How to Focus on God in the Chaos of Motherhood

There sure is nothing like motherhood! It’s a beautiful, challenging, exhausting, sweet, and chaotic role. It’s a position you can never fully prepare for and don’t quite understand until you’re in the thick of it.

As moms, our days often range somewhere between busy and absolutely hectic. If we’re not careful, our time spent with Jesus can easily be the first thing to go. How do we make sure this doesn’t happen? How do we keep our focus on Jesus while changing dirty diapers and tackling mountains of laundry?

Jesus in Every Season

There are seasons in life when spending time in the Word may seem impossible. I’m right there with you! For me, it’s much easier to establish a consistent routine when life slows down a bit. When things pick up again, or unexpected life events happen, time in the Word becomes harder to maintain.

The truth is, those busy and challenging seasons are often when you need the time with him the most. I want you to know that wherever you’re at in life right now, you can maintain your focus on Jesus. I’m going to share a few practical ways to do so.

Change Your Perspective

I think we all have a preferred way of spending time with Jesus, but more often than not, the picture in our heads doesn’t match our reality.

My ideal morning would start with a hot cup of coffee and my Bible out on a bench swing on the porch in the crisp country air. Everyone in the house would still be asleep, and I would spend time reading my Bible while admiring the beauty of creation as the sun rose over the horizon.

However, my days don’t ever start quite this serene!

Even though I’m an early riser, there are still days my kids beat me to it. My youngest will wake me up at 5 a.m., needing a sippy cup of milk and some snuggles. If I break out my Bible, she’ll be climbing all over my lap, making it impossible to read.

When mornings start like this, it’s easy to think, “There goes my devotional time!” and give up spending time in the Word that day. Guess what though, it doesn’t have to look like that! A quiet house is not your only opportunity to spend time with Jesus.

Get Your Kids and Spouse Involved

As moms, especially if you have little ones, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get time to yourself each day. That’s okay, though! It’s a beautiful thing to let your kids and spouse in on your time with Jesus.

If your kids wake up before you’ve had time to read the Bible, you can read it to them or even listen to the read-aloud version on the Bible app as a hands-free option to soak up snuggles and God’s Word simultaneously.

I have my share of opinions on technology these days; however, there are so many convenient options for accessing the Bible!

• Listen to God’s Word while you’re folding laundry.
• Put on a sermon or devotional podcast while you’re making breakfast in the kitchen.
• Blast worship music while you’re cleaning the house!

Another sweet way to spend time in God’s Word is with your spouse in the evenings after the children have gone to bed. What better way to keep your marriage anchored in Christ?

Realize the Need

There’s so much pressure in motherhood to do everything “right.” You can have the cleanest, best-decorated house on the block and the most well-behaved children, but if you don’t have Jesus as the center of your family, nothing else is going to do you any good!

The most important thing you can do in motherhood is love Jesus and rely on Him as your source of strength and wisdom. By doing this, we teach our kids to do the same.

We need to let our kids see us go to God in our times of trouble and prioritize our time with Him even in the busiest seasons. We need to let them hear us continuously praise Him even when things in our lives seem to be “all wrong.”

Jesus in Everything

What comes to mind when you think about your relationship with Jesus?

Do you picture a small segment of your day spent in the Word or prayer, only to go on with your life without giving him another thought? Or do you think about how He’s involved in every aspect of your life?

When you switch your perspective, you begin looking for ways to incorporate worship into your day-to-day life.

Intentionality goes a long way. Start with a few verses or a chapter a day to dwell on. Put on worship music that sets your heart on Him. Talk to your children about God’s faithfulness. Say short, single-sentence prayers throughout your day.

Instead of thinking, “I don’t have time for Jesus today,” once you realize how important he is in your life and your motherhood, you acknowledge, “I can’t afford to spend time with Him today!”

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.”

Psalm 92:1-2, ESV