Bringing Scripture to Mind When We Need It Most
If we spend any amount of time scrolling social media, we can find a host of “motherhood affirmations” or “mantras” meant to empower us to make it through the day. There are t-shirts that boast, “Fueled by caffeine and chaos,” mugs that affirm, “I’m a good mom,” and jewelry designed to remind us that, “You’re enough.” The world recognizes that words have the power to shape our thoughts and influence our actions, but are the words we’re reflecting on actually true?
Motherhood manuals, Instagram captions, and informational TikToks offer instruction regarding what we should do and say in almost every parenting circumstance—when our children throw a tantrum, when they fight, when their feelings are hurt, when they’re curious about their bodies, and the list goes on. We desperately want to respond well in the moment, but how do we know what’s right? How do we know what words and actions we should use to instruct the hearts of our kids?
Scripture tells us not to be conformed to this age but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we will be able to discern the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.[1] So, how do we renew our minds with the truth? How can we discern the will of God? To know the truth and live by it, we must look to a book that clearly outlines it for us: God’s Word.
Truth at the Ready
As mothers, we don’t exactly have time to whip out our phones and search, “What Scripture relates to stirring up strife?” or “What Bible verses discourage quarreling and arguing?” when our kids are on the brink of another conflict. Or when we find ourselves spiraling into a motherhood meltdown, we don’t always have the mental clarity to reach for our Bibles and turn to the perfect chapter of the Psalms for encouragement. We need ready access to God’s Word so that the Holy Spirit can bring Scripture to mind when we need it most. That’s why the Psalmist wrote, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). As Donald Whitney says, “A pertinent scriptural truth, brought to your awareness by the Holy Spirit at just the right moment, can be the weapon that makes the difference in a spiritual battle.”[2]
Truth for All Ages
But isn’t it impossible to memorize God’s Word when we barely have time to crack open our Bibles and study them? Try as we may, our attempts to soak in the Scriptures are often interrupted by the needs of our little people. But what would happen if we welcomed them into our memorization efforts, even though it might feel a little less productive? In doing so, we can employ Moses’ instruction to the Israelites when he said:
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
What does it mean to keep the commands of the Lord on our hearts? Memorizing Scripture with our kiddos enables us to keep God’s Word at the forefront of our minds and on our lips, making us ready to diligently teach its truths to our children whenever, wherever we are.
Consider 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 which says, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” If we commit this passage to memory, we’re able to come alongside our kiddos when they bicker and ask, “What is love?” instead of reacting with, “Don’t do that!” or “Would you guys just stop?!”
Think about Isaiah 41:10 which says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” If this passage is hidden in our hearts, we can pray it over frightened children when they call to us in the middle of the night by saying, “Lord, would you help this little one not to fear, knowing that you are with her? Would you help her not to be dismayed, knowing that you are her God? Would you strengthen her, help her, and uphold her with your righteous right hand?”
Truth That Holds Us Fast
When we feel like we don’t have the strength to make it through another day, Romans 8:11 reminds us that, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” As the nights bleed into days, Psalm 119:148 encourages us to face sleeplessness with anticipation by saying, “My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.” If we don’t know what to do, Psalm 119:33 fuels honest prayers of humility that ask, “Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.” When we’re at the end of ourselves, Hebrews 10:23 reminds us to “Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
So, where do we start? How can we begin to rehearse the truths of God’s Word with our children today? Ask the Lord to bring a passage to mind that you can read and repeat for however long it takes. Put it on sticky note, set it to a beat, and welcome your children to memorize alongside you. Remember, it’s not about the number of verses you have memorized—Scripture memory is about knowing more of God as you think upon his words. By God’s grace, that can happen at any pace and you can begin right now.
[1] Romans 12:2
[2] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2014), 39.
