How Putting God First Makes Me a Better Mom

When you become a mom, it’s inevitable that your patience will be tested. Even if you consider yourself the most patient person in the world, it will happen — trust me.

Your precious baby might be ready to party at 3:00 in the morning. Every. Single. Night.

Your talented toddler might color on your light tan sofa with a black permanent marker (that your husband left out)…twice.

Your preschooler might beg you to play Candyland when you’re trying to finish a blog post (like maybe this one…) because you totally forgot to do it when the kids were asleep last night.

It happens every day, multiple times a day. Some days are easier than others and then some days make you want to hide in the closet with chocolate and Netflix and wonder how in the world you were allowed to become a mom.

I still have those moments every once in awhile, but lately, I’ve found myself being much more patient and feeling less like a failure of a mom because I finally understand and implement a concept I’ve struggled with since becoming a mother almost four years ago.

I put God first.

I’ve been a believer for as long as I remember, but I didn’t really grow up doing the whole church/Bible study thing. So for me, the idea of putting God first was foreign for most of my life. It seemed to me that my kids should be my first priority, and for a long time, they were. God is faithful, though, and I can see now how He’s directed my path throughout the years to develop a more personal relationship with Him; one in which I have learned the importance of spending time with Him.

So how, as a mom with two very rambunctious and busy little boys, do I actually go about putting God first?

Every morning, I make my coffee and sit down with a devotional reading or short Bible study. I don’t often wake up before my early-riser 19-month old, so my time is sometimes filled with little distractions. I’ll refill sippy cups, give hugs, and even hold my toddler sometimes, but most requests wait to be fulfilled until I am done. The key, I’ve found, is to be intentional about my time. Even if it’s only five minutes, I try to make the most of it.

My time in the morning helps me start the day off on a high note and makes it easier to be the woman I feel God calling me to be. I’ve got a long way to go, but I’ll get there. For now, I’m enjoying my growing confidence in the Lord, that extra patience when I really need it, and feeling like I’m actually doing okay, even good, at this mom thing sometimes.