Who Are Kingdom Mommas?

Kingdom mamas are Christian mothers navigating a new territory like none other before. We are raising our kids in a generation dealing with societal norms and pressures that we didn’t have to navigate when we were growing up. Our children have access to all sorts of information right in their back pocket at all times. Where and how they get their information is completely dependent upon us as their parents; what we allow in and where we encourage them to direct their attention. 

I’m currently leading a Bible study with girls ages 8 to 12. These little girls are on fire for the Lord. They know scripture and they stand confidently in God’s word. A couple of weeks ago, one little girl shared with our group that “God doesn’t make mistakes.” I was floored. Her childlike faith had me picking my jaw up off the floor. These little girls can stand confidently in God’s word because the Bible says it’s true. To them, it is true because they haven’t had the experience of someone who has told them anything different. 

On the flip side of this, there is a current generation of teenagers who statistically are the most anxious, most depressed generation of all time. Experts say that the average teenager today has more anxiety than the average psych patient in the 1940s. I don’t know about you, but that’s eye-opening. As a mother, I want to ensure that my children can overcome that statistic. 

I see a gap; there are these 8 to 12-year-old girls who stand firm in who they are. They don’t lean on anybody else’s interpretation of their identity. Then we have this teenage generation who long for validation and approval. They are desperately seeking to be worthy and enough. Where are they getting that validation? If we’re not careful, they’re getting it from their smartphones. Social media does a great job of telling them who they are not. Not pretty enough, not invited, not liked, followed, accepted, unworthy. They are inundated by a sea of filtered perfection. 

With that said, how do we fill the gap? How do we make sure that these 8 to 12-year-old children, who have a childlike faith, rebuke any thought that tells them they are anything less than who God has called them to be? How do we equip them to take those thoughts captive? How do we rescue these teenagers who are already in the thick of things? How do we flip the flow in their lives? How do we help them process what’s being spewed at them? 

As Kingdom mamas, we’re called to raise these children differently. We’re called to solidify who they are in Christ every single day of their lives and encourage them to live in that identity daily. When we equip them to stand confidently in Christlike identity they resist the need to look for approval elsewhere. They should be so very focused on eternity that they don’t have to look side to side, comparing themselves to others. So laser-focused on Jesus every day so that when hurt and the pain is thrown at them, it can’t penetrate their hearts and minds. They are equipped to “Shake it Off.” 

To help us process and make sense of this all, we’re going to look to our girls, Mary and Martha, two sisters living together. One day Jesus came knocking at their door. Their approach to Jesus was different. Two different methods on how they dealt with Jesus’s presence. 

In Luke 10:38-42 we read the following verses;

“As he and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had been made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care my sister has left me with all the work by myself? Tell her to help me.’ Jesus said, ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered. ‘You are worried and upset about many things. But few things are needed, or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’

If we look at our girl Mary we know that she is concerned about eternity. Mary is all about sitting at the feet of Jesus. I don’t know about you but I want to sit at the feet of Jesus because I know it is there that I will hear truth, life, love, joy. If I am not careful I will live my life like Martha, too distracted by the expectations of this world. 

We live in a world where distraction and busyness is celebrated. The busyness of my calendar shows me I’m approved, I’m busy doing something. The tidiness of my home, the car that I drive, the sports that my kids play, and their accolades—those determine who I am. If I am not careful, all the busyness and noise will make me feel valid and approved to the world around me and I will forget where my true identity comes from. 

I want to live like Mary and I want all the noise to be silenced. 

So how do we do that? How do we silence the noise of this world? It’s overwhelming if we allow it to be. How do we step back, and sit at the feet of Jesus, and encourage our children to come up alongside us, and do the same? 

Being intentional about spending time with Jesus~How do we sit at the feet of Jesus? He’s not here. We can’t see him. We don’t have the luxury of him coming and knocking at our door. However, we  do have the Holy Spirit in our hearts. That’s a gift that’s been given to us the moment we asked Jesus into our hearts. He’s with us on the daily. He’s there. It’s time to invite him in.

Pray 

I encourage you, dear friend, to start your day with him. Before you even put your feet on the floor, pray. Praying and showing gratitude for what Jesus has done for you and your family helps to set the intentions for the day. You’re inviting Jesus to come in and be a part of the day to come. 

Study

Starting your day in God’s word and studying Who He is equips you to live wholeheartedly as a Kingdom mom. When life comes your way you can process things through the eyes of our Father, His promises, His sovereignty. You get to know Him so very intimately that you invite Him to partner alongside you on this mommin’ journey. 

Worship

When the lies speak louder than the truth, belt out some worship. Play it loud and proud, sing it with absolute belief that He is there with you, for you, and in your battles. I can say with absolute certainty that when life has been overwhelming, worship was the source that repositioned my heart towards our all knowing, all loving Father. My circumstances suddenly began to feel small when I surrendered them to Him and praised Him for the storm. 

Perhaps some of my most proud moments as a mother is when my children sing worship songs with me. Their sweet voices not only reciting the words to a song but singing with intention and total belief in the words that leave their lips. Commence the instant heart smile. 

Point Your Children Back to Him

Through prayer, study, and worship we have the opportunity to nurture a deeper, more meaningful relationship with Jesus. Through that relationship we find hope, joy, and a gratitude that can’t help but radiate from our very beings. It’s that light that shines within us that witnesses to our children and to our spouses. By diving deeper in relationship with God we get to encourage our family to do the same. 

Kingdom mamas, we’ve got work to do. We’ve got a big job on our hands. Our children’s salvation is dependent upon us getting this right. Find every opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus, dive deep into His word, live it out loud for the world to see. In doing so, we can empower our children to live boldly in the validation, purpose, and promise that He has over their lives. Their standard of measure should never be anything that comes outside of God. Because of that firm foundation that we have built, they won’t have to look left or right for anything different because they are so very laser-focused on our God and all that He is.