Do you always feel grouchy around your home? I hope to teach you how to increase gratitude in your Christian motherhood and decrease grouch!
Every day can feel like groundhogs day when you are in your early motherhood. It seems like we get stuck in our routines that are based on our child’s nap(s). It is almost too easy to get stuck in a state of complaining, and annoyance. Dishes, laundry, feeding the kids, nap time, repeat. If we are not careful, we can get into this lonely cycle and can not see the positives. This will have a negative impact on you, but an even greater negative impact on your family members. Instead, we are going to study gratitude and then I will give you some practical ways to find gratitude in our everyday routines. I want to encourage the Christian women and the Christian mom, we can find gratitude in our everyday lives and can turn our minds back on the positives instead of the negatives.
Gratitude and Jesus
I think that title should be on a coffee mug! Anyways, let’s dive into the word of God and see what He says about gratitude.
Even When You are Anxious- Give Thanks.
Philippians 4: 5-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
This verse is widely known. I almost feel as if we skip over the “thanksgiving” like it is just a word within the verse. However, it is a strong word that fits perfectly within the verse. Paul is saying that we must turn our worries to God AND thank him. Even when you are nervous, anxious, and overwhelmed, you can go to God. We need to thank Him at the same time, for His presence and blessings. Even though we are struggling in the moment, it is important to also remember what He did for us, and what He has given us. We have a lot to be thankful for.
Thank God for His Presence
1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 : always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
There are 3 big commands in this passage. Paul is saying to be joyful, pray continually, and give thanks always.
Giving thanks is so hard to do when we are in a hard season of children disobeying. It is hard to do when you are sleep deprived and just want to shower and eat. Thanking God is difficult when you are going through some super tough life problems. However, if we can find reasons to be joyous, reasons to be thankful and we are in constant communication with God, He will help us. Nothing is too big or small for God’s help. I also want to note, Paul is not saying that we must be thanking him for the evil in this world, or in our life, but to thank Him for His presence through it to guide and lead us. God’s goodness is evident when we take a second to slow down and realize it.
God’s Peace
Colossians 3:16-17: …singing with gratitude in our hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
If we are thankful, we have the ability to worship wholeheartedly. When we express gratitude to the Lord, it opens our hearts to God’s peace. When we are thanking Him, we feel overwhelming gratitude for our lives, relationships, and Him! If we are not thankful, how can we worship wholeheartedly?
It is difficult to think that everything we do or say should be for our Father. That doing laundry and the dishes is an example of praising him and doing His work. I want to encourage you- it is for Him! You are taking care of what He gave you, you’re nurturing your children and you are being a good steward of the materials and gifts He gave to carry out your job of being a mother. You are building your home up. Give thanks to Jesus for the simple things.
Decrease Grumbling and Increase Gratitude in Christian Motherhood
We are going to look briefly at what the word of Christ says about grumbling and then pinpoint a few reasons why we may feel grumpy as mothers. Then we will discuss how to fight it to increase our gratitude.
What the Bible Says about Grumbling
1 Corinthians 10:10, Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
The Bible is very clear about grumbling. Grumbling will lead to anger, frustration and maybe even sin. Paul, in 1 Corinthians, instructs the Christians to not grumble, or they were taken over by the devil. Now, this is not light-hearted. If we consistently sit in a state of grumpiness and complain, we will fall away from God. Our attention is now on what we do not have, what we want, and not on God who has blessed us beyond measure. I would encourage you to think about what normally occupies your mind. Are you constantly thinking about what God has not given you, or do you find gratitude in the small daily tasks?
Grumbling in Motherhood-
​Some of the reasons I think most mothers fall into a state of grumpiness are: unmet expectations, social media, and feeling stuck in daily tasks.
Unmet Expectations:
It is easy to have an idea in your mind about how the day will go, but then something happens and everything falls apart. This is where communication with your husband or your kids can have a big impact. It is important to remember that not everything will go exactly how you want it to in your head. Instead, try to have very loose expectations. Communicate the plan to your husband and children. Then, when things do or do not go as planned, still thank Jesus for the positives in the day. Thank Him for this presence and the blessings which He did give you.
Social Media Comparison
Social media is a huge reason we are grumpy. Please do not skip this one! When we look at social media, we see moms doing crafts for every holiday, we see videos of their kids obeying, and perfectly clean homes. Let me tell you, I bet that the kids were disobeying that morning and the room behind her is a disaster! And that is okay! No one records themselves discussing with their kids why they need to show kindness instead of bitterness to their siblings. Seeing the perfectly curated video in front of you may lead you to envy what they have. That goes against the 10th commandment, do not covet. Coveting is a very easy thing to do. Especially now, when social media grants us access to the inside of everyone’s homes through social media.
If you feel discouraged and ungrateful for your own life after you get off of social media, I think it is best to take a break. Instead, focus on your family. Find the things you are thankful for in your home.
Feeling Stuck in the Mundane
Lastly, it is easy to feel annoyed or exhausted when every day feels the same. I want to encourage you though, that we as mothers and wives, are called to work in the home.
Titus 2:3:
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the word of God.
This verse is packed full of great knowledge. We are to learn from Godly mothers older than us, meaning more mature in their faith. As the younger women in our faith, we are to love our husbands and children well, we are to be self-controlled. Self-controlled means a lot of things, but we can be self-controlled in our feelings. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill your household with the Fruit of the Spirit and for yourself to be filled with the fruit. This way you can love your husband and children well.
It also says to be busy at home. It is our job to nurture our home, also meaning to nurture the people in it. Give thanks to God for what you have. Thank him for the laundry you are folding because that means that you have children that He blessed you with. Thank him for your husband and the food that he brings home. God has given us good gifts and it is sometimes easy to forget when it is a part of our every day. I also want to encourage you to take a look at your routine and see how you can implement healthy, self-fulfilling habits!
Christian Motherhood: Practical, Simple Ways to Increase Your Gratitude!
- Start your day off right! Get in the word to see all that God has for you.
- Write in a journal, it could even be one that is about gratitude!
- Remember your purpose- to nurture these children- what a gift!
- In frustration, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Think of one thing that you’re thankful for.
- Thank your kids more- thank them for when they DO obey, and really mean it. “Thank you for putting your plate in the dishwasher, that was very helpful to mom and I appreciate it.”
- Instead of replaying the “bad” parts of your day at bedtime, think of the good and thank God.
- When feeling frustrated, go to God for guidance and genuinely thank Him for His presence. We have an active God-how amazing is that! He cares.
Conclusion on How to Increase Your Gratitude in Christian Motherhood
It is important to look toward God’s word and see everything He has to say about thankfulness and grumpiness. Now that we went over a few verses, I think we have a better understanding of what it looks like to be thankful and how damaging it can be to be grumpy. God calls us to give thanks to Him. After all, He has given you all that is good. He wants to give you good things! You are his children, just like we want to give our own children everything good. It is easy to fall into a state of grumpiness at different times throughout your day.
My Encouragement to Moms
If you feel stuck in a state of grumpiness, I would encourage you to turn to God. Repent of your ungratefulness, and receive God’s grace.
You may not be able to always be grateful, so seek Him out and ask for help. Ask Him to help you realize the blessings in your life. I would like to challenge you to be in a continuous conversation with Jesus. It helps me to look at the bigger picture. You may also find emotional support in your husband. It is healthy to tell him your feelings, I am definitely still working on that because it is hard! Lean on support from your community or best friend. All motherhood is hard. Christian motherhood is very difficult but I encourage you to find small ways to increase your gratitude and it will build up your home.
At the end of the day, we are all trying our best as moms. We are trying to find the best way to love our children and take care of our homes. We do have a lot to be grateful for, we just have to be in a healthy mindset and we can see all that he has provided for us, and in return, we receive God’s grace and kindness.
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