Strategy #2: Attacking Your Focus (Don't Let The Devil Steal Your Motherhood)

If I was your enemy, I'd disguise myself and manipulate your perspectives so that you'd focus on the wrong culprit - a clean house, phone calls, social media, other mothers, your friends, your failures; ANYTHING to pull your focus away from your call to motherhood ~

     Today I had a chance to experience this first hand. And it was an epic fail in my focus as a mother! It didn't help that I was under the weather as well. I was trying to do the right thing on a facebook group and it was not received well. The comments that followed were so hostile and hurtful, all from me trying to protect the ones making the comments. For an instant I felt I understood what God goes through. He tries to guide people away from something bad and those people lash out at Him for doing so, such is our world I suppose.
     Things like this happen to us mothers all the time. The devil wants to distract our focus and it worked. ALL DAY I was on social media, checking to see the comments (which only made me feel worse about it). Checking that made me check my other social media platforms. Partner that with me being sick and I neglected my children all day. I even asked Briseis to make lunch. I used the excuse that I was sick (which was only partial truth), the real reason was my focus was on the gossip being spread in the group and the dread I felt. I let this one event in my day ruin my focus of motherhood all day. It emotionally drained me. It is such a blessing that my children show me almost as much grace as God does right now! Praise Jesus for there love for me.

     So let me ask you mother, why do you think your focus may be off right now? What are some things that pull your focus away from your call to motherhood? Focus clears away dead space and clutter. It gives us our cutting edge. It is our antenna that keeps us trained on our calling to motherhood. Focus minimizes distractions. ~Fervent
     Now that we know what focus is how do we fight the devil back on this attack? We raise that antenna high so we can keep from losing our passion. We do this in 3 steps.

Step 1: Prayer

When we pray we must pray specifically for our "static" to be blocked out so we can focus on where God is directing us as mothers. We must pray for the distractions to be shielded from us.
​Psalm 37:23 - A person's steps are directed by the Lord, and the Lord delights in his way.

Step 2: Know the enemy

We need to know what our "focus hackers" are and weed them out. If we have to, write them down on the fridge as a reminder about what to watch out for. Put on the armor of God to do this.
Proverbs 21:21 - Whoever pursues righteousness and mercy will find life, righteousness, and honor.

Step 3: Watch out for the blindside

We love our children and we want to help lead them to a God first life by keeping our focus on what He wants. But even our own children can be a "focus hacker" at times. So be on guard. Our God is NOT a God of confusion or anxiety. So if you are feeling torn or confused or agitated about doing something with your children then pray and breathe. Stopping what you are doing to read a book can be the right focus but at the wrong moment (for example if you are knee deep in cleaning), then they might be pulling your focus. Pray about it, maybe God will guide you to have your child help you with the cleaning (even if that means it may take a little bit longer. LOL) or simply set a time for them (give mommy 10 more minutes then I will read to you). Keeping our focus on God's will for us is the key to maintaining our passion to motherhood and warding off the burnout the devil is seeking to inflict on our motherhood.
1 Corinthians 14:33 - For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
Philippians 4: 4-7 - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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     Our focus needs to never waiver. But it will, we are humans after all, we live in a broken world. But with God at our back guiding us we can keep trying, keep getting stronger in our focus, recognizing the devil's hackers before they snare us. So keep the focus and if you fall off that horse (no matter how many times) get back up and try again. You got this!

Micah 7:8 - Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light ~