Can We Give Up the Grumble?

Have you ever enjoyed chatting with other moms when suddenly the conversation turns into a grumble-fest about motherhood?

It isn’t that I don’t understand the stress and strain of raising children. Oh, I do. I was “this close” to carrying the title for the longest reigning Queen of Grumbling Mothers, until the Holy Spirit overtook my soul, showing me that the grumbling beats us down further while disguising our need for help. Yes, there are times we ought to voice our weariness and seek godly encouragement, but often our grumbling spirit reflects a deeper issue that needs confession not discussion:

• Am I grumbling because I’ve neglected opportunities to train my children?
• Am I weary because I’ve not been refreshed by the Living Water?
• Am I discouraged because my priorities are out of order?

The mommy-victimhood-grumbling cycle is a cultural habit that overtakes our motherhood mindset. It is too easy to complain, because too many of us are doing it.

Our tendency to grumble isn’t out of the norm for God’s people.  More than 15 verses in the Old Testament reference the Israelite’s noisy, ungrateful complaints (such as Numbers 14:27). But shall we repeat their foolish mistake?

What would it look like if we joined together in an effort to give up our grumble for something better?

It will take moving in a new direction to end this detrimental habit.

Lord, please forgive US for grumbling about OUR responsibilities as moms!

Through confession and a many-year-long study of Titus 2 and Proverbs 31, God enable me to give up my grumble while showing me the opportunity for something better — to think of myself as a mentor mom.

A biblical mentor is a person that comes alongside another, offering training, wisdom, perspective, and experience while modeling the Word lived and teaching of the disciplines of the faith.  

Although I had been involved mentoring teens since my early twenties, I never thought to adopt a mentoring mindset as a mom. This was key in giving up the grumble as I learned how to embrace the calling of motherhood.

To be a Mentor Mom means…

….we live deeply connected to the Lord, immersed in the Word, and submitted to His will, as we model this for our children.

…we recognize that we are not the transformer of lives, but can introduce them to the One who is, Jesus Christ.

…we can’t fix their problems, but we can offer God’s love, listen with an attentive ear, and respond with grace-based consistency.

…we commit to fostering spiritual, emotional, and physical growth, as we train them up with life skills and application of the Word.

My grumbling behavior revealed that I was a mom without a purpose. My focus was on the needs, not the opportunities. 

Is that where you find yourself today?

I urge you to meet with the Lord and study His word, asking Him for eyes to see yourself as a mentor mom so that you may be recharged with purpose in this calling of motherhood.

I’d like to help you become a Mentor Mom!

I want you to experience the satisfaction of mothering with a mentoring heart. Impact My Life: Biblical Mentoring Simplified is written for women like you, who need to be encouraged to mother well and mentor intentionally. It will take you on a journey of discovering your calling as a mentor mom, and most importantly, as a disciple of Christ. 

To learn more, visit http:/www.impactmylife.net or Amazon (available in Kindle and print).  You can also find many free resources to encourage you in  your journey of motherhood and faith at www.moretobe.com.

{click the prayer above for a printable version}

Blessings, Elisa

This post is part of this month’s series: