How Do I Grow Spiritually When Life Is Busy?

In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Paul speaks about a rule that “if a man does not work, he shall not eat”. And then we read in Ecclesiastes 10:19 that “money is the answer for everything”. This does not permit the unholy prioritization of money, but it is an indication that working is not an optional endeavour; it is non-negotiable for any man. It is survival.

Why Busyness Makes Spiritual Growth Feel Optional

The economy of the world we are in now is so rigid and unfriendly that, without a source of income, you are almost guaranteed a miserable life. So, everyone needs to get busy and make money. Many aspects of the life we desire seem tied to money.

The cost of living is on an upward trend, credit is piling up, and so are the bills. So, when a man or woman says they are too busy for God, it may sound a bit reasonable. The visible pressures of life often feel more real than faith in what we cannot yet see.

But the story will be different for someone who has tried so hard, being busy doing everything he can, and still the effort at working hard produces no result. It is at this point that we begin to realise the importance of a power that is bigger than us. At the point where all efforts fail is when we start to see the need to seek God.

Does Spiritual Growth Affect Success and Productivity?

Spiritual growth does not eliminate work, and it does not put aside the importance of making money and earning income. But your spirituality teaches you a targeted strategy for building wealth that you otherwise cannot think through by your own efforts. Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us that it is God who gives us the power to produce wealth.

It is okay to work hard, and it is okay to be busy, but it is not okay to be too busy for your spiritual growth. Because the strategy for a fruitful, less busy, and successful life lies in the growth of your relationship with God. The growth of your spiritual life sets the pace for the success of every other thing you get to do.

Spirituality Precedes Productivity

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus teaches us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the things we seek and are busy doing will be given to us. Seeking God, which is our spiritual growth, is the key to the good things of life without being too busy to rest.

Learning to grow spiritually when life is busy is a function of the choices we make and what we prioritize in our lives. Spiritual growth is not what comes to us effortlessly. It requires a conscious, deliberate, and determined effort to achieve. The devil knows the benefits of your spiritual growth and would cloud your life with so much noise that you would relegate the most important aspect of your life to the bottom.

The Danger of Distraction and Spiritual Neglect

John 10:10 tells us that the devil only comes to kill, steal, and destroy. This does not translate to you seeing a black creature with horns come to you; it is him stealing your time and flooding your life with pseudo-important things, such that you do not have the time for the really important things.

By the time you take stock of your life, you realize that you have been very busy but achieving little. Because what makes success possible and the time and effort put into the task worth it, is the God factor in it. That God factor comes from your relationship with God, which gives birth to your spiritual growth.

One truth that I need you to embrace is that you cannot reap the benefits of prayer if you are not praying. The secret to a gloriously fulfilled life is when you put in as much effort into your spiritual growth as you put into every other activity that is keeping you busy.

Why Spiritual Growth Requires Intentional Effort

In Matthew 11:12, Jesus informs us that the Kingdom of God is forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. The pursuit of God’s Kingdom requires determination and focus. It is so important that it requires force to take hold of it. There is so much benefit in being a child of God that your spiritual growth should be pursued with your life. You need to seek God like your life depends on it because it does depend on it.

There would be days when you don’t feel like praying; days when you tell yourself you will pray later and read the Bible later. And “later” turns to days and days into weeks and weeks into months and even years until your guards are totally down and you become utterly powerless. And that is exactly where the devil wants you to be.

It is important that you treat your spiritual growth like you would treat your physical growth. You need to feed your spirit just like you would feed your body. The Kingdom of God is advancing; it is not waiting, and so you need to pursue it and secure your position in it for your own benefit.

2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue”. What you need for life has been given to you, and so the responsibility of taking hold of it is yours. And this gift that pertains to life and godliness comes through the knowledge of God in you, which translates to your spiritual growth.

The only way to grow spiritually when life is busy is to make a firm and determined decision to put your spiritual growth as a priority in your life and on your time. It may not be easy, but it is doable. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will succeed.

The struggle with time is not a thing to be ashamed of. I am also often tempted to skip those activities that sustain my spiritual growth, and I can tell you that those other activities that I use my time for instead of God feel very important, too.

But I have learned to prioritize God in my life, knowing that God has power over all things and He makes all things work together for my good. What I miss while spending time with God will come back to me bigger and better.

Encouragement for the Christian Struggling with Time

Understanding the importance of God in the success of your efforts, you need to be intentional about making time for Him. A little time squeezed out of screentime, phone-call time, or even your sleep time will go a long way in boosting your spiritual growth, success of effort, and quality of life. Start small and grow it over time, but by all means, you need to start.

I pray that the Lord fights the battle of your time management for you and gives you victory. May the Lord enlighten your heart to what is truly important and help you fight against the noise and distraction that steal your time. 

If this message stirred something in your heart, don’t stop here. Here are books that go deeper into these truths—offering clarity, encouragement, and practical faith for real-life seasons. Each one was written to strengthen you where you are and help you walk forward with confidence in God. Explore the books and take the next step in your faith journey today. Click on the button below for details.                                               

 

How Can I Raise Godly Children When I Feel Overwhelmed?

There are days when parenting feels heavy, when you question whether you are doing enough — or doing it right. Days when the noise, correction, responsibility, and spiritual pressure feel overwhelming. And in those moments, you quietly ask: “Lord… how do I raise godly children when I feel like this?”

Parenting Is a Sacred Trust

Being a parent is such a beautiful blessing from God. That the Lord would entrust a human He formed in His own image and likeness in your hands is more than a privilege — it is sacred.

What I see in being a mother is that God trusts me enough to handle and care for what I didn’t create, but He created. It’s like building something beautiful and handing it to someone else. So, for me, and for many like-minded people, being a parent is a blessing, and God would never bless us to stress us.

The Intentionality and Spirituality of Parenting

When God was laying a curse on the serpent in Genesis 3:15, he declared that “He will put enmity between the woman and the serpent and between its offspring and hers. He will crush the serpent’s head, and the serpent will strike his heels.”

While it can be assumed that the offspring of the woman here may be referring to Jesus Christ, it is not far-fetched that the devil is on a permanent mission to destroy the offspring of the woman. With this truth, it becomes very important that, as parents, we raise godly children who are well-equipped to crush the head of the serpent.

My reasoning in this matter is this: Based on the declaration of God in Genesis 3:15, the first to strike is very important. If the serpent strikes first, it affects the heel of the offspring, which is needed to crush the head of the serpent. If the offspring strikes first, he crushes the head of the serpent, and a dead serpent cannot strike back. Genesis 3:15 reveals that there is a spiritual battle over offspring. That makes intentional parenting spiritually significant.

Raising Godly Children Is Not an “I” Assignment

Malachi 2:15 tells us that one of the reasons why God established and ordained marriage is because He seeks godly offspring from their union. Then we learned in Genesis 18:19 that God chose Abraham so that he would direct his children and household to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.

The first thing I want to highlight is that raising godly offspring is not a responsibility of just one parent. Marriage is the joining together of a man and a woman, witnessed by God and expected by God to raise godly children from their union. Scripture shows fathers taking responsibility for directing their households, while mothers actively partner in shaping and nurturing the children.

God expects that there would be low moments in a man’s life, and when I say man, I mean both male and female. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us that “two are better than one because they have a return for their work, if one falls, the other will help him up.” I believe this is the reason why God designed raising godly children as an assignment for couples and not just one individual. God knows there will be low moments, and so He had prepared for that ahead of time.

The question we are trying to get an answer to in this blog is: “How can I raise godly children when I feel overwhelmed?” The first answer to that question is that raising godly children is not an “I” assignment, but a “we” assignment. So, when, as a parent, you feel overwhelmed, you should have the support of your spouse to fall back on.

A Parenting Secret for Married and Single Parents

But more than the support of your spouse, and for those who are single parents, there is a bit of a secret to raising godly children that we need to explore. Isaiah 54:13 says, “All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children’s peace.”  This is God taking the burden of raising godly children off you. He is reminding you that you are not raising your children alone.

Psalm 55:22 tells us to cast our cares on the Lord, and he will sustain us, He will never let the righteous fall. When God gives you an assignment, He equips you for it, and because He knows there will be times when you will feel overwhelmed, He says at such times, bring the burden to Me (God).  

So, when we understand that our children are taught by the Lord, and we have free, unhindered access to approach God with all our cares, including the stress that has caused us to be overwhelmed, then we begin to see the answer more clearly.

Parenting in Faith Requires Actions

But when we cast our cares unto the Lord and trust that our children will be taught by Him, does that remove all responsibilities of raising godly children from us and place them on God? Maybe not literally like I have just stated. Casting our care on the Lord is done in prayers and seasoned by our faith.

But faith without deeds is dead. We have Proverbs 22:6 that tells us to train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it. We still have to train the child or children; it will just be made easy by our prayer and faith in God and His word, whereby you are raising your child and not getting overwhelmed doing it.

The Lord teaches your children, but God is Spirit; you will be the body carrying the presence of God, acting out God’s will for the life of your child. God then teaches your child through you. One very simple way of God teaching your child through you is when your life becomes a living example, a godly illustration for your child to emulate.

It is when your child sees God in you, and he is trained by what he is seeing and learning from your life. In such a situation, your child is not taught by words or intense discipline but by your righteous living.

Your Life is a Sermon Used by the Lord in Training Your Child Without You Getting Overwhelmed

Training a child in the way of the Lord begins with training oneself in the way of the Lord. Children learn faster from what they see than what they are told. A parent is expected to practice what he preaches. When you do this first, you are one step closer to raising a godly child without getting overwhelmed.

It is not strange, as a matter of fact, it is a common occurrence that children follow in the footsteps of their parents. So, it is important that as a parent, you are deliberate and conscious of the footprints you are leaving as you live your life.

My first son in the university is determined and passionately focused on pursuing the same career as his father. When you ask him what his motivation is, he is quick to say it’s his Dad. His father is his role model.

Parenting With Discernment and Sensitivity

Another way that God teaches your child through you is by giving you a discerning spirit. When your child seems to be drifting away, the Holy Spirit alerts your spirit to act and also directs you on what actions to take that correct the situation effectively. For this approach, your sensitivity is important.

Training in Love While Setting Boundaries

Children often need validation, and they need to feel protected. Communicating with your children and being open and truthful with them, even when it makes you look vulnerable, is a tool in raising godly children. However, it’s important to set and maintain boundaries and balance love, firmness, and discipline. You should also be available to listen to them.

Even when you feel overwhelmed, ensure you discipline your children well. The Bible tells us that when we spare the rod, we spoil the child (Proverbs 13:24). Refraining from stern discipline is not the correct way of expressing love to your child.

The Bible says it is, in fact, a display of hatred. So, when we love our children, we are careful to discipline them. But disciplining in love for correctional purposes is love. Disciplining in hatred, as a means of transferring aggression, is abuse. That is the difference.

So, How Do You Raise Godly Children When You Feel Overwhelmed

So, to put this all together, as a married parent, the assignment to raise godly offspring is not yours to bear alone. That is why God brought you and your spouse together in marriage. When you feel overwhelmed, your spouse should help.

Raising children who fear and love God is a burden you should carry to God in prayers. He takes the burden off you, trains your children, and does a good job of it far beyond what you can do by yourself.

This is not to say that you will not still have long days, or absolve you of your parental duties completely, but you will no longer feel alone in this assignment. Because when God is heavily involved, the heavy responsibilities become grace-filled assignments.

Final Encouragement

I pray the Lord bless you with children who bring peace to your life and joy to your heart in Jesus’ name.

Amen

If this message stirred something in your heart, don’t stop here. Here are books that go deeper into these truths—offering clarity, encouragement, and practical faith for real-life seasons. Each one was written to strengthen you where you are and help you walk forward with confidence in God. Explore the books and take the next step in your faith journey today. Click on the button below for details.                                               

 

What Does the Bible Say About Anxiety?

Anxiety is that tight feeling in your chest when the future feels uncertain. It is defined as “worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. It can also be described as a feeling of fear, dread,  and uneasiness, often characterized by a future-oriented, excessive, and uncontrollable worry about potential threats.

In the description of anxiety, there are two important characteristics that I want to focus on a little. These two characteristics are “worry” and “fear”. So, as we try to understand the position of God on anxiety, we will also be looking at what the Bible says about worry and fear.

Anxiety can make you feel like you are carrying the world alone. It whispers that you must solve everything yourself and at a stated time. And when you cannot, it makes you feel like you have failed.

Is Anxiety a Sin According to the Bible?

Anxiety is something we have all felt at some point in time, in varying degrees and complexity. And even being in a close relationship with God, you are still not immune to anxiety. At times of anxiety, your faith is tested, and your trust in God is put through the fire. And I would like to say that neither anxiety, fear, nor worry has been labelled as a sin in the Bible.

Although anxiety, fear, and worry have their negative effects on our faith, they in themselves do not constitute a sin. They may lead to sin, they may affect one’s physical health and damage the body, but they are not regarded as a sin in the Bible.

So, when you panic over bills that are not paid, or your health that is falling, or your children that are not doing well, or your marriage that is failing, or where the next meal is coming from, what is happening is that you are getting anxious. Getting concerned over things like this is not a sin, but it attacks your faith, encourages fear, and can make you sin eventually if not checked.

What the Bible Says About Anxiety

Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

The scripture above is what the Bible tells us about anxiety. In my own words, I hear Paul saying in this scripture that you should not panic concerning anything. This does not mean there won’t be situations that will make you panic, but your knowledge of Christ should boost your faith that you have peace, the peace of God.

In 2 Timothy 1:7, it says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”. In this scripture, Paul is encouraging us not to be afraid of anything. Fear is not of God; it does not solve any problem, and it does not produce any benefit.  

Note that the fact that the scripture encourages us not to be afraid of anything does not translate to living carelessly and dangerously in the name of having faith. If you are sick, you are still encouraged to see a doctor and live a healthy life. Staying idle, without working, and having faith alone will lead to poverty. Deuteronomy 6:16 and Mathew 4:7 remind us not to tempt the Lord.

How to Overcome Anxiety Biblically

We have learned that the Bible says we should not be anxious and that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the reality still stands in the fact that things that make us anxious exist. The reality is still that the bills are piling up, the marriage is shaking, the health is failing, and the testing of our faith is real. So, how do we reconcile our reality with what the scripture is saying?

In Philippians 4:19, Paul said, “And God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. If God is telling you not to panic or be anxious, it is because He already has you covered. The heaven and the earth and all that is in them belong to God, so if He tells you not to panic, it is because He has what is required to meet your needs within His reach. And He makes these resources available to you at the exact time when you need them.

Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.” And 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that you always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work”.

The two scriptures above are just so profound. It is not just that God will meet your needs; He will exceed them. As a matter of fact, as long as you remain in Him, if you can think a thing and you ask, you will receive. God supplies what aligns with His will and His purpose for you — and He does so abundantly. So, when God says, " You should not be anxious about anything, it’s because there is an abundance of resources to establish that which He has declared.

What Jesus Taught About Worry

The teachings of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 are worth discussing before concluding this blog. Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on”. In this teaching, Jesus says, " Your life is worth more than food, and your body more than clothes”. And this is Jesus teaching us to prioritize the order of things in our lives.

He gave examples of the birds and flowers that neither sow nor reap, yet they are well taken care of by God. But the deep thought for me in this scripture is when Jesus highlights that worry adds nothing of value to our lives. It does not add to our quality of life, nor does it solve any problem. If Jesus sees it so, then we should also.

Practical Ways to Fight Anxiety with Faith

So, when you ask, “What does the bible say about anxiety”? We have looked at this from three different standpoints: anxiety, fear, and worry. And for all three, the Bible does not deny that they exist; it teaches us how to respond to them because they drain your faith and leave you worse off.

But Jesus gave us the right solution to our concerns. He says to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things will be added to us. And Paul gave us a similar solution, he says, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  

It can be tough when we are faced with situations that test our faith, and not be anxious, worry, or be afraid. But if God has pulled through for you once, you can be sure He’ll pull through for you again. One good approach is to keep a portfolio record of your blessings. As long as you are a true child of God, if He did it for you before, He will do it again. God never fails.

Anxiety may visit you. But it does not have permission to stay. Not when you know the God who holds tomorrow.

If this message stirred something in your heart, don’t stop here. Here are books that go deeper into these truths—offering clarity, encouragement, and practical faith for real-life seasons. Each one was written to strengthen you where you are and help you walk forward with confidence in God. Explore the books and take the next step in your faith journey today. Click on the button below for details.

                                                    

 

Can God Forgive Me if I Keep Falling?

It is interesting that a lot of times we resolve in our hearts to live for God, to run away from sin and live holy, but often, it is then that temptations get heightened and the pressure to fall gets doubled. It’s just as if the hold of sin gets tighter.

The Struggle Against Falling

My own personal experience comes with the determination to go on a fast. On a regular day, I can run on 8 hours without food, especially when I am very busy, but the moment I decide to go on a fast, I start to feel a bang in my stomach even before noon.

Paul captures this in Romans 7:15, when he said, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do.” So, if you feel just like this, then you are not alone. We are more in this than you can possibly imagine.

I want to assume that the falling we are speaking of is the falling into sin, because that is what we need God to forgive us for. One beautiful thing about God is that He is a righteous and merciful judge, faithful to forgive all our sins.

God Still Loves Me Even When I Keep Falling

Lamentations 3:22-23 reads, “Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassion never fails. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” This is the posture of God to all of us whom He created. Remember that He created us in His image and likeness. So, He loves us deeply.

Proverbs 24:16 tells us that though a righteous man may fall seven times, he will rise again. When Peter asked Jesus how many times one can forgive their brother who has sinned against them, He responded by saying seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22). If God asks us to forgive our neighbors that much, you can be sure He forgives us much more.   

The Sinful Nature of Man

The nature of man is to sin; that has been our inherited state since the time Adam fell. The ability to live a righteous life without divine support is not in man. The more a man tries to live righteously in his own effort without falling, the more he falls, and the Lord is aware of this.

Isaiah 64:6 says, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags”. God understands the natural state of man; He knows that without His intervention, we cannot attain holiness. The inherent nature of man is sin. And even though God cannot condone sin, He still helps us live above it.

When God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins, He didn’t give any limit to the number of sins Jesus died for. There were no categories of sin that were exempted from that mission. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The category is: everyone and every sin.

The Redemptive Work of Jesus for the Fallen Man

So, the first assurance that we have from the Bible is that God has taken care of all these sins for everyone by presenting His Son, Jesus Christ, as an atonement sacrifice through faith in His blood (Romans 3:25). So, the righteousness that God is seeking is not the one that comes from self-act of righteousness that is like a filthy rag, but the righteousness that comes through faith in the blood of Jesus.  

That is why we read in Romans 8:1 that "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”. This is because our acts of righteousness come not from our self-effort and a struggle with sin that we cannot win. After all, our nature is sin, but by that which comes from our strong faith in Jesus and His finished work for us.  

God Forgives Man, But Hates Sin

In Psalms 103:3, we have a confirmation that God forgives all our sins, not some, but all. But that does not give us an open blanket permission to sin. We can sin and be sure of receiving forgiveness, but that is not an open cheque permission to sin deliberately. God hates sin, and we see that everywhere in the Bible. Psalms 5:4, Proverbs 6:16-19

God loves us, no doubt, and He cares for us deeply. But He hates sin. Hebrews 12:14 tells us that without holiness, we cannot see God. When you keep falling into sin, that does not remove His love for you, but it weakens your intimacy with Him.

In Romans 6:1, Paul asked, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” God loves us so much, but He hates the sin in us because He is Holy, and if we must gain access to Him as His children, then we must do so in holiness.

Forgiving us of our numerous sins is not a problem for God; He does that all the time. The worry is not about the forgiveness, it’s about the “keep falling” because God does not want us to keep falling.

Living Sin Free Through the Holy Spirit

Romans 8:3-4 says, “for what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in sinful man in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

We know that the inherent nature of a man is sin; no matter how hard we try in our own effort, we will keep falling into sin. With our baggage of sin, we cannot have access to God. So, God did something profound: He sent His son, first as a sacrificial payment for our sins, so that the back-and-forth case of falling is taken care of, and then fulfilled in us the ability not to keep falling by giving us the Spirit of His Son.

Ephesians 1:13 reads, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit”. This scripture is where it all begins. You receive the gospel of Christ and believe in Jesus. With that decision, you are marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:11 says, “And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you”. Once you believe in Jesus, you are marked with God’s promised Holy Spirit. This same Spirit was in Christ Jesus, and now He is in You.

Jesus carried the Holy Spirit in Him, and so though He was in the likeness of a sinful man, He was able to live without sin. That is the same Holy Spirit that God has deposited in those who receive Jesus. When we stop living according to our flesh, which is our sinful nature, and start living according to the Spirit, we begin to live without sin. The battle against “keep falling” is then won in our lives.

So, to answer the question: “Can God Forgive Me if I Keep Falling?” The answer is that God has forgiven you all of your sins, and we know that because the Bible has said so. But God does not want you to keep falling. He wants you to live a righteous life, and that cannot be in your sinful nature or self-effort. It can only happen when you receive Jesus, believe in Him, and live according to the Holy Spirit.

If this message stirred something in your heart, don’t stop here. Here are books that go deeper into these truths—offering clarity, encouragement, and practical faith for real-life seasons. Each one was written to strengthen you where you are and help you walk forward with confidence in God. Explore the books and take the next step in your faith journey today. Click on the button below for details.

                                                    

 

 

 

 

Why Does God Make Us Wait?

Waiting for answers to prayers, a miracle, or any form of divine intervention can feel like punishment sometimes. Especially when there is a supposed timeline attached to your request, and the clock is ticking, and nothing is shifting.

Nothing stretches your faith and trust in God as much as when you have to wait on Him. In Proverbs 13:12, King Solomon, in his wisdom, says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” If waiting for what seems like a lifetime makes the heart sick, then why does God make us wait?

In my quest for answers, trusting that God reveals great and unsearchable things to us when we pray, I decided to seek counsel from the Holy Spirit, and I was led to Isaiah 40:31. It reads like this: But those who hope (wait) in the Lord shall renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they walk and not faint.

No matter how difficult waiting on God may appear to be, it is designed by God intentionally to build strength in us. But we also learn in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that in God’s faithfulness, He will not tempt us beyond what we can bear, and even at that, He always makes a way of escape, so that we are able to bear it.

So, waiting on God is designed to be a process of strength building in us by God. It is not a punishment; it is a training. When you wait on God, your ability to trust God to do for you that which you have prayed for, even when you are not seeing it happen, and the clock is ticking, is tested.

The kind of strength that Daniel had in him when he had to enter the lion’s den with an unshakable trust that God would save him is an example of what waiting on God builds in us. James 1:3-4 says, “Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

The reason why God is making us wait is that He has a mission to make us mature, complete, and not lacking anything. Google defines mature as “a state of full physical, emotional, or mental development, often associated with adulthood, responsibility, and wisdom.” I suppose this aligns with what the scripture is talking about in James 1:3-4.

This discovery is a big revelation to me, and it is also reassuring. To know the reason why God makes me wait, as a plan to develop me into maturity, tells of God’s great love for me.

Now that we understand the reason why God makes us wait, the next thing to think about is what we should be doing while we wait. And the first thing that comes to mind is that while we wait, we need to keep renewing our strength.

The waiting season is not the time to give up hope. It’s not a season to conclude within you that God has forsaken you or forgotten you. In Isaiah 41:13-16, we read of God reassuring us not to be afraid because He will help us. He will make us into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. The waiting season is the making season. You are not just waiting; God is making you into something far more valuable than you can make yourself into.

The result of God’s making is always very beautiful. It is those who have successfully waited on God who have the capacity to soar on wings like eagles. They are the ones who have built the capacity and strength to run and not be weary. They have persevered and developed in maturity and wisdom and can weather the storms of life without losing balance. They are complete and lack nothing. So, waiting on God may be hard at that moment, but it comes with great gain.

I have waited on God for many things in my life. I have prayed for one thing from God for more than 5 years before getting an answer. But in truth, my answer eventually came, when I least expected it, and in the dimension that I least expected.

There were times that I had prayed to God for things for days and months and years. I would pray for so long without a response, and when it looked like my faith was failing, I would start to praise Him. For me, praising God helps my trust in Him. I get reassured of His faithfulness when I praise above prayer. And He always comes through.

Waiting on God, even when you are tempted to doubt, is the strength of your trust in God. You are waiting on God because you trust Him, and guess what, God does not toy with your trust. Psalms 25:3 tells us that those who wait on God will not be put to shame.

Waiting on God; trusting God is an act of righteousness, and Psalms 37:25 assures us that the righteous are never forsaken. And the psalmist in Psalms 40:1 tells us that "he waited patiently on the Lord, and God turned to him and heard his cry." Waiting on the Lord is not there to last forever; when the training is over, the reward is earned.  

And the reward always far outweighs the training process. This waiting is like a seed sown that produces a harvest that exceeds what was sown. Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

There is another angle of waiting that I want to touch on as I conclude this blog. Sometimes, when we have to wait, it may be that God is preparing us for the answer to our prayers. But other times, it may be that He is preparing the answer for us.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God has made everything beautiful in its time. In Habakkuk 2:3, He tells us that the vision is for an appointed time. If it tarries, we should wait for it because it will surely come. God will not give us a gift that will destroy us. The package of His gift for our lives must be deposited in us at the appropriate and fitting time.

I have been immensely encouraged as I write this blog, and I trust that it will bless you as much as it blessed me. As mentioned earlier, I have waited on God many times and for many reasons. I have developed a strong trust in Him because, despite the wait, He always comes through.

So, when I pray, and I don’t get an immediate answer, I am consoled by the fact that if He did it for me before, He’ll do it again, no matter how long it takes, and that has helped me address my anxiety when my prayers are not answered quickly enough.

But now, I have learned that God is building strength in me while I wait. I am ignorantly learning perseverance while I wait; I am growing in wisdom while I wait; I am maturing while I wait. So, I’ll encourage you not to grumble when God makes you wait, don’t lose faith when He makes you wait, don’t stop trusting when He makes you wait. He is building something in you that you cannot build in yourself. 

If this message stirred something in your heart, don’t stop here. Here are books that go deeper into these truths—offering clarity, encouragement, and practical faith for real-life seasons. Each one was written to strengthen you where you are and help you walk forward with confidence in God. Explore the books and take the next step in your faith journey today. Click on the button below for details.

                                                    

How Can a Christian Mother Avoid Burnout?

Strange as this may sound, mothers were not designed for burnout. This is a truth worth reflecting on. Let me start by saying that the assignment to raise the children belongs to the father, while the assignment to nurture the children belongs to the wife. And let me finish by saying the assignment to take care of a wife belongs to her husband. 

But the more interesting truth is that whichever way we choose to look at this, between God and the husband, a wife/mother is guided away from any form of burnout. This doesn't say that the wife sits idly in the home, but the tasks she takes on should be such that she does not experience any burnout.

What I have written above is the ideal way things should be, but I recognise that it may not be so for everyone, so let’s trust God to grant us insight into how a Christian mother can avoid burnout. The first scripture that comes to mind is Psalm 46:1, and it says, “God is our refuge and strength; A very present help in trouble.”

This scripture goes beyond you being in trouble, because trouble is subjective. What is simple for one person may be trouble for another, but I would like to see this as God being available for us whenever we need help. A mother experiencing burnout is one who needs help, and this scripture tells us outright where the help comes from.

Without overgeneralizing this issue, I want to try to break down some possible causes of burnout for Christian mothers and how we can address these causes based on the truth of the Bible.

I had mentioned earlier that the task of training a child belongs to the father, and a few stories in the Bible come to mind at this time. In Genesis 18:19, God revealed that he chose Abraham that he might direct his children and household to keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice. Note that God didn’t choose Sarah, but Abraham. That assignment to train and direct was for Abraham.

Also in Job chapter 1, it was Job who had the custom of purifying his children and not Job’s wife. 1 Timothy 3:4 says that for a man to be considered as a church overseer, he must be a man who rules over his household and have his children in submission with all reverence. So, to say that he must be a man who has trained his children well.

If training the children is a reason why a Christian mother would experience burnout, it is important to note that the primary person owning the assignment to train children is the father. As a suitable helper to her husband, she will have to help out, and most importantly, nurture and care for the children, but the father owns this task. And she should not experience burnout while assisting.

Another possible reason why a Christian mother will experience burnout is that a lot of the weight of the home is placed on her shoulders. She is the home builder as found in Proverbs 14:1. So, she is burnt out with taking care of the house, the children, her husband, and, in some cases, her career. 

At this point, I would like to restate that a husband's primary assignment is to love his wife unconditionally as himself and as Christ loves the church. While a wife is to build her home, her husband is to ensure that she is not overburdened doing so.

And then, Isaiah 40:31 tells us that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. The first solution to avoiding burnout is to run to God and wait there till He does for you what you cannot do for yourself. Remember Philippians 4:13 tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

For every assignment and task that God has entrusted to you to do, He has made provision for you to carry on those tasks stress-free if you are not relying on your effort but on God’s strength. The strategy for engagement without burnout is hidden in God, and once you find Him and ask, you will find that strategy. God did not bless you to stress you.

As Christian mothers, there is no singular rule or code that applies to all by which we can avoid burnout. But God is mindful of the peculiarity of each situation, and he is available to solve each individual situation, case by case. The situation in each home is different, and so the solutions will be different, and those solutions are found in God.

For example, I am a mother of four, living with my children in a different country from where my husband lives and works. This is not the ideal situation, but my husband is the sole provider for the family, and the economy of the world today has made us find ourselves in this situation.

For many years in my marriage, I have had the children with me while my husband works elsewhere. That has laid on me the responsibility of not just nurturing my children but also training them. Remember, I told you that the training of a child belongs to the father.

But what God did for me was that He prevented me from working without lacking in provision. I did not choose that for myself, but God did. I do not have much, but my needs are met. So, I can focus on the home without having a burnout. And that is why I am encouraging mothers not to carry the weight on their own effort but to lay the burden at the feet of Jesus.

My children are a bit grown now, and now the Lord is giving me the freedom to do other things that will generate income and keep me busy. I have written six books now, and I have a platform where I share encouragements, such as I am doing now.

In conclusion, even though I would have loved to give Christian mothers a specific trick or strategy on how to avoid burnout, the truth remains that there is no singular technique that works across the board. But you have God, who has a specific strategy perfectly fit for your specific situation. Run to Him, and He will lead the way.

He loves you too much to see you crushed under the weight that is bigger than you. He does not want you to burn out. 

If this message stirred something in your heart, don’t stop here. Here are books that go deeper into these truths—offering clarity, encouragement, and practical faith for real-life seasons. Each one was written to strengthen you where you are and help you walk forward with confidence in God. Explore the books and take the next step in your faith journey today. Click on the button below for details.

                                                    

How Do I Know God’s Will for My Life?

Knowing God’s will for your life depends on the area of your life you need understanding in. But in this blog, we will talk about the area of your life that relates to work and prosperity.

The first thing you need to know with regard to God’s will for your life is found in Jeremiah 29:11, and it says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” So, without letting your mind wander too far, the first encouragement that is sure and true is that God’s plans for you contain prosperity, hope, and a good future.

But there are moments and seasons of your life that feel like a crossroad experience. There are times you feel lost within yourself, and you just aren’t sure the direction your life is taking or should take. Those moments when you are trying to figure out your purpose in life, the career path you should follow, the kind of business to venture into, and you really would love to know the mind of God for your life in this matter.

I can relate to this because I have been there a million times over. As a grown woman, a wife, and a mother of four, I have very little time for myself, and I often wonder if I have a dream for my life, let alone pursuing such a dream, whatever that may be. So, this topic is one that I can personally relate to.

One of the surest ways of knowing God’s will for your life is by asking Him. Jeremiah 29:12-13 says, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” The first thing I am learning here is the need to be hungry for an answer. The posture of your heart when you seek God for answers says a lot about whether you get one or not.

Still on the issue of asking, Jeremiah 33:2-3 says, “This is what the Lord says, He who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is His name. ‘Call to me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’” With a heart hungry for answers and ready to receive, God is telling us to ask, and He will answer, and open up the mystery of who He has purposed us to be to us.

This is as straightforward as it can get, but there is a downside to it. How are we able to hear from God? What if what you are told by Him does not make sense? What if you cannot rationalise what you have heard?  

I think it is safe to say that if you have prayed and you have heard from God and you are convinced it is God speaking to you, then whatever you have heard, please pursue it and be diligent in it. But understand that God will not give you an assignment He has not equipped you for.

Exodus 31:1-6

Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also, I have given skills to all craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you.

 From the scripture above, another convenient way to know God’s will for your life in terms of your life’s purpose is to be sensitive to your talents and abilities. What is it that God has given you skill, ability, and knowledge in? You know those things you are good at doing, and you excel in effortlessly; that is your purpose. That is God’s will for your life.

If you have been able to catch a glimpse of your special skill, ability, and knowledge, and you have prayed and have confirmed your purpose and direction with God, you need to understand that the prosperity that God promised may not manifest overnight. So, if you think you know your calling and things are not happening yet, please continue reading.

Proverbs 12:24 tells us that diligent hands rule. Diligence is not restricted to just working hard but working hard persistently. What this scripture is saying is that you need to put consistent effort into your craft to gain mastery of it before it begins to become profitable for you.

The fact that you tried a couple of times does not make it invalid. Understand the fact that God gave you the skill, but He will need to grow you into the skill, such that you understand and have knowledge in it to perfection, before showing you off to the world. Every skill and knowledge God gives you requires training.  

Jumping from one career field to another is a big time-waster. And so, you need clarity, which comes from prayer and your ability to hear from God, and then you need resilience, which is the training process to prosper in God’s will for your life. Consider your resilience and determination as the seed you need to sow in order to have the harvest of prosperity from the skill and ability that God has given you.

But one thing you should never do is consider that someone is prospering in their own area of ability and skill and covet that ability and pursue the skill without first asking God if that is His will for your life. In such a situation, no matter your resilience and determination, if God has not given you the skill for that trade, career, or purpose, you are just wasting your time.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” And verse 11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Finally, Habakkuk 2:3 says, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end, and it will not prove false. Though it lingers, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

All the scriptures in the paragraph above speak of one thing—the time of the manifestation of skill. The skill, ability, and knowledge that God has given you are there to prosper you, but the timing of that prosperity is determined by God alone.

If there is a waiting season, then the waiting season is a training season. The resilience, persistent effort, and continuous hard work are seeds that precede the harvest. Without the seed, there is no harvest.

So, in answering the question “How do I know God’s will for my life?” The first thing is to pray. You need to pray with a hunger in your heart for an objective answer. You need to be sensitive to your special skill, ability, and knowledge—that ability that makes you take on some special tasks without getting bored. Then you need to put in persistent effort till it becomes a prosperous task for you.

If this message stirred something in your heart, don’t stop here. Here are books that go deeper into these truths—offering clarity, encouragement, and practical faith for real-life seasons. Each one was written to strengthen you where you are and help you walk forward with confidence in God. Explore the books and take the next step in your faith journey today. Click on the button below for details.