Most young moms I know constantly felt
I was the same way for a long time and I felt really isolated
So what should we do when we feel that way? Well, we need to start looking into God’s Word.
We read about characters in the Bible and see all the big things that they’ve done for God.
But we’ve had forgotten that most of them felt insecure, inadequate, and not up to the task, just like we do.
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Let’s look at Moses as an example.
When you think of the life of Moses, what are the things that come to your mind?
Moses parting the Red Sea.
Leading the Israelites through the wilderness.
Receiving the 10 commandments.
Breaking the golden calf.
All of those things were significant, BIG things that he did for God.
But now, let’s go back and look at the beginning of his ministry.
One thing that we forget about these heroes of the Bible is they didn’t know the whole story at the time they were called.
Feeling Unqualified
Moses Questioned His Own Ability
Whenever Moses first started out, he didn’t know that the Red Sea was going to part.
Moses didn’t know that he was going to be one of the pillars of faith in the Bible.
He didn’t know that for generations and centuries after him that we would know his name.
All he knew was that God had called him to do something.
We can read about the beginning of his ministry in Exodus 3 and 4.
One day while Moses was looking after the sheep of his father-in-law, he came across a bush in the desert. This bush was engulfed in flames but it wasn’t burning up.
Like any normal purpose, Moses couldn’t believe his eyes and decided to investigate.
As he walked up to the bush, God called out to him. God said He had seen the oppression of His people.
And more than that God said He was sending Moses to lead all of the Israelites out of Egypt.
You might think that Moses automatically answered, “Yep, I’m ready to go, let’s do this!”
Instead, he responded, “Who am I to appear to Pharaoh?”
The Message translation says it like this, “Moses answered God, ‘But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?'” (Exodus 3:11)
God answered as patiently as He does for all of us. “I’ll be with you.”
Moses protests again saying, “If I go they’re going to say, ‘Who is this guy? Who is this God that is calling these people out?’ What am I supposed to tell them?”
God tells Moses to get ready to go where He leads him.
And Moses protested again saying, “What if they won’t believe me? Or what if they don’t listen to me? What if they say the Lord never appeared to you?”
He even goes a step further in Exodus 4:13 and says, “Lord, please send anyone else.”
You’re Not the Only Mom Who Doesn’t Feel Good Enough
As moms, we can feel the same way Moses did.
You think thoughts
- What if there’s somebody better out there that could raise my family?
- I’m not good enough to do this.
- I can’t talk very well.
- My words always get mixed up.
- I’m constantly yelling at my kids.
It’s easy for us to think that these characters of the Bible just went at it with courage and never any doubt in their mind because we know the end of the story.
If we look at this scenario from the eyes of Moses, we realize that he didn’t know all those things were going to happen.
All he knew is that God was calling him to do something. He didn’t know how it was going to end up.
If we’re not spending time in the Word, it’s easy to make the same mistake that Moses did.
You feel inadequate.
Maybe you feel like you’re not up to the task.
You think there are better-qualified people, or you just don’t feel like you’re able to do the things that God wants you to do.
Even though Moses felt inadequate, had tons of doubts, and felt like the people weren’t going to believe him, He still took action.
And that’s the same thing that you and I need to do.
Take Action Even Though You Don’t Know the End of the Story
You don’t feel confident because you don’t know the end of the story.
Somethings we think that God gives us the confidence first and then we go out and do what He has called us to do.
We think that it’s time to act ONLY when we feel able and ready, but that’s not true.
In fact, it’s exactly the opposite.
Most (if not all) the heroes in the Bible had feelings of doubt and inadequacy.
There’s one big difference between people who do big things for God and people who don’t, and it’s really simple:
The people who do big things for God act when He speaks, despite their feelings.
God doesn’t want you to wait until you feel ready to do what He has called you to do before you step out and act.
He wants you to trust Him, obey, and act despite your feelings.
See, that’s the kicker, we shouldn’t depend on our feelings.
We shouldn’t depend on our own capability.
Instead, we should depend on God. We need to get out of our comfort zone and be able to make a difference despite our feelings.
What if Moses hadn’t listened to that burning bush? Or what if he hadn’t answered God’s call on his life?
What if he had thought too much about the way that he felt instead of what God was saying?
God can speak something into your life and you can choose not to follow.
But if you do, you’re going to feel frustrated all the time. You’re going to feel out of step with Him.
When we decide we’re going to trust what we know God wants us to do, over the way that we feel, we will begin to see the impact that we can make for the kingdom of God.
Let Your Belief Dictate Your Feelings and Actions
Don’t let your feelings dictate your actions.
Let your belief dictate your feelings and your actions.
If you allow your feelings to dictate what you do, then you’re just relying on yourself.
But if you shift your focus back to what God has called you to do, you will mature as a Christian and that will impact your family.
If my belief is that my kids have to be ready by 7:45 am in order to make it to school on time. So I let that belief dictate my feelings and actions in the morning.
I feel like I have to get out of bed because I need to get them ready to go. Then that feeling of not wanting to be late drives me out of bed.
The beginning is the belief, then the feeling, and then the action.
If we let our feelings be dictated by our beliefs first, then we’re taking steps forward to do what God wants us to do.
Make sure that you move and act on the things that you know God wants you to do despite your feelings.
Spend a couple of minutes just thinking about what God has called you to do. Think about God’s calling in your life for your home, your kids, or in the ministry and job that God has for your life.
Whatever it is, I want you to take a few minutes to answer this question:
What do I know that I should be doing, but I’m letting my feelings prevent me from taking action?
Live With Intention
If we’re not living intentionally, then life is going to pass us by.
One day you will look back and say, “I haven’t really done anything for the Lord. I haven’t really made an impact.”
I don’t ever want to look back on a year and say, I didn’t help anyone grow in Christ this year.
You want to have a transformed life.
And more than that, you want that transformation to ripple out to the people around you.
If that’s truly what you want, it has to start with intention.
A life of purpose begins with creating habits with intention. It has to start with sitting down and asking yourself hard questions.
Don’t let your feelings dictate your actions.
Let your belief in the truth of God’s Word begin to dictate your feelings and ultimately your actions.
If you do that I guarantee you’ll be happier for it.
