Finding Peace in the Chaos: A Psalm 23 Reflection for Moms

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It feels cliché when I confess that my favorite passage of Scripture is Psalm 23. This almost seems like a copout, an easy, thoughtless answer. After all, everyone knows Psalm 23, right? Even nonbelievers are often familiar with its sentiments. However, as I’ve grown older and become a mother, I’ve discovered there is a reason Psalm 23 is timeless, like a literary classic that survives the ages:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; 

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.” (NKJV)

If it’s been a while since you have soaked in Psalm 23, taken it word for word, and let it sustain your worn soul, I encourage you to dust off that chapter of your Bible and join me as we look at seven key ways to find rest when motherhood leaves you so busy that weariness and monotony threaten your joy:

1. Surrender to God’s Mandate to Rest

Of course, I recognize that our English translation of Scripture can’t always be culturally accurate to biblical times. However, I often chuckle at the mandate in verse two, when the Psalmist says the Good Shepherd makes him lie down. 

I compare this image to those afternoons when my toddler is fighting a much-needed nap, so I buckle him into his car seat, tantrums and all, and drive around town, backroads, to get coffee, anywhere, to make him fall asleep. I know he needs the rest, that his mind and body won’t function well for the remainder of the day if he doesn’t get those precious two hours of sleep. 

Our church life group often jokes that “we are God’s toddlers,” throwing tantrums, defiantly telling God “No!”, and refusing much-needed rest. Take a few moments today to reflect on whether or not you submit to God’s command that you rest, replenishing your heart, soul, and body to serve your family better and, most importantly, Christ.

2. Still Your Soul

I’m not sure if you’ve ever spent time on a boat, whether on the lake or at sea, but there is an incomparable serenity to be lulled by nature’s waters. It’s a gift from God, a calling to rest in the peace only He supplies. 

When was the last time you allowed yourself to embrace stillness? It doesn’t have to be on the literal waters, but it could be in your car, turning off the music and letting those solitary minutes while driving to work, running errands, etc., be a time that allows the Holy Spirit to speak to you. I encourage you to find one or two small pockets of time in your daily routine that would allow you to practice being still and listening for God’s voice.

3. Yield to God’s Restoration

In the newborn phase of motherhood, I quickly discovered that I was losing my identity, unsure of who I was outside the bedraggled lady who hadn’t showered in who knows how many days, but was somehow keeping her tiny human alive. Looking back, I recognize that while I lost sight of who I was, God was using that intense season of postpartum to let me become someone stronger, more caring, loving, and selfless. 

Restoration isn’t always glamorous. It often requires us to shed old pieces of ourselves to embrace who we can become through God's grace, hope, and goodness. In your quiet time today, consider some to-dos that have left you drained and unsure of who you are. Ask God if these tasks are what He has called you to and see if there are things He needs you to lay aside. 

Remember, Mama, the Bible doesn’t consider hustling as holiness. 

4. Embrace God’s Comfort

A shepherd used a rod as a defensive weapon to beat away wolves or any other predators who tried to harm his sheep. But a staff, the wooden tool with the curved edge, was used to scoop up sheep who had found themselves in a place they shouldn’t be. It was a rescue tool of sorts. 

God’s rescue of our souls should be our greatest comfort, the very thing we rest in no matter what happens around us. His protective nature is a promise that our hearts are forever safe in His hands. Daily reflect on this truth, especially when the natural overwhelm of life and mothering children threatens you with anxious, fearful thoughts. 

5. Know Your Enemy

Pastor Louie Giglio once preached a sermon in which he shared that if God is preparing a table for us in the presence of our enemies, it means we aren’t running from our enemies. Instead, we face them with so much confidence and grace in God’s protection that we can partake in a meal before them without fear. 

I’ve never been able to shake Giglio’s insight, and I wonder if the busyness of motherhood has become an enemy. We are so focused on the daily tasks, always moving at a dangerous pace, that we don’t ask God to prepare a way for us. We don’t allow Him to wipe our calendars clean and realign our to-dos with what truly needs to be done for His kingdom and the goodness of our families. 

Find time to ask God if busyness has become an enemy, keeping your focus off God’s rest and peace. Ask God to prepare a way to face this culturally curated enemy confidently in His grace and plan for your life. 

6. Grant Mercy and Grace Access to Your Heart

What I love about this picture of goodness and mercy following us is that it reflects our God's patience and endurance. He is patient when we are dragging our heels, unwilling to surrender to a particular calling or put a specific sin to death. Still, He can ever chase us down when we allow fear or excitement we haven’t discussed with Him to pick up our pace at a deadly rate. 

Notice the pace you have set for your family's spiritual well-being. Are you showing your children what it means to slow down and take time for Bible reading and prayer? Are you being an example when you take a struggle or concern to God and allow Him to set the pace for how to move forward? Be considerate of God’s goodness and mercy by allowing the Good Shepherd to set the rhythm for your life. 

7. Remember Your Home

I love old English literature that often refers to a person’s home as their “dwelling.” Dwelling (the verb) feels more nostalgic, whimsical, and slow, reminding you that it’s okay, even healthy, to linger, lounge, and love the home you create. 

As finite creatures, we often forget that we are spiritually eternal and, through Christ’s salvation, have access to heaven. God has hand-fashioned a dwelling for us that is truly perfect, equipped with His glory and perfection forever. 

Take some time to slow down and create a home where your family can return after the long, busy days and find rest for their souls. Meanwhile, may everyone in your home know the eternal home that awaits them in glory. 

The Good Shepherd

My perspective on this classic Psalm encourages you to face your busy schedule with a new sense of God-ordained grace and peace. May you truly rest in the nurturing love and protection of the Good Shepherd. 

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 (NIV)

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/miljko

Peyton Garland is an author, editor, and boy mama who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee. Subscribe to her blog Uncured+Okay for more encouragement.