I've been needing some encouragement lately, and in case you need some too, I thought I would share what's helped me. Whether you're going through a really hard season in life, or you're just feeling a little bit drained from the last week, these are for you! We were never promised an easy life, and sometimes things are just HARD, right? As someone that loves to hit the goals I make and hate when I feel like I'm failing....it's not very fun when things are going the opposite of well, lol. If you're craving some more joy right now, keep reading for 3 encouragements that will remind you of God's love for you, especially in the hard days, and will help you go into the new week feeling a little more refreshed.
ENCOURAGEMENT #1
"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”)." Matthew 1:22-23
Isn't it crazy to think His name literally means "God with us"? We were never promised a life free of hardship, but God did promise that we will never be alone. You might already understand/know this, but the other day I was reading how when Jesus died and He was no longer physically with us, He gave us the gift of the the Holy Spirit so that He would always still be with us and in us...and I just thought that was a really cool visual that I didn't take time to think about before. Check out these verses:
"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you."
John 14:16-17
I know we've all heard the cliché of those hard times making us stronger. But for Christians, it's more than that. If we let them, those hard weeks can be times we learn to surrender more and more to God and feel His presence more than ever (which I think is one of the hardest things for humans to do and demonstrates a TON of faith). To be honest, I think those hard weeks are a really good reminder that I am not meant to do everything all on my own, even though I try to ALL THE TIME. I am really good at trying to take care of everything, do everything, and be everything. God recognizes this and is always there to remind me, "Hey Brittany, you're trying to do it all again and you weren't meant to. Come back to me because I'm with you and I will help you do the things you cannot do when you surrender to me".
I love remembering that God grieves when we grieve. He knows exactly how hard this season is and He understands every detail that you're facing. You know how sometimes you just want other people to understand how hard something is that you're going through, but you know they just can't fully understand? God does and His heart breaks when yours hurts. I love picturing Him sitting next to me saying, "I know. This is hard. I'm here." There's not much more that could comfort me better than the creator of this world getting down on my level, being with me, and understanding me.
Let this hard week be a reminder to surrender to Him, and know that He is always with you.
ENCOURAGEMENT #2
You might be getting closer and closer to something waiting for you on the other side, don't lose hope.
While I'm not trying to convey that the grass is greener on the other side because we all know that the grass is greener where we water it, sometimes we just need something different. You might need a different fertilizer. Sometimes, you water too much and get mushrooms. If what used to work for you, isn't working anymore, it doesn't mean it's time to give up. You don't become a better gardener with perfect conditions. Keep the faith and trust that you're on the right path and good things are coming.
When I was healing my headaches, I would get frustrated when I would try something new and it didn't work because my headaches were still there and it felt like I was back at square 1. But that work wasn't for nothing. When something didn't work, it gave me more insight as I moved onto the next thing. It brought me closer and closer to the next step.
You're growing, maturing, and becoming wiser. While painful, there's something God is holding onto that will bless you and He's waiting for the perfect time when He knows you'll be ready for it.
"An inheritance gained too hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end."
Proverbs 2-:21
ENCOURAGEMENT #3
You're doing a really good job.
You're making dinner, scheduling another appointment, doing another load of laundry, and putting the babies to sleep without losing all your hair, LOL. And I need you to remember that the work you're doing is not easy and you stepping up to the plate each day is a huge act of faith that God sees you doing time and time again. Don't forget to celebrate the good and faithful work you've done.
The enemy is very threatened by a God-fearing wife and mother, and he is going to do everything he can to keep you distracted, and feeling defeated. God reminds us that we are doing the most important work. You can read more about being a joyful wife and mother in this blog post. Watching over the affairs of our household and providing for our family is honorable work. The family unit is special, cherished, and divinely created. Why else would the enemy work so hard to tear it apart?
Proverbs 31:27-29 says
"She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
You have done a great work this week. Find things to celebrate. You are powerful, honorable, and a true treasure to the rest of your family.
If you've had a hard week, you're not alone. I hope these encouragements bring you some joy and refreshment for the week ahead.
WANT MORE ENCOURAGEMENT?
If you struggle always wanting to do more, feeling burnt out, and like there's never enough time in the day, then be sure to grab my FREE 3-day devotionals for recovering over-achievers! I want those that have high achieving tendencies to stop hurrying, worrying, and doing, and instead be more joyful in their day-to-day lives by surrendering more to God and being the gift they were made to be.
Much love and I'm rooting for you,
Brittany ♡
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