Marriage Devotional

‘For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Oneness and Peace in Christ
Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. ‘ Ephesians 2:10-11(NLT)

‘For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Oneness and Peace in Christ
Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. ‘ Ephesians 2:10-11(NLT)

‘For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.’ Romans 11:36(NLT)

In the beginning, God meant for his people to work, and much of their work was to be both good and mundane. From our vantage point, it seems like naming the animals was an extraordinary job—but likely, this was just Adam’s day-in and day-out responsibility, given to him for worship, purpose, and enjoyment. As Adam and Eve brought order to God’s earth with goodness, thoughtfulness, and authority, they imaged God and brought him glory. 

Unfortunately, Eve wasn’t satisfied with the fullness of God’s provision in Eden or the knowledge and responsibilities he’d given her. Instead, she listened to the serpent, who tempted her to seek the extraordinary—becoming like God himself by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She was the first human who wanted to step outside the ordinary, human, limited bounds of God’s commands into something greater, godlike, and unlimited.

Like Eve, the part of us that wants to accomplish something extraordinary and be “like God” is alive and well. The part of our heart that longs for more than laundry piles, sitting in the car at the school pick-up line, and dealing with the same issues with the same old coworkers still burns.

I often want to find answers to those longings by manipulating my life to be fresher and more exciting, less normal and run of the mill. I swipe through social media feeds on my phone, hoping to see something interesting to add to my own life. I try to make washing the dishes more interesting by listening to podcasts while I scrub. Being thoughtful with my time is a good thing, but my deepest longing for glory and purpose is found in Christ.

Mom, because we’re united to him, our identity is extraordinary and our calling is magnificent. Remember, we’re part of an epic story headed for a glorious ending. We’re really not that special, but Christ in us is spectacular. He’s our hope for glory. We can do all kinds of extraordinary things with a new nature bought and provided for by him through the Holy Spirit.

It might be mundane to fold laundry, but it’s extraordinary to do it patiently with joy and a heart of love. It might be mundane to sit on the couch and read another book to a whiny four-year-old, but it’s extraordinary to show kindness and mercy to an undeserving sinner. It might be mundane to fill the fridge with groceries, but it’s extraordinary to praise God for his provision. Our everyday moments might be ordinary, but when we accomplish them while displaying the fruit of the Spirit, they reflect our extraordinary Savior.

So the laundry piles will keep coming and coming and coming—but we can pursue excellence in our hidden, everyday moments, knowing that “to live is Christ.” Even folding laundry is “from him and through him and to him.” And that isn’t mundane at all.

Reflect: What is one of your least favorite mundane activities in motherhood and why does it make you feel that way? What might make that activity meaningful work in the kingdom of God and cause you to worship? 

from Risen Motherhood

‘When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ‘ Romans 5:6-8(NLT)

‘“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.’ Deuteronomy 6:4-9(NLT)

One day, I’ll be in awe of my husband, looking at him in adoration as he drives our minivan. The next day, I’m thinking about all the ways he could improve as a father. Maybe I recently listened to a podcast on parenting, and I couldn’t help but think about how much he needed to hear it. Or maybe a friend shared how her husband structures morning quiet times as a family, and now I’m finding my husband’s bedtime readings insufficient.

In turn, I might make a disapproving remark about how there’s some dust on his Bible, or maybe I’ll say nothing at all as I quietly build a wall between us, brick by brick.

I’m willing to bet I’m not alone in holding up a standard for what an “involved Christian dad” looks like—a standard of my own creation rather than God’s.

In the Old Testament, God lays out part of his plan for parents raising children, and it’s surprisingly uncomplicated. He charges parents to intentionally invest in their children and teach them to love God and his laws. They are to be diligent in this and do it all the time. For us today, that means weaving the gospel into the life we’re already living. It doesn’t tell us that carrying out this command has to include a 20-minute family quiet time with Dad on the guitar, leading the children in worship. It just says to do it, however that looks. 

Even though faithfulness to that end can be hard, we are the ones overcomplicating it. 

Here’s some good news: Because Jesus lived a perfect life in our stead, the pressure is off for both husband and wife to execute perfect parenting. Jesus never missed a teaching moment, he never misspoke or made a theological error, he never had impure motives or an impatient attitude, and he never failed the people around him. He lived a perfect life, and because we have union in Christ, we can trust him with what we have to offer as parents of our children. And if you’re both believers, you each have the gift of the Holy Spirit to help you grow in parenting, maturity, and your understanding of God’s design for the family.

Mom, Christ has measured up on your behalf. Now you can stop comparing your husband to the parenting books, the conferences, or the next-door neighbor. Instead, offer your husband the relentless grace and love you’ve received from your shared inheritance with Christ, celebrating the unique ways your husband is gifted. The gospel gives us a better way for marriage and parenting. Remember, when you were still dead and stuck in your sin, Jesus loved you so much he died for you. Offer that same love to your husband.

Reflect: What false standards are you holding onto for what an “involved Christian dad” looks like? Knowing that Christ has measured up on both your and your husband’s behalf, what’s one specific way you can encourage your husband in the gospel today? 

from Risen Motherhood

‘So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.’ 1 Peter 1:6-7(NLT)

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”’ Revelation 21:4(NLT)

From our human perspective, transitions aren’t desirable. We’re tempted to look forward to what’s next, fixing our eyes on the prize—the end of the transition. We tell ourselves “This pregnancy is hard, but it will all be better when the baby gets here” or “Moving with a toddler feels chaotic, but we’re almost to our forever home. Then we’ll be settled.”

But what happens if the pregnancy doesn’t produce a healthy baby, or the house sale falls through or your husband loses his job? Rooting our hope in our circumstances is always dangerous. So is thinking, “This is my last transition. Once this is over, we’ll finally be happy.”

For many of us, transitions can bring out the worst in us, depriving us of what we think we must have to be happy, comfortable, and thriving until our true nature is revealed. God shows us our impatient exasperation when our husband works late every night or travels for weeks on end. He shows us our fickle hearts when a chorus of commotion from our children sends us to seek refuge in social media.

When a goldsmith wants to purify gold, he heats it until the impurities are revealed so he can skim them off. Without the heat, the impurities stay embedded in the gold. Similarly, our circumstances turn up the heat until we see what’s in our hearts. It’s not that we used to be nice, energetic people, and now (due to this transition and things outside of our control) we’re suddenly irritable and unkind. Those changes simply expose the hidden sin that existed all along in the ease and familiarity of our old circumstances.

God doesn’t promise our current hard season or transition will end the way we want it to, but he does promise he’ll be with us all the way through it. He’ll provide strength, refreshment, and encouragement until we reach heaven, where we’ll never experience sorrow again. Just as he provided an oasis for the tired, thirsty Israelites on their journey in the desert, he can provide refreshment in our transitional times when we cry out to him in faith.

The transition you just want to end isn’t a throwaway season—it’s a time full of God’s purposes, when hindsight will tell a story of sin and need driving us to the Father and making us love more like the Son.

Transitional seasons are part of life. We might not enjoy every aspect of them, but we don’t have to fear them. God loves us too much to let us be comfortable and unscathed. Adoption, infertility, job loss, sick family members, new careers, and new schools might feel like transitions we don’t want to bear. But let’s rejoice when we have moments of joy and rest, knowing that God has good purposes for today and a sure promise of our final destination.

Reflect: What transition are you facing and how are you trusting God in those struggles? How might God be working in your transitional season to make it about more than just survival—changing you into the image of Christ? 

from Risen Motherhood

‘God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. ‘ 1 Corinthians 1:30(NLT)

‘This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!’ 2 Corinthians 5:17(NLT)

Watch any child long enough, and you’ll know that humans are made for worship. Like a toddler in the toy aisle throwing a tantrum because you won’t buy them the purple kitty with the enormous eyes, their outward rage is only a sign of the war of worship in their hearts. God made us in his own image for his glory, which means we are created by God, for God, and for worship. 

But in the fall, Satan deceived Eve when she had a craving to worship herself over God. She doubted God’s promises, thinking if she could just get control of her circumstances, she might be better off. Very quickly her circumstances only got worse. Separated from her Creator, the perpetual wandering and roaming of the human heart for worship began.

When motherhood feels hard, it’s easy to blame our circumstances, children, or husbands. But our biggest problem with motherhood is ourselves. When we worry about tomorrow’s schedule or get frustrated because our morning alone time is short, our hearts are revealing what is already there: misplaced worship of our own comforts and control. Can you relate?

If you’re like us, it’s easy to fear that our negative heart attitudes reflect who we truly are on the inside. We name ourselves: the angry mom, the worrier, the stressed-out mom…  and without Christ, it’s true. We are all sinners on a path to self-destruction. 

But if you are a believer, you have union with Christ. This means Christ is in you. It is not Christ plus you, or Christ and then you, or Christ and not you. It is Christ in you, which means you have everything Christ has. When you are stripped bare, when you peel away everything you believe defines you—your hobbies, dreams, skill sets, personality, weaknesses, and sinful tendencies—who are you? If you are in Christ, then it is not the sinful, uncontrollable woman you fear who remains—it is Christ. It is our loving, kind, gracious, merciful Savior in you.

Through your faith in Jesus, you are a new creation in Christ, which means by the power of the Holy Spirit, you can change. You no longer have to give in to temptations, fight for control in all areas of life, or give in to expressing every feeling you have. Your circumstances do not define you. Trust that because of Christ’s work on the cross, you can grow, improve, and be transformed to be more like him.

Mom, God has not left you to battle your sin alone. Believe you are united with Christ. Exchange your worries, fears, and anger with the worship of our good and loving Father who sent his Son to battle on your behalf. God uses wayward circumstances to reveal the waywardness of our hearts. Each day, as you feel the pressure mounting, the accusations accumulating, the temptations luring, look to Christ to be all you need. 

Reflect: What words do you tend to label yourself with? Example: the angry mom, the worrier, the stressed-out mom… How does your union with Christ encourage you to fight sin and choose holiness in your circumstances? 

from Risen Motherhood

‘For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ‘ Romans 3:23(NLT)

‘The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.’ Romans 8:11(NLT)

We became first-time moms within nine months of each other, and although we didn’t realize it at the time, we both entered motherhood with high expectations. We had visions of tidy living rooms, gourmet homemade dinners, peaceful walks with the stroller, and obedient children who loved Jesus (and their mamas).

Today, with eight kids between us, our optimistic expectations have toppled under the pressures of everyday life. Motherhood left us feeling inadequate, frustrated, and desperate for new solutions. 

If motherhood is supposed to be so wonderful—one of life’s biggest blessings—why do we feel stressed, tired, dissatisfied, and overcommitted? If social media personalities, motherhood gurus, and book-writing experts hold the answers, why do we need more and more help?

Influencers, authors, and even our own friends and family tell us that simply because we are loving moms to our children, we are enough. Our well-intentioned efforts (however large or small) are all they need. We should stop worrying about the nagging guilt and create the life we want.

But deep down, we still have this lurking feeling that we’re missing the mark, and we don’t know how to cope with it. 

The world would have you believe the problem is that you can’t seem to get your act together, but the reality is that you can’t get your act together. Not in the sense that your sink always seems to be piled high with dishes, or you’re not getting to the gym as often as you should, or you shoot random discipline strategies from the hip every 30 minutes. No, you can’t get your act together because you’re a sinner in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23).

We cannot will ourselves into finding joy in motherhood because we cannot will ourselves into the obedience or love God requires of us. If we’re to find true, lasting joy in our motherhood journey, what we need is the work of Jesus Christ.

We don’t need the world’s version of motherhood; we need a risen motherhood, transformed by the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. We need his shed blood if we’re going to shed our guilt and failures. We need his fullness to fill us where we are empty. We need his sacrifice and hurt so we can sacrifice for others until it hurts. We need his wounds to cure our wounds. We need his atonement to atone once and for all for our sins. We need his death to give us life.

What we need is the good news of the gospel. 

If we are found in Christ, we have everything we need. Not because we suddenly have all the perfect answers, attitudes, and behaviors, but because the same power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power in your daily life (Romans 8:11). The Holy Spirit gives you help and wisdom, allowing you to see that motherhood isn’t just made up of long days and tedious work—motherhood is made up of a million tiny moments that are springboards to worship. 

Reflect: Where do you look for hope and help in motherhood? What would you do differently if you saw each moment as a meaningful opportunity to serve and worship God? 

from Risen Motherhood