To the Woman with The Weary Heart
Are you feeling defeated or overwhelmed in your day-to-day life? Maybe motherhood is causing a bit of a weary heart?
I want you to know that I have been there! That’s why in this blog post, I will be talking about–
My experience with a weary heart.
Scriptures to turn to when your heart is heavy.
If you are experiencing any of these feelings, then stick around. My prayer to you, my friends, is to help you find purpose in those fleeting, defeated moments.
I could give a laundry list of reasons why I’m tired today. But I’m a mother, so it comes with the territory, right? But instead of bogging you down with what physically exhausts me, I want to offer some encouragement to you if you find yourself in the same boat. Maybe we are more than tired…
Maybe, we are weary.
Most mornings, the baby monitor goes off before 6 am, but I get up. My daughter gets upset with me for serving the ‘wrong’ breakfast, not playing what she wants, and sometimes during her tantrums, I just need to walk away… but I show up. I’ve been careful to follow a healthy eating and fitness plan for some time now, but the weight isn’t coming off, and I feel stuck in a rut not seeing the results I want to see (or think I should be seeing), but I continue to follow through. I’ve had a speaking engagement canceled and some other hiccups with my book that is now deep into the publishing process, but I press on.
Obviously, some of these things (like caring for my baby and toddler) are things that I dont really get to do, but I choose to do other things like fitness, speaking, and writing. I’ll be honest with you, and sometimes I just want “me” time. Sometimes I want a day off from all my duties and responsibilities, but it’s okay not to be excited or enthusiastic to wake up each day and struggle to get out of bed.
God sees you, and He loves you.
When Your Heart is Heavy, Turn to Scripture
It’s okay to feel like you labor in vain because, at the end of the day, we can refute that feeling with scripture–
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24
These two scriptures are not meant to be a postcard or/and a band-aid. We know God’s truths in our minds but sometimes have a harder time accepting them in our hearts. They are not meant to tell you to “cheer up” or “get over it.” Instead, they offer support and perspective that what we do matters even if no one else sees it.
God sees you, and He loves you.
Sometimes it is nearly impossible to do the duties of a wife and mom with a thankful or joyous heart all of the time. Laundry never ends. The playroom never stays clean, and I have very little energy or time left for me at the end of the day. It’s hard to keep going when we can’t see the fruit of our labors or the progress we are weaving.
But our perseverance to do the hard things over the way things are what God sees.
It’s what God uses to sew the seed.
Sometimes He is sewing the seed for others to see and harvest, and other times He is sewing the seed in our hearts so that we reap to reward if we don’t give up.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
Just because we don’t see any fruit doesn’t mean it’s not growing. Just because we don’t see outward evidence in our lives doesn’t mean that God isn’t working. What I say to the weary woman (including myself) is: God sees you, and He loves you. Keep going. Keep showing up. Keep sowing the seed.
While we may not see the reward of our effort and hard work in this lifetime (or in the way we think we should), our persistence has kingdom impact even if we don’t realize it. I didn't feel like writing today, but I showed up, stepped up, and I followed through with what I set out to do. I pray that this is encouraging to you today, sweet friend!
Other verses to help you to keep “showing up”:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer, and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shamer, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrew 12:1-3
We are pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10
I can do all this through him, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:13