Encouraging Scriptures for Moms Archives

5 Promising Bible Verses for the Lonely Mama

March 3, 2021 by Gina Poirier 5 Comments

As a stay-at-home mom, I am never alone. Ever.

Even when the kids are sleeping, my “mommy radar” is constantly up, making sure that they’re breathing and safe. Even when I can leave the house without them, those little beings consume my thoughts.

And yet, motherhood is one of the loneliest jobs around. The constant noise sometimes makes me want to retreat into a little cave, while at the same time I crave connection with another human taller closer to my height.

Fellow comrades, mamas (whether you work outside the home or are with the kids all day), I KNOW you get lonely too—especially since 2020.

Even if you’re on the introverted side like I am, no one can really do it solo. In fact, that’s not how God designed us. This whole construct of a “stay-at-home mom” being isolated all day with kids is the opposite of what mamas past had. We were created to be relational, to be in small communities with extended relatives and friends, raising kids together and giving each other the support we need.

Nonetheless here we are.

Fortunately we’re never truly alone. I believe that while God designed us for community, he knew that some of us would be going solo sometimes. And that’s why he’s there for us, no matter what season we’re in.

5 Promising Bible Verses for the Lonely Mama

1. Joshua 1:6–9

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
emphasis added

Joshua was a man who knew loneliness: standing up for what was right when nearly everyone else turned their back on him. Later in his life, God gave him this battle call before Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land. And likewise, we are going into battle every day for our families. Take courage, mamas, because God will be with you wherever you go. Stay in his Word and follow his lead.

2. 1 Kings 19:11–13

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
emphasis added

For an encouraging study, read the whole saga of Elijah from 1 Kings 17 to 1 Kings 19. One of the most powerful prophets of the Old Testament, he had fled everything he knew. He was completely alone and prayed that he would die. So God came and whispered to him gently. And then God invited Elijah to speak more to him. I’ll leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions from the story, but if you read on, you’ll see that in the end, God brought Elijah a new best friend: Elisha. He was never alone again, up until his last day. If you’re in the depths, cry out to God (even if it sounds ugly). See what happens.

3. Psalm 22:19–21

But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

This is one of my favorite Psalms, and I encourage you to read the whole passage. It is the voice of King David expressing his own emotions, but it is simultaneously a prophecy about Jesus dying on the cross. The Psalm starts with, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This is also what Jesus uttered as he died (Matthew 27:46). But look how the Psalm ends.

In the case of David, in the case of Elijah, and even in the case of Jesus, all had to hit rock bottom—alone—before God lifted them up in victory. You might be alone right now mama, but TRUST that God is working in your life to bring you back up. Don’t hesitate in asking him to rescue you—although maybe not from lions and wild oxen (wild toddlers can be scary too).

4. Matthew 28:18–19

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
emphasis added

Is this passage just for the first disciples, or just for missionaries or church leaders? Who is doing a lot of the grunt work when it comes to “making disciples” (besides God himself of course)? Parents. Mamas, this passage is for you. You are doing holy work, day in and day out, and Jesus is with you. He promised.

5. 1 John 4:16–19

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us.
emphasis added

I add this one last, mamas, because sometimes we need a little push. Perhaps need to put yourself out there and express your needs for friendship, as well as offer your own love to others. This is especially difficult because most of us have experienced hurt and loss in our relationships. But don’t let fear be your master; act in love. This verse has helped me time and again.

Take heart, mamas. You will get through your lonely times.

Want to keep these verses handy? You can now download them in a printable form! Just click below:

If you liked this post you might also like my other verses for mamas.

Do you have any favorite verses that get you through loneliness? Please share them in the comments!

11 Bible Verses to Banish Mommy Guilt

October 20, 2020 by Gina Poirier 2 Comments

Do you wrestle with mommy guilt—that nagging feeling that you’re not doing enough or that you’re screwing up? Then you’re in the right place! Be sure to grab the printable download of these Bible verses in my free resource collection.

Bible Verses Mommy Guilt | Mom Encouragement | Christian Motherhood

Meireles Neto

I screwed up again. My son’s eyes spilled over in tears and he turned away, a little embarrassed. “We just did what you wanted to do, not what I wanted,” he confessed. “It wasn’t fun.”

Mixed feelings of guilt, shame and anger heated my face. I had taken him to the mall on a special outing with just the two of us to get him some new shoes and a special snack. It didn’t turn out as planned because or local mall is shutting down stores like crazy. The shoe choices and the snack options were very limited.

I was hurt that he wasn’t more thankful, yet at the same time I felt horrible that I had let him down. My efforts weren’t enough.

Mommy guilt.

It’s this condition I’ve battled with ever since I heard his first cry. This impossible question lingers constantly: Am I doing enough?

I know I’m not the only one with this issue, so I asked members of our Facebook group what made them feel guilty. The answers weren’t surprising, things like:

Not spending enough time with the kids
Not meeting their emotional needs
Taking time away from them for self-care
Not playing enough with them or doing what other moms do
Not feeding them enough healthy food

Do you see a pattern here?

Not enough.

Banish Mommy Guilt with Scriptural Truth

“Not enough” is a pretty sneaky little lie that we mamas give undeserved brain space.

It’s sneaky because in one sense, it holds just a kernel of truth: we fall short of perfection. So in that sense, no we’re not “enough” and never will be. But on the other hand, because Christ does immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine, we are more than enough through all of our weaknesses.

So the next time you are wallowing in guilt, whether you legitimately screwed up or are worried that you did, meditate on these truths and put their teachings into practice.

On Confession

I’ll be honest: I did not plan on having this section when I started thinking about this topic! But the more I dug into the word “guilt” in the Bible, it was apparent that the first step to healing is confession.

So be honest with yourself, with God and with other believers about those things that are weighing on your heart.

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 28:13

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

On Being Enough

That feeling of “not enough”? It’s a lie because Christ is more than enough. His love for you and intervention on your behalf give you a brand new start each and every time you feel “less than,” with your parenting and so much more.

Colossians 2:13–14

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

1 John 2:1b

But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

Romans 5:1

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…

Hebrews 9:14

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

On Moving Forward

I think this is the hardest part for my guilty conscience to accept. I know that I am forgiven and cleansed through Christ, but the truth is I still fall ridiculously short when it comes to loving my kids.

These verses help me remember to live in faith instead of fear, anxiety and guilt. God’s grace is sufficient; he fills in the gaps where I fall short. And because of this, my heart can be at peace.

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Hebrews 10:22

[L]et us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Philippians 4:6–7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Want to keep these Bible verses handy? You can access them and other Bible verses for moms! Just click below:

Your turn: how do you wrestle with mommy guilt and what are your favorite scriptures to combat it?

11 Bible Verses for the Exhausted Mama

May 26, 2020 by Gina Poirier 21 Comments

Are you an exhausted mama looking for some encouragement? Join the club! I originally posted this on 3/19/16, and due to its popularity, I decided to update it. You can find a printable reference sheet for these Bible verses and many more in my collection of resources for Christian moms, which you can access by clicking below. Enjoy!

This past week kicked my butt a little bit. Normally I don’t publish a new post on a Saturday, but well, here you go. It’s just part of the season I’m in right now. As are many of you.

While I’m not up at all hours of the night breastfeeding anymore, I remember all too well what that was like. And mastitis. Then croup. Stomach bugs. Crazy rashes. Even when the kids aren’t sick, there are project deadlines. Too many appointments. Potty training. A messy house. Little people to feed constantly. Family drama. Friend drama. Work piling up. Loneliness.

Us mamas be tired! EXHAUSTED!

11 Bible Verses for the Exhausted Mama article from Gina M Poirier

I woke up Friday morning planning to go pray and work out. Nope. Not happening. My son, who had been vomiting all day the previous day, crawled into bed with me and I stroked his hair. Soon I had all three kids on top of me, squirming and competing with one another for the most comfy spot.

And while I wasn’t doing anything I had planned, and my daughter smelled of wet overnight diaper and little feet were not-so-gently jabbing my ribs, I decided to relish in that moment.

We mamas do holy work, you know. We need to remember that in the most mundane or even ugly moments, we are doing what is good. It’s inspiration in the everyday.

It took me about seven hours to feel awake, but I finally got to sit down and think about what encourages me when I’m feeling completely wiped out. I flipped through my falling-apart Bible, the one with bent pages and the out-of-date translation, and found my favorite Bible verses. The ones with smudged ink and lopsided stars and long sections underlined.

These Bible verses have been a breath of fresh air to me during tired times, and I hope they are to you too. All verses are from the NIV.

Verses on Finding Rest

Matthew 11:28–29

Come to me [Jesus], all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Rest starts with turning to Jesus.

Isaiah 40:30–31

Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

God is like a mother eagle who takes me on her wings and teaches me to fly.

Psalm 62:5–6

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

Repeat: I will not be shaken.

Verses on Perseverance

James 1:2–4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

A rough day? I must be growing.

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

When I feel like I’m sacrificing everything? I am worshiping God.

Romans 5:3–5

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Yep I’m growing. And there’s hope.

2 Corinthians 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

And each day is a new one, amen.

Verses on Finding Strength

2 Corinthians 12:9–10

But [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

My times of weakness are when God’s strength shines through.

Philippians 4:4–7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Prayer. And the peace of God.

Hebrews 6:10

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

God sees when I’m changing diapers and cleaning up vomit and cooking meal after meal. And he won’t forget.

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

To be still is to stop stressing. Because God is God.

Want to keep these Bible verses handy? You can now download them in a printable form! Just click below:

What are your go-to scriptures when you’re feeling exhausted?

PS You might also enjoy this post from my friend Jenn: 10 Bible Verses about How God is For Us

10 Easy Bible Verses for Kids to Improve Behavior

May 22, 2020 by Gina Poirier 2 Comments

Welcome! Looking for a quick parenting win? You can get a free printable download of these Bible verses for kids as part of my free resource collection for moms!

I don’t know if it’s a girl thing, but we had a case of the whiiiiines in my house.

My daughter was four. Her two older brothers certainly had issues at this age, but they mostly involved destruction and throwing epic temper tantrums.

The whining though? The scope of itwas new to me and just blew my mind.

One night I was exhausted from constant speech correction and was lamenting about it to my husband. (If you’ve never been in a logic match with a preschooler, I hope you appreciate your life). As I worked through my frustration, I realized that I was lacking an essential piece of the parenting puzzle.

Being Scripture-based.

Don’t get me wrong; my kids knew their Bible stories well. It’s just the practical application part that we were slacking on. This was further evidenced when my daughter said something along the lines of, “God says it’s my turn.”

So we either had a prophetess or I needed to be a little more grounded, right?

Discipline just goes so much better when we rely on God’s Word rather than our own logic and incomplete wisdom.

10 Easy Bible Verses for Kids To Improve Behavior

When I'm frustrated with how to deal with my kids' behavior issues, that's a sign I need to turn to the Bible for help! These Bible verses for kids have helped my kiddos as well as my parenting, so I created a free printable of them.

Allen Taylor

I decided to round up several Bible verses for kids that are behavior-focused so that I could be more on my parenting game. And then I thought, hey, why not share the love? Because certainly I’m not the only who has ever needed a little backup, right?

These verses can apply to any age, but they are easier to understand for kids ten and under. They are also fun to memorize and if desired you can add simple crafts or object lessons…

You can read the full version of this post by clicking over to My Joy-Filled Life!

Or grab the the printable download of the scripture list:

Here’s to scripture-based parenting!

10 Bible Verses for the Stressed Out Mama

September 18, 2019 by Gina Poirier 2 Comments

Are you a stressed out mom looking for encouragement? While the Bible doesn’t talk about “stress” explicitly in the way we think of it, there is nonetheless quite a lot the Scriptures say about how to respond. I hope these verses help! Be sure to grab the printable download.

If you're in need of some inspiration and encouragement as a mom, these Bible verses address stress at the heart! Let God's word transform you from the inside out to deal with life's worry, anxieties and stress.

Rachel Lynette French

When my daughter was about 6 months old, I remember one day when I was carrying her on my hip. I had my phone balanced between my ear and my shoulder and was trying to sort laundry while I talked, while my 2- and 4-year-old boys were wreaking havoc who-knows-where in our admittedly cluttered house.

And then it happened.

My back didn’t exactly give out, but it started throbbing painfully near the shoulders. I thought perhaps I had pulled a muscle and was forced to rest.

I felt useless. I could hardly lift my infant daughter; neither could I carry out some of my daily responsibilities like cooking and cleaning. After a few days, I decided to get some help.

But after many months and appointments with a physician, chiropractors, physical therapists and massage therapists, it didn’t get much better.

It was frustrating to discover that this was a chronic problem. It seemed like it would never go away.

There were a few physical changes I made that helped, including getting serious about strength training and working on my flexibility. But it wasn’t until I started taking a look at my emotional state that things really started to get better.

I was stressed out. Constantly.

My hands were full in every sense of the word. In addition to my responsibilities as a mom of three young kids, I was taking on more than I could handle with work and volunteer opportunities. I was also lonely and grieving loss—my closest friend and my sister had moved away within months of each other. And deep down, I was resenting my role in motherhood.

I thought that breaking down crying once a week or so was the norm. (It’s not.)

I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. And I think it broke them.

Unmanaged stress does weird things to our bodies.

For me, it manifested in painful knots in my upper back. For others, it can reveal itself in panic attacks, rashes, insomnia, high blood pressure, cysts…In fact, if anything strange is happening to you, you might want to consider stress as a cause.

Now, 6 years later, I can say I rarely have my telltale back pain. I’ve learned a ton about managing stress biblically, and I’m passionate about sharing it.

I know that many of my readers love my Mama Verses scripture lists, so it made sense to put one together on stress.

While I completely believe in the power of the Word of God to transform our hearts, these Bible verses for stressed out moms are just the beginning. If you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired from the stress in your life, I encourage you to sign up for StressLESS, a free email series I put together to help you get a biblical view on stress.

Verses on Understanding Stress

While the Bible doesn’t talk about “stress” explicitly, do you know what it does talk about? Suffering. Stress is our biological response to the things we care about that happen in our lives. In other words, stress is our natural response to suffering.

Keep that in mind with the following verses:

James 1:2–4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I think it’s important to consider that stress is not all bad. It helps us grow and mature through our trials. You’re not going to avoid it. So embrace it.

Romans 5:3–5

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

The same sentiment is here. (By the way, if you’ve seen any of my other Bible verse lists, you might notice there are some repeats here! They mean that much to me!)

Verses on Surrender

When I think about the things that cause stress, many of them are out of my control! No matter how much I put my worry and anxiety on repeat in my mind, there’s nothing I can actually do about them.

That’s why one of the critical healthy responses to stress is learning how to give to God what is God’s.

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

Short, sweet and simple, right? Sort of…but this is easier said than done. When I think of the word “casting,” I think of my boys trying to cast their fishing lines. This is a skill that takes lots and lots of practice. But you’ll never get it if you don’t keep trying to battle your anxiety.

Matthew 6:25–27

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?’

Many of us know these words of Jesus so well, and yet we need to be reminded again and again. Again, surrendering our worries and anxieties takes lifelong practice.

Philippians 4:4–7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

There are a few more practical tools here that go hand in hand with casting our anxieties on the Lord: practicing gratitude. Rejoicing. Lots and lots of prayer. These are the disciplines that bring the peace that transcends understanding.

Verses on Taking Action

Surrendering our fears and worries to God is one part of the equation, but we also have a responsibility to take action for the things we can control.

Deuteronomy 30:19–20

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

At the end of his life, Moses reminded God’s people that they had choices in life. Whatever happened, they could choose to love God, listen to him and follow his commands, or not.

Whatever our circumstances, we are presented with the same choice. Even under stress, we can choose to grow and to learn and walk the hard path that God’s way often is, or we can succumb to fear and victimhood.

What this looks like practically can vary quite a bit. Personally, in response to my own stressors, I’ve had to be more intentional about the way I spend my time. I’ve had to choose rest over productivity. I’ve had to reach out for help when I was lonely. God did his part, so I had to try to do mine.

1 Corinthians 10:5

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Sometimes my feelings of stress are a result of my own negative thoughts that aren’t true! With the Holy Spirit’s help, we have the ability to change the way we think. It’s a process we participate in actively, by identifying the thoughts that aren’t true and replacing them with the word of God. We can find joy and strength in the Lord.

Verses on Perspective

Lastly, it helps me to remember that there’s typically more going on spiritually than I am aware of.

1 Peter 5:8–9

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

The apostle Peter reminds us not to be off guard. It’s so easy to forget in the midst of our stress that we have a lion-like enemy out there, who is trying to exploit our weaknesses. The call is to recognize him, and resist him.

John 16:33

‘In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’

Jesus said this to prepare his disciples for the suffering and stress they would have to endure. For me it’s a great reminder to step back and look at the big picture. In light of eternity and the power of the cross, we can take heart.

Ephesians 6:10–17

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

I’ll leave you with Paul’s appeal to hang in there and keep fighting, through it all. You’ve got this, because you have a great God who is fighting for you, my friend.

There’s so much more I have to say about dealing with stress in a biblical way! If this post stirs you, be sure to sign up for StressLESS.

Are you dealing with stress as a mom? Which of these Bible verses (or others) are the most helpful to you?

10 Bible Verses for the Grumpy Mama

August 14, 2018 by Gina Poirier 17 Comments

Feeling like a grumpy mama? I’ve created lists of Bible verses for FAST access when I need them most—whether I’m feeling grumpy, anxious, exhausted, overwhelmed, and a lot more. Sign up below for access to the whole collection.

You know what my favorite sound in the world is?

Three little voices talking—no, screeching—at the same time, arguing over whose turn it is to pick out a cartoon.

I also love the sounds of “uh oh” coming from the bathroom, of glasses of milk spilling onto my laptop, of Legos being dumped all over the floor, which I know will eventually implant themselves into the bottom of my bare foot.

You know, the sounds of my life. Grating music to my ears.

Do you ever feel like you want to just hide and disappear under 59 layers of blankets in the morning? Or maybe just go for a run…indefinitely? Or invent the 100 percent effective earplug? Maybe that’s just me…

I suppose it’s not my kids’ fault that I’m human, that I can only take so much chaos before I start to bark like a wounded animal. Some days I can keep my cool, but on other days I literally go into my room and start growling until I can get enough of it out of my system to compose myself again. This is a natural human response, correct?

I have issues.

This post was inspired by a grumpy mama day. Well, actually many grumpy mama days. I decided it would be a good idea to put a bunch of helpful scriptures into one place so that when I’m starting to lose it, I can find my ground again.

Can you relate? Then these are for you.

10 Bible Verses For the Grumpy Mama

On choosing joy and gratitude

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

This is one of my favorites—my kids and I memorized it together. It reminds us that while we can’t control our circumstances, we can nonetheless choose to give thanks, to pray and to find joy.

Philippians 4:4–7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Again, in every situation we can choose to pray, be thankful and rejoice. This is so powerful when put into practice.

Galatians 5:22–23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

This helps remind me that I have a choice: I can give into my natural state of being, or I can rely on God’s Spirit.

2 Corinthians 13:11

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

God wants me to be at peace; I want to be joyful and to strive for love and peace within my home.

On praising God

Psalm 28:7

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.

I just do so much better when I get the focus off myself and onto HIM.

Psalm 104:33–34

I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the Lord.

By keeping my eyes on him, by literally singing to him, it’s hard to stay self-absorbed.

Isaiah 49:13

Shout for joy, you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;
    burst into song, you mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people
    and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

God is there for me always; he knows how I feel.

On overcoming trials, big and small

James 1:2-3

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Wait, so working through all my issues makes me more “mature and complete”? That’s encouraging.

Psalm 126:5

Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.

I’ll remind myself of this the next time I’m throwing a mommy fit.

Habakkuk 3:17–18

Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

If this starving prophet can choose to rejoice, so can I, no matter how hard my day has been.

I hope you find these as uplifting as I have. Having read through them several times as I’ve prepared this post has made me feel more light-hearted. I recommend writing them down as you go through them, which can help you internalize what they’re saying. You can also pray through them.

Want to keep these verses handy? You can now download them in a printable form! Just click below:

If you enjoyed this study, you may also like other posts in my Mama Verses series.

What are your go-to scriptures when you’re feeling like a grumpy mama?

10 Encouraging Bible Verses for the Overwhelmed Mama

February 1, 2018 by Gina Poirier 10 Comments

When you’re a mom of young kids, “overwhelmed” can feel like a state of being. Since we’re constantly meeting others’ needs without always filling up our own tanks, it doesn’t take much for us to snap in anger or pass out in complete exhaustion. Encouraging Bible verses, anyone? Yes, please!

The other day I was going through an old journal and came across an entry over three years old. At the time, I had a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old and an infant:

Dear God,
Today was hard. A lot of days are hard. And then I feel guilty for thinking they’re hard.
Because I know my life is good. Incredibly good. I wouldn’t change a thing.
And so I just keep wrestling with my thoughts, one day after another. I grin and bear it through all the poop messes and the tantrums and the moments when I cry because I can’t find my keys and I just want to run away to somewhere very quiet.
Lord, you know me better than I know myself. I try to cling to you in all my desperate moments, even though I feel like I can’t see straight.
What am I doing? Today I feel anxious, uncertain, flustered, overwhelmed, impatient, desperate, angry, fearful and exhausted.
Help me…

It broke my heart when I read this again, even though I knew that I would obviously pull through and we would all be fine. That was a really hard year for me. I felt desperately lonely and may have even been dealing with some postpartum depression.

How did I ever pull through?

It was around that time that I started a very simple practice that kept me grounded in truth rather than the lies of inadequacy that were swirling around in my head. I took a handful of 3×5 notecards and wrote out my favorite encouraging Bible verses on them. I left them in a highly visible place on the countertop in the kitchen. Every time I was having a “mommy moment,” I would whip out those cards and start flipping through them until a found a few that anchored my soul just enough so that I could face the next chaotic moment without screaming.

It didn’t take long before I had most of them memorized. And they remain my go-to verses when I just need to get my head on straight.

10 Encouraging Bible Verses for the Overwhelmed Mama

Brigitte Tohm

I’ve compiled many of my favorites in previous verses, which are now in a popular series of lists of encouraging Bible verse posts I call Mama Verses. It seemed only appropriate to add “overwhelmed” to the list!

Want a printable list of these verses for overwhelmed moms and more? You can find them in my free resource collection.

Finding Strength in God

In general, I get most overwhelmed when I’m leaning on my own ability and strength to get through a chaotic day. It never works. Here are some powerful yet encouraging Bible verses that remind me to rely on God for my strength.

Psalm 63:1

You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.

When I am feeling completely burnt out and overwhelmed, I have to remind myself that what I’m really thirsty for is the Lord. I need to do whatever I can to fill myself up with him.

Psalm 42:11

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

Putting hope in God is the only true remedy to a downcast soul.

Acts 4:13

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

This is becoming a new favorite of mine; I recommend reading the whole passage to understand the context better. We don’t have to be super moms in order to live courageous, meaning lives; we just need to hang out with Jesus!

Trusting God

Believing in God and trusting in God are two related but separate things. I might know in my head that I need to rely on his strength, but if I’m not entrusting my burdens to him, I will only continue spinning my wheels.

Psalm 68:19

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.

Read it: this says God is here for me daily. Do I believe it and turn to him?

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

No matter how hard it gets or how overwhelmed I feel, this truth reminds me that there is a bigger picture I might not see.

Waiting on God

I may rely on God and trust him, but sometimes I still have to wait. He never promises that life will be easy, and sometimes I have to be patient before I see answers to my prayers. These encouraging Bible verses remind me that waiting is not a bad thing.

Psalm 27:14

Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.

Be strong! Take heart! And wait. He’ll come through.

Psalm 37:7

Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

It’s easy to get worked up and fret over all the things. But here and in many other places, God says “be still.”

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

That has to be one of the most encouraging verses in the whole Bible! Don’t give up!

Seeking Help

Don’t you sometimes wish Jesus would just appear in the flesh and give you direct advice (along with a big hug)? Well if that ever happens, I don’t think I need to be worrying about much of anything anymore 🙂 But in the meantime…we’re not alone. God puts people in our lives for a reason.

Galatians 6:2

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

We mamas are carrying a lot of burdens. Other people are not only commanded to help you; they usually want to! We just have to be humble enough to ask: for babysitting, for help with meals, cleaning, you name it.

Ephesians 4:15–16

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

We need each other. Someday, when your life isn’t so crazy chaotic, you’ll be able to pay it forward to some other overwhelmed mom.

These encouraging Bible verses have saved my life; I hope they are able to help you too.

By the way, you know that journal entry I mentioned at the beginning? It ended with this:

You are good, God. You love me, you help me, and that’s all I need to know. Thank you. Amen.

Want to keep these verses handy? You can now download them in a printable form! Just click below:

What helps you when you feel overwhelmed as a mom? Please leave a comment here or on social media.

Note: all scriptures used in this post are NIV.

10 Bible Verses about Anxiety—for the Mama Who Fears Failure

August 17, 2017 by Gina Poirier 2 Comments

Looking for some easy-to-access Bible verses about anxiety? These verses are a big comfort to me. You can grab the printable download in my Mama Verses collection by clicking below.

I never really considered myself a very anxious person. As a mom, I juggle a lot of responsibilities and have a lot I can worry about on a daily basis, but I’ve never suffered from panic attacks or been completely debilitated by anxiety.

Or have I?

Recently I was conversing with some awesome women in the Christian Mom Encouragement Facebook Community. It dawned on me that my anxiety comes in the form of a “hum.” It’s always there. Do you relate? Regardless of how the anxiety presents itself, I think most moms are anxious about something pretty regularly.

My anxiety is based in fear. Fear of failure. Fear of letting others down. Fear of letting myself down. Fear that, if I let go of one of the balls I’m juggling, all the rest will come crashing down.

It’s one thing to know intellectually that I need not waste my limited mental energy on worry…but it’s another thing to internalize this in my soul.

Handing over my anxiety to God isn’t a “one and done” procedure. It’s a process that is so far lasting…pretty much forever.

The stakes are big though. With every anxious thought, I deny myself the opportunity to trust in my God. And that hurts.

And so I just keep learning to rewire my brain. And the best way to do that is through learning—and relearning—scriptures like these.

10 Bible Verses about Anxiety—for the Mama Who Fears Failure

Bible Verses about Anxiety | Encouragement for Moms

Finding Comfort

Finding comfort in God and the relationships you trust can be a great place to start when you’re anxious and worried because sometimes what you need most is a shoulder to cry on.

Do you ever think that God is disappointed in you because of your anxiety, or do you feel guilty about it? These verses will help you cast that guilt aside.

Isaiah 66:13

As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you…

I love this image of God. As a mother, whenever my children are anxious or worried, my response isn’t disappointment in them for not having a better attitude or more faith in me as their parent. When I’m upset, God feels the same way and wants to draw me nearer to him.

Psalm 94:19

When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.

Again, we see that God brings consolation, not disappointment or judgment on us when we worry—and that is something to be excited about!

Proverbs 12:25

Anxiety weighs down the heart,
but a kind word cheers it up.

I’m tempted to be hard on myself when I get anxious and wish I would just get over it. Maybe I just need to be a little kinder and more understanding towards myself. It helps when I seek kind words, from God as well as from the people in my life who can lift me up.

2 Corinthians 1:3–5

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

We see yet again that God is a God of comfort and is there for us in ALL of our troubles. What’s inspiring about this is that when we get through trials and anxiety and find comfort in God and his word, we can then turn around and pass on that comfort to others.

Relying on God’s Strength

When I’m upset, I naturally turn to self-reliance. Keep a stiff upper lip and keep on pushing, I tell myself. This is, in fact, a quick way to make matters worse. I am not as strong as I like to think, and I will mess up. No, it’s a much better idea to refocus my thoughts on my true source of strength.

Matthew 6:25–34

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Note that Jesus doesn’t say, “Try harder” or “Pray harder.” When we’re anxious and worried, the better option is to remind ourselves of what is true; God knows exactly what we need and he has our backs. Because of this, we can live in the moment and not stress out about what’s coming down the pipe.

Mark 13:11

Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

Get this; whatever trial we might be going through—maybe not a literal court trial, but a trial nonetheless—we have the Holy Spirit to guide us. I.E. the God of the universe can literally treat us like a puppet and speak through us. Yet how much time to I spend rehearsing conversations in my head, when it makes very little to no difference? Something to think about.

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

If you’ve read a lot of my “Mama Verses” posts, then you might notice that this scripture is a go-to for me time and again. It just sums it all up: my weaknesses are an opportunity for God’s power to prevail. So what do I have to worry about?

Wrestling in Prayer

As I mentioned above, dealing with anxiety is not a “one and done” procedure. Rather, in addition to filling my head with words of truth, I constantly have to wrestle in prayer to get my heart in closer alignment with God’s.

Psalm 139:23

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Have you ever actually prayed this prayer? It makes me nervous, to be honest. I don’t know if I want God to “search me” and “test me.” It isn’t easy, but by really letting God in, my anxious thoughts start to unravel.

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

You may have heard this one…but it’s a popular go-to verse because it’s exactly what we need to do. In everything, in every anxiety-producing situation, we are told we must PRAY.

1 Peter 5:6–7

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

This is another popular verse and for good reason. But I think I have too often focused on the second part without letting the first part really sink in. In order to “cast all your anxiety on him,” you first must humble yourself. That means admitting failures and weaknesses and hot messes freely—and letting them go. And in due time, he WILL lift you up.

Well I don’t now about you, but I suddenly feel the urge to go pray! Admittedly, I don’t think my anxiety problem is completely under control. And it probably never will be. But, I’ve got some pretty powerful tools and truths in my arsenal in the battle against worry. What about you?

Remember, grab your free printable list of these verses and more in my free resource collection.

Do you have any favorite Bible verses about anxiety? Please share them!

10 Encouraging Bible Verses about Insecurity for Moms +free printable!

December 2, 2016 by Gina Poirier Leave a Comment

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. See here for more information.

On good days, I feel pretty great about myself. Often it’s because things are going my way; my hair is working, my skin is clear; I’ve had personal victories in work and in life. I jump out of bed feeling excited to face the world.

On other days I’m constantly turning my shoulder. Did anyone notice those gray hairs that get seemingly more pronounced each week, or hear me say or write something idiotic, or see how I completely blew up at my kids?

Ah yes, and being a mom adds a whole new dimension to insecurity. We’ve all been that lady in the grocery store with the shrieking, out-of-control toddler at some point or another. Maybe others are judging, maybe they’re feeling sorry for us—either way, it’s the type of attention we don’t like.

“Insecurity” is a monster issue with women. It’s almost too large to tackle with a single blog post. But I’ll put it out there anyway because I know that when left unchecked, it can cripple us—in our faith, our work and our relationships. It manifests in different ways as we compensate for perceived weaknesses in ourselves. Maybe you relate to one or more of the following forms of insecurity:

Retrospective broken record: “What if I said that wrong? What are they going to think about me?” You can’t sleep while analyzing conversations of the day.
Aesthetic obsession: “If I could just get that strand of hair to fall in the exact spot it should, I will feel great about how I look today.” You give up after your 9,465th stop in front of the mirror. You might also obsess over the way your kids or husband look.
Paralysis by analysis: “…Ummm…” You can’t speak or make a decision because you’re afraid you’re going to mess it up. Failure is terrifying.
Comparison trap: “If only I had her boots/legs/confidence/perfect kids/marriage/money/etc.” The way you define your worth is by measuring yourself and your family up to other women and their families.

At times, I am guilty of all succumbing to all of these, and more. I like to think that I do it less as I grow older and more mature, but unfortunately I don’t think I will ever completely “outrun” insecurity. With new stages in life come new fears and unknowns—all of which I can feel freshly insecure about.

One of my favorite books about the topic of insecurity is Secure in Heart, by my dear friend Robin Weidner. I read it as a newlywed and then I read it again recently (different stages of life, different insecurities!). What insecurity boils down to is this: you’re either choosing to believe what is true, or you’re choosing to believe what is false. What is true comes from God, and what is not comes from the enemy. It’s that simple.

What’s not so simple is rewiring your brain so that it lands on what is true rather than what isn’t. That takes practice.

But it starts right in scripture. If you’re having one of “those days” when you’re just not feeling your worth, start here to know what the truth is. There are Bible verses about insecurity throughout the Scriptures; these are just a few of my favorites that keep me grounded when I’m tempted to believe what is false. (All verses NIV unless otherwise noted.)

10 Bible Verses about Insecurity for Moms

You Are Enough

As a parent, wife, Christian and general human being, I am constantly battling with the question, “Am I doing enough?” These verses help me remember to focus less on what I can accomplish, and more on who I am and what I’ve been given through Christ.

1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

This is an encouraging verse because it reminds me that God looks at me the way at I look at my own children: with love that is overflowing no matter what.

2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

When I’m caught up in “need to do more” thinking, I recall that I already have everything I need to live a godly life of growth and grace.

Your True Strength

When I’m feeling insecure, more often than not I’m trying to gauge my worth through my own strength. I forget that the source of my true strength is limitless. I’m not a super hero, but there’s Someone much stronger than me who has my back.

2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Raise your hand if you ever feel timid! Uh, yeah, like whenever I have to take responsibility as an adult. But if I approach my daily decisions prayerfully and in tune with God’s Spirit, I don’t have to be afraid.

Psalm 62:5–6
Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

This is one of my favorite passages when I’m feeling overwhelmed, discouraged and like a complete failure. When everything is stripped away, I have only one place to stand on—the best place.

Psalm 27:1–2
The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.

Insecurity and fear are closely related emotions. When I’m feeling insecure, I’m often afraid of failure of disapproval. But when my mindset is that God is the light of my light, none of those feelings are grounded.

Psalm 18:35
You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.

I do not make myself great by any stretch of the imagination; only God does. And wow, he does a smashing job.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (ESV)

Did you catch how it says “all things” (including parenting), rather than “just a few things”? If I’m called to do it, he will pull me through.

Your True Beauty

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I revert to my inner junior high self on occasion…and yes it gets worse as I get older. Ugh. Pregnancy was not kind to much of my body. So that’s why I need to know these truths:

Psalm 139:14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

He made me wonderfully and that will never change no matter how old I get!

1 Peter 3:3–5
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves…

So if I’m understanding this correctly, beauty comes from my “inner self,” which is hopefully getting more beautiful even though the outside is…well, you know.

Proverbs 31:30
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Amen to that! This passage is about the ultimately beautiful wife: not the magazine cover model, but the one who is scraping boogers off her shirt because she is to devoted to loving her family. (Wiping noses is for Jesus is legit!) Check out my devotional on Proverbs 31 for more on this topic.

Want to keep these verses handy? You can now download them in a printable form! Just click below:

Now it’s your turn: what do you get insecure about as a mom (or human)? Do you have any favorite Bible verses about insecurity? Scroll down and leave a comment!

10 Bible Verses for the Perfectionist Mama

September 2, 2016 by Gina Poirier 8 Comments

Hi, my name is Gina and I’m a perfectionist. I like to say recovering perfectionist because I’ve been working on this chronic condition for a long time. I’d like to think I’ve come a long way. I don’t say fully recovered perfectionist because that would be grossly dishonest.

This tendency has plagued me since my earliest memories. I remember in first grade, the very first time I didn’t complete a school assignment flawlessly. I was traumatized for the rest of the day because I had to erase and rewrite the correct punctuation marks several times, and wow didn’t that paper look wrinkled and ugly? In the years that followed I think I cried every time my team lost a soccer game. I never truly knew what it felt like to fail at school because I graduated high school with a 4.0. Then in college when I got a D on an economics exam, I felt like I got sucker-punched (I got an A- for the class at the end of term).

I know, what a tough life.

I got my head on a little straighter when I made Jesus Lord of my life at age 19. I was (and still am) completely enamored with the God who loves me unconditionally. But my personality didn’t change overnight…and I carried that performance mentality over into my spiritual life. If I wasn’t bringing my A-game to my ministry and my walk with God, I was a failure.

Then I became a wife. And a mom. And perhaps this is when I fully started to grasp the enormity of my inadequacies. Academics are a cakewalk compared to parenting, marriage and homemaking.

To make matters worse, if I don’t keep my heart in check, I can view my husband and kids’ shortcomings as a poor reflection on me. Which means their failures = my failures. Thinking this way makes us all feel really loved and secure about ourselves. (See that there? Sarcasm.)

I have a perfectionist child now too, who helps me see just how silly the perfectionist mindset is. When he throws a fit over not keeping his coloring inside the lines, I totally get him.

I know that not every mom struggles with this…but a lot of us do. It comes out in different ways. I couldn’t care less about how my hair looks on a particular day or whether or not I missed a spot cleaning the bathtub, but if I forget to return the library books and get charged a late fee, I will lose my mind. (What’s your struggle? Just curious.)

There’s a lot more I could say on this matter, but I think it’s time to get some actual wisdom from the Scriptures. There is nothing I can “do” about my perfectionism except continually seek to transform my thoughts regarding the way I see myself.

10 Bible Verses for the Perfectionist Mama

Okay, I lied; I have a couple more minor theological points I want to make. The Bible talks a lot about perfection, but the meaning of the word doesn’t translate exactly to the way we think about it. It refers to completeness or wholeness. Let that sink in as you read the following passages.

I’m also pretty sure the apostle Paul was a perfectionist, as he wrote quite a bit about the battle he and other Jewish Christians had with legalism (i.e. following rules and trying to justify yourself through impossible standards). You can see it here in the passages from Romans, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians.

On the Power of Grace

Romans 5:6–8

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This is the unconditional love of Christ that first won me over years ago and continues to now. We could just stop right here.

Ephesians 2:8–10

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I think I often get the order of things mixed up here, not consciously but through my actions. I feel like I have to do good works in order to justify myself, when it is the other way around; I do good works because I am already justified.

Philippians 3:7–10

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

Paul speaks powerfully to my performance-oriented heart here. All he wanted was to know Christ, and when I cut through perfectionist crap, I know that’s all I want to know too.

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (emphasis added)

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

That about sums it up for me. I’m tempted to think about it all backwards: that I need to have my act together so that I can reflect God’s power. Really, God’s power is made perfect in me when I am a hot mess.

On Being Complete

Colossians 1:21-22 (emphasis added)

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation…

Wait, did you catch all of that? I hear a lot of Christians say, “I’m not perfect.” But that is wrong. Read it and weep: Christ’s body makes us holy and blemish-free, free from accusation—because you are forgiven and complete.

Hebrews 10:14

For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

There it is again. He’s made us perfect!

Galatians 2:20 (emphasis added)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

In case you want to argue with me about whether or not you’re perfect, if Christ lives in you, you ARE.

Focusing on Growth

Philippians 1:6 (emphasis added)

…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It helps me to focus on growth rather than snapshots of performance. And it says here that God is continuing to work in me and will keep it up until I reach completion. Kind of a mind-trip: I am perfect/complete already, yet I will still continue to grow more complete. Say what???

2 Peter 1:5–8

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I add this one because I think it clarifies why, even though Christ already makes us complete/perfect, we still make an effort to grow.

Galatians 6:4–5

Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.

Oh by the way, in case it’s not obvious, if you’re competing with other people on your own journey to completeness, just stop.

As often happens, by working through these passages I have found encouragement and strength for myself. If you’re a perfectionist, I hope they speak powerfully to you as well.

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If you enjoyed this study, you might also like my other Mama Verses posts.