You for dishes to clean, because it means we have food to eat.

I praise You for a house to clean, because it means we have a place to live.

I praise You for children to nurture, because they are a blessing and a promise from You.

I praise You for a husband who provides, knowing that not everyone has that support.

I praise You for food on the table, because some are going without.

I praise You, I praise You, I praise You—because I am standing in a promise.

Teach me to worship You in all that I do, so that my life may bring You glory.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen.

If you’re in a season of overwhelm, this Motherhood Devotional Journal was created to encourage you in your daily walk with God. Purchase yours today, and/or gift it to a Mama who could use the reminder that God is with her and sees her!