Okay, but What Do I Do?
“He loves you because HE IS GOOD. He holds you to the vine. Let him.”
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4
Hey there, beloved mom friend. Have you felt beloved these last few weeks? Maybe a weight feels taken off your shoulders as you remember that God doesn’t love you because you are good, but because HE is (from Brooke’s devo a few weeks ago). I hope that that is true for you.
I’ve been trying to practice that. Reminding myself that it’s not up to me, but up to the Lord who made it all. But then I read this verse above, and instead of feeling relief, I get anxious. Questions abound, like “Am I taking too much control?” and “But now nothing is getting done!” and “Do I just sit here?” or even “Okay, but what do I DO?”
How do I remain? As the mom in the house, with four kids, a dog, and a husband, there is a lot on the to-do list that can’t come off. It’s crazy, but they really like eating multiple times a day. I for sure don’t want to be the branch that gets trimmed off the vine, but how do I make sure I stay on the vine when there’s so much to do? How can I make sure the fruit I bear is good enough to remain?
At first glance, this is partly clinically diagnosable anxiety. At the core of it all, I think it’s mostly fear. Fear that I’m not good enough to earn a place on the vine, no matter how hard I try to remain. I make it about my works, my efforts, my worthiness. Mom, hear me, that’s not the heart of the Father.
Fear takes away all of the joy of being a part of the vine. And it’s full of lies. Somewhere in Matthew, Jesus says (paraphrased) not to fear what can only kill the body but to fear the one who can destroy body and soul. However, that same God sees and cares for each fallen sparrow, so how much more does He see and care for us? I’ve sat with this verse for a few days and realized that, just like a mom holds and protects her baby, so God holds and protects us. If He is the only power in this world worth fearing and He is holding us, then we have NOTHING to fear.
Mom, God doesn’t love you because you’re worthy or you can do all the things and produce all of the fruit. He knows you can’t! That’s the point. He loves you because HE IS GOOD. He holds you to the vine. Let him.
So, do we just sit here and let Him hold us safe and snug? To a point, yes. But also, when we are free from fear and know how securely we are held to the vine, we are then free to live joyfully in obedience to whatever direction He calls us. And fruit will grow. Not because of our power or goodness, but because we are truly living in the security of our Father’s arms.
Faith Follow-Through:
This week, take some time to grow in motherhood and faith:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Written by Barbara, a mom in progress.
