Contentment is HARD. Satan eagerly waits for our weak moments to convince us our efforts as mothers aren't worth it. He prowls, he waits, and he destroys our perceptions of our family and our self-worth simply with seeds of discontentment. Being discontent shapes our view of our family's and can poison our minds and hearts.
Discontentment is like admitting in your heart you don't like the path you are on, the path that God has chosen for you. It's one thing to desire a better future, but you can't live in the future only the present. No matter what your goals or desires, contentment in the present is incredibly important.
Women tend to set the tone in their home. If Mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy. So how exactly do we strive to be content? Here are 10 simple ways to get you started.
10 Ways To Be A Content Mother
1) Allow God To Shape Your View of Motherhood
We must be in the Word of God and in prayer as often as possible as Mothers. His Word is our source of strength and wisdom, and our prayers allow us to commune with the Great I AM. There is nothing more powerful that we can do as mothers. The wisdom of God's Word will help shape your expectations better than anything else ever can.
Before you get too depressed about not being able to spend as much time in the Word and in prayer as you'd like, keep in mind there will be seasons of motherhood where you simply will not have the time to spend in prayer like you would like. It's hard to find quiet time with little children but making the effort is well worth is and will shape your whole method of mothering.
2) Manage Your Home The Way You Want To
When I first got married I desperately looked for the perfect way to run my home. Home management binders, shining my sink, putting on my shoes, organized chore charts, and scheduling my minutes down to the half hour all became ways I tried to manage my home. Do you know what all of those "methods" had in common I hated them.
Don't feel like you need to live by someone else's chore list. I enjoy Freezer Cooking so that's a BIG way I save time and simplify cleaning in my home. Other than that when I wake up in the morning I write a to-do list of the chores that need to get done. No fancy schedules, no daily tasks, just a to-do list. That's how I prefer to do things. Life is to short to live by someone else's standards.
3) Don't Compare Yourself To Other Moms
Whether they're "real" friends, online friends, or virtual strangers don't compare yourself to others. When you count someone else's blessings you're not counting your own. Which brings us to..........
4) Turn Your Heart To One Of Gratitude
Look for God's blessings in everything. Get into the habit of choosing thankfulness.
5) Enjoy Your Children
I realize there are extremely overwhelming moments in motherhood when you just don't feel like getting out the finger paints or play dough. Try to take time every day however to truly enjoy your children. There will be messes, chores will be put on hold, but this time is short.
6) Pray The Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
There will be things in life that simply cannot be changed, and there will be things that need to be changed. Contentment begins in accepting which one is which.
7) Reach Out To Other Mothers
Be a cheerleader for other mom's in your life. Make an effort to spend real time with other women who you can encourage and who can encourage you. Even if it's once a month for coffee good fellowship refreshes the soul.
8) Tune Out The Teachings Of The World
Television tells us that romance is always exciting and children play happily in the other room while mom sips coffee and listens to a baby monitor. Magazines define a homemaker's worth by their decorating and cooking abilities. Whether it's the models in magazines, romance novels, or the stories on television, turn down the volume on things that will allow discontentment and negative thinking into your heart.
9) Seek Out Things That Encourage
The Bible should be our first source of comfort and encouragement, but there are fabulous resources out there that can uplift a discontent spirit. Seek out the things that encourage contentment.
10) Choose Contentment
Ultimately contentment is a frame of mind that you often need to seek and choose. Our lives can get over-whelming and hard, but we can choose contentment.
You Might Enjoy, Choosing Thanks and Contentment
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