Is Patience Even Possible as a Mom?

Is it even possible to have patience, especially as a mom?

I wonder this a lot, especially as a mother. I had PERFECT patience before kids. In fact, other kids rarely bothered me at all. I loved kids! I loved to babysit, hold babies, and watch toddlers. When we look up the word patience, I guarantee my picture is NOT there now. My own children get under my skin like nothing else! And after talking with other moms, especially moms of multiple children, we have that ONE child which knows exactly how to push our buttons – and enjoys pushing the button every single day.

When I look up patience in the Bible, sure, it is associated with the fruit of the spirit. Christians are to be working and striving to add patience to our lives. Little by little, we can grow patience like a fruit. It will come, or so we hope it does.

I’ll be honest with you: I had stopped praying for patience because it seemed hopeless. It seemed a waste of time, because once I overcame on small little annoyance my children developed, another new annoyance popped up! I felt like I was trapped and maybe “one day I’ll have patience….”

As I was looking again to God’s word for help, I found this verse:

“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Ecclesiastes 7:8 –  (KJV) 

It hit me then, momma friend: patience is the opposite of pride. And it makes sense. When do you and I struggle the most with patience? When we don’t get our way. When we think our ideas, our thoughts, our commands and wishes are not being met or obeyed.

I think if my children would only put their shoes on the first time I ask, I would not get mad.
I think if my children would pick up their dirty laundry without me having to tell them, I would not lose my patience.
I think if my children would…..

Prideful. The heart attitude behind my excuses is pride. They are excuses – my children need to obey,  yes – but losing my patience and becoming unkind is not a way to ignite their obedience. Pride is simply having a higher view of oneself.

Do I have pride with my children and “my ways”?
Do I have patience with my children, desiring to teach them truth through a loving example?

Ouch. Its true, I fall more into the first category. May God’s Word spark in my heart the desire to change. May His Spirit ignite in me a fire of humility. May I remember to be kind and gentle in all of my repossess.  Not because I have to, but because patience is so much better than pride.

Patience seems impossible, especially when they JUST DON’T LISTEN! But it is possible, when we see the root of patience is humility.

He hath shown thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8

Blessings friend!

 Connect with me!

Facebook / / Twitter / / Instagram / / Pinterest

Do you struggle with fear?

Join me as we read through the Psalms to find out who God is…in the middle of our fear! Click here to get 41 Days of Psalms – for FREE!