I am not sure that there has ever been a time in history when our children, families, and Christian values were ever more under attack than today. Consequently, there has likely never been a more urgent call for mothers to be an effective gatekeeper of their families and children. Moms, it is time to stay on your post - your calling, your assignment - and fight!
"Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”
Neh. 6:1-3
Many of you will know the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the wall at Jerusalem. Nehemiah was a high-ranking official in the Persian court who received a visit from men informing him that after the Jews had returned from Babylonian captivity things were not going well. They were troubled, disgraced, and their city was destroyed. The Bible says in Nehemiah 1:4 that as Nehemiah heard these things, he was grieved, mourning for days, fasting, and praying.
Months later, the King inquired why Nehemiah was troubled, and Nehemiah shared his dismay regarding the state of affairs in Jerusalem. And the king ultimately granted him permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. There is much more to the story, as much opposition was faced, but in the end, the wall was rebuilt. Nehemiah faced distraction, attack, complaining, and criticism. But in the end…the wall was built. In the end, he completed his assignment. The Jews built the wall with one hand and fought with a sword in the other. Nehemiah led the way and the wall was rebuilt.
What can we learn from Nehemiah’s story? Here are a few thoughts:
1. Moms, understand the assignment & understand the season.
When we look at the story of Nehemiah, he was in Persia. This was his assignment during a season. But then, the Lord moved the assignment to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. This was a new season. Some of you are overwhelmed, exhausted, and confused, because first, you never clearly understood your assignment and second, you missed the close of one season and the launch of a new season. Understanding the assignments the Lord gives in our varying motherhood seasons and understanding the timing in which He gives them is critical to feeling the peace of God. Sometimes, we want to give up and quit, because we’ve missed the timing and the assignment, and sometimes we want to give up and quit, because we’re under immense attack from the enemy. Know the difference. What has called you to, right now? Are you in obedience or disobedience? Are you out of season?
2. You must stay on the wall of your assignment.
Do not come down when distraction comes. Satan is masterful at distraction and confusion. Do not answer your critics or fall prey to your enemy. You are on assignment from the living God. You are on assignment from the living God to raise those babies up in the way they should go, to start the business, to volunteer at the church nursery, to share the Gospel with your co-workers, etc. Do not stop to address things that never needed to be addressed. Do not be distracted by the wiles of the enemy. Sometimes, we have gotten into a position where want to quit and give up, because we gave our ear to the wrong thing. We listen to the voice of the enemy and not the call of God. We start getting distracted by what people are doing or saying, and we lose focus on the assignment that the Lord gave us. I have seen so many people, over and over again, come down off the wall of their assignment, especially when it got hard and they started feeling pressed, because they lost focus on the assignment. If God did not say move off the wall, then stay there. It doesn’t matter what shiny thing the enemy presents. The enemy comes as an angel of light. The enemy comes as a sheep. He will make the new thing seem shiny and attractive, but it is a trap of deception that leaves you in disobedience, because you did not stay on the wall.
3. sacrifice comfort for the assignment.
Nehemiah sacrificed the comfort of Persia to follow the voice of God and obey. He did not know what to fully expect. He just knew that God could use him and needed to be obedient. Is that reflective of your walk with the Lord? Are you more focused on the comfort of a thing or obedience to the Lord? Obedience will always require sacrifice, but it will also bring blessings. Temporary comfort will not yield eternal blessings. What discomfort may the Lord be calling you to in order to fight for your family, children, and Kingdom principles?
4. The joy of the lord is your strength.
Are you operating in your own strength, or the Lord’s? Do not be moved or shaken by what you see. Do not be overwhelmed by how hard the work is. Some of you have lost your joy in the day-to-day of your assignment. The weight seems too heavy. However, joy is being restored in your life. The very source of joy sees you and knows you. Nehemiah knew the Lord’s joy was his strength, even in the midst of extreme opposition. In Nehemiah 8:10, it says, “Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
5. Fasting and praying are necessary.
The Word says in Nehemiah 1:4 that as he mourned, he also fasted and prayed. We also see in Matthew 17:21 that Jesus taught the disciples to deal with demons and unbelief through prayer and fasting. Mommas, some of you are looking for strategy, direction, clarity, and authority. You must pray and fast. You must seek the presence of the Lord. You must seek His will and His voice, and He shows up often in the sacrifice of prayer and fasting.
6. press past fear.
In Nehemiah 2:2, we see the king confront Nehemiah, and he was terrified to respond with the truth about what was troubling him, but he opened his mouth anyway. Press past fear. The Lord never gave you a spirit of fear. Push past the fear of your future or your children, the fear of being alone, the fear of lack. Take authority over fear, and complete the assignment. We are allowing fear to push us in a corner, as if it has the authority. We have the authority. Put fear in its place.
7. Be faithful.
Be a woman of high integrity. The faithfulness to the Lord that no one sees opens doors in the future. Nehemiah was looked upon by the king as faithful and responsible. This evoked favor for him in the future. Make sure you are faithful and fearless.
8. Be worthy of following.
New assignments are coming. Yes, you are on assignment to raise up your children in the way they should go, but more assignments will likely follow. Who are you leading now? Who might you lead in the future? Are you worthy to follow? Can people follow you, as you follow Christ? Is your life beyond reproach?
To the mom overwhelmed with the demand of her life, stay on your post and fight.
To the mom who faces opposition from every side, stay on your post and fight.
To the mom who only sees defeat and destruction, stay on your post and fight.
The mom who does not yet see fruit from the seeds she plants, stay on your post and fight.
To the mom who is pressed from every side, stay on your post and fight.
To the mom facing financial ruin, stay on your post and fight.
To the mom whose heart aches, stay on your post and fight.
To the mom who suffered shame, stay on your post and fight.
To the mom who has shed many tears, stay on your post and fight.
To the mom is facing confusion and distraction, stay on your post and fight.
To the weary, overwhelmed, and stressed mom, stay on your post and fight.
Your God promises victory. Follow the assignment. Obey. Press. Pray. Seek. Fast. Praise. Worship. And stay on the wall. You are rebuilding what no man will tear down. You have all victory and authority promised. Your children will rise and call you blessed. You will be uplifted with the mighty right hand of your God.
WHO WE ARE
The Life of a Single Mom is a national, faith-based, nonprofit that exists to see that no single mom walks alone. To date, the organization has worked with hundreds of churches to start a single mom’s support group in cities throughout the U.S. and beyond, as well as having served hundreds of thousands of single mothers with a variety of programs. Offering a large array of books, curriculum, training materials, online instructional videos, podcasts, newsletters, life skills education, and more, TLSM is one of the largest single mom organizations in the U.S. The robust selection of single mom programs focus on empowering single moms to grow spiritually, emotionally, financially, and parentally through Single Mom University, Single Moms Across America, the National TLSM Single Moms Conference, boot camps, and a variety of other programs. For more information, visit www.thelifeofasinglemom.com.
