EquippedMama

Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.

Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;

Psalm 37:3-7a New American Standard Bible
Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif.
All rights reserved

How many of you dreamt of being mamas as a child? Definitely not everyone, but maybe a few. Now, with that dream realized, do you feel hollow… or forgotten, or even depressed?

Immediately post-holidays seems like a good time to talk about letdown and disappointment… often so much attention and anticipation is built into preparing for the holidays that they pass and we are left with massive credit card debt, a pile of new toys to clean, and the unfortunate aftermath of too many Christmas goodies. “Merry Christmas” seems synonymous with stress and a need for stretchy pants, am I right?

In writing Redeeming Mama, I have spent considerable time working through the Psalms, but this Psalm in particular is quite possibly my favorite. These verses seem to speak to this exact issue of discontentment and depression. Let’s start by asking- what do you do when you have it all? Or, more specifically, when you have it all and it doesn’t satisfy?

First of all, trust in the Lord.

Whether your discontentment comes from a lack of something- or perhaps wanting a situation improved or changed, trusting in the Lord is a big step towards developing a right and godly attitude. Trust that the Lord will provide for you, that he is sovereign, and that he does care for you (Philippians 4:19, Matthew 6:26, 1 Peter 5:7). Trust looks like resting, like gratitude, and like…contentment. Whether you feel like trusting or not, tell yourself the truth that the Lord is in control and he knows all about your situation.

Another major component to finding contentment is found in the following verse- “Delight yourself in the Lord” (v. 4). Have your focus on the Lord. Seek the Lord. Worship Him. What does your worship life have to do with your joy and contentment? Everything! We are created to bring the Lord glory, and when we do that, even in the midst of our laundry folding, or breastfeeding, or meal planning, we are being obedient to our life mission. Consider the ramifications of delighting in the Lord. Treasuring Him. Jon Hager said in his book, Not Primary Colors;

When we treasure God with all our being, worship will come naturally. The pearl of great price will be celebrated. Downturns in the stock market won’t dictate the worth of the day. Interpersonal struggles won’t determine our level of joy. Only the stench of our sin that hinders us from knowing Him better will horrify us. And we’ll boast in the Lord to any ear that will listen.

Hager, Not Primary Colors, Marble Falls, 2019. pg. 82.

True worship can be a response to treasuring the Lord. Or delighting in the Lord. And what follows? As our delight becomes the Lord- he gives us the desire of our heart- which is more of himself.

So if you are currently facing January blues, wishing 2020 had started some other way, or if you are bogged down with the monotony of your life, rest in this Psalm. Rest in the Lord. Wait for him patiently. Worship him. Trust him. When you realize the Lord is in control of your all then you truly have it all.

Happy New Year, Mamas.

Not Primary Colors can be purchased on Amazon. For more information, please look here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Primary-Colors-Biblical-Worship/dp/1692128930/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1T8RYIJT7DK65&keywords=jon+hager+not+primary+colors&qid=1578341369&sprefix=jon+hager+not+p%2Cdigital-text%2C228&sr=8-1