Has postpartum left you feeling weary and drained? Were you expecting your faith to grow but now it's suffering instead? I have been there and felt the sting. But I've also found ways to help my faith grow in a season of weariness. I will be sharing six simple things you can implement that will help your faith grow and keep your mindset in a more joyful, abundant place during the postpartum season.
New Season of Life
As you enter this new season of life that might feel like it will never end, you might notice that your time spent in the Bible and praying seems almost nonexistent. You no longer can sit and listen to the whole sermon at church without interruptions. Time with friends that uplift you is limited and often interrupted now, leaving you feeling drained rather than encouraging. This won’t last forever, I promise. This is a new season that you’re in and that means that things will look different. Your normal time of long devotion and prayer time will look different. That is okay. God has blessed you with a beautiful gift to care for. Spend your time doing that- not feeling guilty because you didn’t read a full chapter.
Spending time in God’s Word is very important, even in this season. It is what will bring you hope in the really hard days, bring you joy on the days that are lacking joy, and give you wisdom as you’re navigating this new lifestyle. But how do you prioritize God in your life when this new life of yours feels like it’s taking up all your time and energy? Here are a few things that you can start implementing right away.
Meet Him in the Ordinary Moments during Postpartum
Feeding is a time when baby is content and quiet and all you have to do is sit and let baby nurse or drink from the bottle. This is the time to pull out your Bible and read or listen to it on audio. Even if you’re exhausted and falling in and out of sleep, your brain is still hearing God’s Word and it is holding onto some of the things that it’s hearing. Leave your Bible or phone at your designated feeding spot and make this a habit. You will be amazed at how much of His Word you retain and it will leave you feeling a lot stronger.
Let Prayer be Your Lifeline
Making this a habit can change your perspective for the whole day. As a postpartum mom, you are constantly having short naps throughout the day and also waking up a whole bunch of times throughout the day. Praying every time you get up, whether it’s before your head leaves the pillow or as your walking out of your room, this can totally shift any negative thoughts about you, your life, and your current situation. I don’t know about you, but when I was in that season, I constantly felt sorry for myself and wished that things were easier or different. Praying for myself or for my situation made me see my situation as a blessing and not something to wish away. Praying made me love my baby more, and made me excited about life. And praying turned away any selfishness that I had.
God hears you and loves you. He wants to hear all about your sorrows and hardships. Bring it to Him and lay it all down, and He will give you hope and courage. Again, don’t pressure yourself to keep the same rhythm of Bible reading you had before you had your baby. That will only discourage you. Take the time now to spend lots of time in prayer. Pray as you’re rocking your baby to sleep or when baby simply won’t fall asleep and is over exhausted. Pray as you lay baby down, and while feeding baby. Speak simple, short prayers. Prayer is going to be key. The Lord hears you and wants to hear from you.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” How beautiful is that? Do not grow weary but instead pray about it all.
Keep His Word Within Reach
This one was huge for me and still is when I find myself in extreme busy seasons. I’m most often in my kitchen, so I would plop my Bible onto the counter, turn to a chapter, and read it whenever I got the chance. Sometimes it would only be a couple of verses over and over again throughout the day. But the point wasn’t to finish a chapter, the point was to read a little bit throughout my busy day. I find it so helpful to read Scripture a little bit throughout the day, instead of reading a whole bunch in the beginning and forgetting about it halfway through the day. Remember, quality over quantity.
Release Your Need to Perform
Are you a productivity queen? Do you love to get things done and love having systems in place? Let me tell you, your worth is not in how well you run your home right now or if your baby is on a great schedule or if your body has “bounced” back. You need to let productivity go for now and focus solely on your newborn. Systems can wait. Productivity can wait. Exercise can wait.
It might not look like you’re getting a whole lot done in the first month of postpartum, but you loving on your baby, providing all of your baby’s needs, and resting so that your body can heal correctly, is a whole lot. It doesn’t look like a lot from the outside or on paper, but it is and it’s exactly what you need to be doing. Rest. Love on your baby. And find joy. You are allowed to pause and rest. It is not a bad thing.
Lean on Community Without Shame
It can be hard to ask for help. It can be hard to admit that we don’t have it all together. But does anyone? We all struggle from time to time. This is a time when you need to be willing to lean on others. When they ask if they can do anything for you, have the courage to say yes! Ask for a meal, ask for them to come and hold the baby a while. Maybe just to come over and chat. Or reach out to a close friend and ask for prayer. That can mean a lot too.
God often comforts us through other people. Let them in and let them bless you. I remember when I was early postpartum with my fourth baby and feeling very overwhelmed. It was a time when I couldn’t keep up with all the things anymore and felt exhausted. I wanted to be able to do it all, and wanted to be strong. Not realizing that it wasn’t about being strong or not. It was about knowing when and what things to let go of and ask for help. So I reached out for help and that was everything I needed.
He is Near, Even When it Doesn't Seem Like it
I know in my postpartum days, I would often feel like God isn’t hearing me or working in me. I would often feel alone and try to spend extra time in His Word but never finding the time. You need to know that in those times, He is still near. Faith is not a feeling. He says that He will never leave you nor forsake you and now is the time to hold on to that promise and believe it. You might feel disconnected, but He has not gone away from you.
If you are feeling weary or worn out this postpartum season, just know that God sees you and the work that you are doing. It is not in vain. He has not left you. Your faith matters. Your prayers are heard. And this feeling of weariness will not go on forever.
He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:11
You don’t have to perform a certain way; He’s got you amid this season. Rest easy.
If you have found things that have helped you in your journey of faith during the postpartum season, I would love if you could share in the comments below.
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