How to Find Peace in the Overwhelm of Motherhood

Most moms I talk to tell me they are so busy and desperately overwhelmed. 

They tell me they used to be organized, but once kids came along everything became chaotic and they feel like they are drowning. They feel as if their needs always come last, or they are not met at all.

Even though they know, deep down, they cannot give from an empty well the excuse that life is just so “busy” (or fill in the blank) takes precedence over rest and self care. 

Is this just the new normal that we must accept as women and mothers? Will it be this way until our kids move out?

Friend, I’m here to tell you, NO! You were created for more.

You have the power to take back your life and focus on what truly matters; what will matter long after you are gone. 

Take a leap of faith with me, and courageously step outside the rush of hurry and hustle and lean into rest; a deep, settling soul rest that is present even when life is full. 

My rest comes from Jesus. He gives me all I need to succeed in every season. 

  • He meets me In the seasons when I’m nurturing a newborn and sleep is limited. 
  • He meets me In the seasons when I have toddlers in the house that are demanding and curious and exploring boundaries. 
  • He meets me In the seasons when I’m juggling work and home life, feeling the guilt pull at my heart and battling the thoughts that I am not enough and I am not doing well at anything. 
  • He meets me In the seasons when the burdens of sickness, heartache, loss and grief feel like a weight that I can no longer bear. 

He gives me soul rest. He reassures me that he can carry all of my burdens. None are too heavy for him. 

Take a chance and trust Him. Trust that your loving, good, more than able heavenly Father can give you the kind of rest that cannot be found anywhere else, no matter how diligently you search. 

As you read the following promises, let these timeless truths settle into your soul. Read them, and know that He is for you. Choose to accept the rest that only He can offer. 

15 Bible Verses to refresh you and eliminate overwhelm

For the mom seeking REST:  

1. Matthew 11: 28-30 (MSG) – “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

2. John 16:33 (NIV) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

3. Philippians 4: 8 (MSG) –  “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”

For the DISTRACTED mom: 

4. Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG) – “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”

5. Psalm 142:3 (NLT) – “When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn.”

6. Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG) – “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.”

For the TIRED mom: 

7. Philippians 4:13 (NLT) – “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

8. Galatians 6: 9 (MSG) – “So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.” 

9. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT) – “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

For the ANXIOUS mom: 

10. Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG) – “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

11. Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT) – “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

12. Matthew 6: 25-27 (AMP) The Cure for Anxiety

“Therefore I tell you, stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by worrying can add one hour to the length of his life?”

For the mom seeking CONTENTMENT:

13. 1 Peter 5:7 (MSG) – “So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.”

14. Hebrews 13:5 (MSG) – “Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have.” 

15. Matthew 6: 34 (MSG) – “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

My hope is that each of these promises refresh and encourage you. Be sure to read over these scriptures whenever feelings of worry and overwhelm show up.

Heavenly Father, I pray every mom who reads this today would know how much she is loved not for what she does but simply for who she is. I pray she would lean into her unique ability to parent her children and would rely on you for grace and strength in the process. I pray for increased energy, joy and peace in her heart and home. Amen!