10 Encouraging Bible Verses for Struggling Moms
As I sit to write these words to you, there’s a pile of luggage at the bottom of our stairwell. It’s an array of minion-decorated backpacks, colorful duffel bags, and pink handbags adorned with flowers and fairies. Looking at it makes me feel overwhelmed. I share this with you before I share today’s Bible verses for struggling moms because I want you to know that I have walked in your shoes, friend.
I have endured months of sleeplessness with infants who refused to sleep.
The demands of motherhood have worn me thin, and I’ve locked myself in the bathroom while little fingers wiggled under the door.
Bible Verses for Struggling Moms
I currently feel overwhelmed by the amount of packing necessary for a short two-night trip.
Two nights.
I have no idea how we’ll fit it all into the hatchback trunk of the CRV.
Trying to remember everything for a short family trip with young children is enough to induce mild chest pains in my anxiety-prone diaphragm.
I imagine you, too, know about exhaustion and overwhelm. You know how it feels when the walls close in, the sickness lasts for months, or the struggling teen continues to make terrible decisions.
Weary mom, I am with you.
I invite you to soak in the following Bible verses for struggling moms today. God wants to speak into your heart and life, and his Word is his love letter to you. Let’s bask in these Truths together today. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook for every weary mom.
God’s Encouragement for Struggling Moms
1. Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
When I’m struggling, I often soak in Jesus’ invitation to draw near to him for rest. Take a moment to imagine Jesus holding you right now. He wants to nurture your heart in the same way you nurture your children. I encourage you to spend at least a moment resting in his love every day.
2. Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Does it ever feel like you spend all of your time tending to the needs of your family while your needs go unmet?
Friend, God sees.
Not a moment of your effort is wasted. Perhaps the greatest news of all is that when you love your family, Jesus counts it as if you are directly loving and serving him (see Matthew 25:40). He will care for your needs as well. He is also using the work of motherhood to shape your soul.
God is inviting you to die to self thousands of times, and in the process, you will emerge more mature and complete, looking like Christ.
3. Isaiah 40:31
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Most likely, you know how it feels to be so exhausted that you aren’t sure you can go on. Turn to Jesus. Ask him for strength, weary mom. He will renew your strength and carry you through the hardest days.
4. 1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
When I’m worn down, temptations often arise. I’m tempted to yell at my kids, escape into chocolate, or zone out in front of a screen.
Remind yourself that God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. When you do feel tempted to yell, binge, or escape, he will provide a way out.
5. Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
God wants to use every difficult moment of motherhood to help you grow. Your most challenging days are always opportunities to turn to him for strength in your weakness. He wants to make his power perfectly known in your weakest moments. He is also using motherhood to shape your heart to look more like Christ’s heart of selfless love.
6. Matthew 10:42
And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.
Did you know that God will reward you for the care you offer to your family? The work of motherhood often appears to go unseen. However, God doesn’t miss a moment.
7. Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
On the darkest days, remember this: You are loved with an everlasting God. God will be faithful to you. Continue to love your family with his love, and he will give you the strength you need for each day.
8. Psalm 55:22
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Notice that this verse tells us to cast our burdens on the Lord. Some burdens don’t relent without a strong heave. What do you need to cast onto God today?
9. Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Are you weary because you have been worrying? God wants to strengthen you and help you. Lean into his love.
10. Psalm 63:1
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
David prayed this prayer to the Lord. He longed for God. When God is the highest longing in our lives, we will find him and be filled.
Let’s Apply These Bible Verses for Struggling Moms to Our Lives
The pile looms in the corner as the sun lifts a shining glint over the pine trees out the window. I pick a cuticle and open God’s Word for some truth to center my racing mind.
I’m reading 1 Chronicles these days, and the thin ribbon opens to a page I must have read before. The black ink is highlighted neon yellow: “Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples” (1 Chronicles 16:8).
I chew on the words and drink down black coffee. Fuel for the day.
Maybe this is the secret for this overwhelmed mom: Too often, I forget to chew on the words.
Too often I take them in like one more task to complete, like dishes that need to be cleaned or pillowcases that need to be folded.
But God doesn’t want it to be like this. He wants the reading of these words to be like the reading of a love letter: pondered and cherished.
As I ponder the words, I think of how life would be without these two small people bouncing about in need of snacks and crayons, and my eyes drift to the worn blue backpack at the bottom of the pile.
Your Simpler Life Wasn’t Necessarily a Better Life
Ten years ago, that backpack was the only luggage needed on every weekend trip. Ten years ago, I could fit all I needed for five days in that pack. Things were simpler. But simpler doesn’t mean better. There was less work at home, but it wasn’t better. It’s better now.
Ten years ago, my life was exponentially simpler. But simpler doesn’t mean better. #overwhelmedmom #parenthood Share on XI ponder these things and forgive myself for disdaining the work that sometimes comes with parenting.
Precious Overwhelmed Mom, Lean into This:
Meanwhile, the work set before me today is stacked higher than the bags on the steps.
There is laundry, cooking, and an article assignment that will take at least three hours. I’m not looking forward to it. It’s the gritty kind of work that feels more like a college research paper than a soul-satisfying outpouring from my heart.
I know motherhood is much like this: gritty and hard, sometimes soul-satisfying, but often feeling like mostly a means of keeping everyone fed, healthy, and relatively clean.
When I start feeling weighed down by the grittiness of it all, I think of a precious friend whose daughter’s life was cut short in an accident. I think of how much this friend misses her daughter and would give just about anything for more messes to clean up, more sibling fights to break up, more meals to cook, and more of her precious child’s dishes to wash.
And when I remember these things, I suddenly start to feel a lot less overwhelmed and a lot more thankful.
I think about these things as I thank God for the opportunity to travel together as a family for the weekend. My spirit gives thanks for words to write and dishes to wash. I thank God that although the work sometimes feels like a heavy burden, it’s more like a minion backpack filled with purpose and blessing.
Calling all moms!
As the mom of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Boy Moms, this is for you and your son!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional Filled With Bible Verses for Struggling Moms
If these Bible verses for struggling moms blessed you, I have a gift for you. Would you like to connect with God in ways that breathe fresh life into your weary soul? The Weary Woman’s 20-Day Devotional is my free online devotional to help you connect with God in your worn and weary seasons. You will find 20 daily readings to help you find refreshment in God’s presence. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today!
