Hey there, Mama 🤎

I can remember my early years of motherhood so clearly. I was a young mom, working, a fairly new wife, and trying to be as active in church as possible. I wanted to do it all. Be everything. Show up everywhere. And if I’m honest, I still have moments now where I can feel myself drifting back into that same mindset.

But back then, I didn’t realize I was burning myself out. I also didn’t understand that God’s love was not predicated on my output… not on how much I served, how much I did, or how productive I appeared. I remember feeling distant from God and confused.

How could I feel far from Him when I had been so busy doing things for Him?

Then one day, I found myself at the altar. A sister in Christ walked up to me and simply said: “Karen, you need to rest.”

Whew.

Sometimes the most spiritual word we need isn’t do more… it’s rest.

Devotion: Grace for the High-Capacity Mom

Scene of an African American woman and Caucasian woman holding hands in prayer.

Scripture:

“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”
— Psalm 127:2 (KJV)

“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV)

Have you ever found yourself burning the midnight oil trying to finish all the things after everyone else has gone to bed?

Laundry. Emails. Planning. Cleaning. Catching up. Thinking this time you’re going to get it all done… only to still wake up with more on your list.

Mama, many of us have learned to function in hustle mode. We wear productivity like a badge of honor and exhaustion like proof we care.

But Scripture gently reminds us that it is vain to rise up early and stay up late striving in our own strength.

That doesn’t mean responsibility is wrong. It means self-reliance is exhausting.

God never asked us to carry life alone. He reminds us that in our weakness, He is strong. His grace is sufficient. Which means when our energy runs low, His help does not. The truth is, we will never have the capacity to do it all in our own strength.

But with Christ? We can do all things He has called us to do. There is a difference.

Not everything on your list is your assignment.
Not every need is yours to meet.
Not every opportunity is yours to carry.

Sometimes rest is how God teaches us to trust Him again.

Take a Moment to Reflect

Woman with a pink sweater writing in a journal.

Take a moment to reflect:

Where have I been striving instead of surrendering?
What am I trying to carry in my own strength?
Have I mistaken exhaustion for faithfulness?
What would rest look like for me this week?

Pray: Father, thank you for calling me your beloved. Help me to accept moments of rest depend on your grace and strength instead of my own abilities. In Jesus name. Amen.

Scene of a mom up late holding her stomach while working on the computer and using her cell phone.

Why Rest Feels Hard for High-Capacity Moms

If you’re a working mom who is always on the go, rest can feel more uncomfortable than helpful. In this blog, I explore why high-capacity moms struggle to slow down, how lack of rest impacts your mental health and memory, and how to begin embracing rest as a necessary and faith-filled part of living well—not just doing more.

Read the full blog here.

Mom Tips: Practicing Rest Without Guilt

Do a list audit. Ask: What truly needs me, and what can wait?
Choose one thing to release this week. You don’t have to do it all.
Build a nightly stopping point. Set a time to be done for the day.
Rest before you’re desperate. Don’t wait until burnout forces you.
Pray before pushing. Invite God into your tasks.

Faith-Filled Affirmation For the Week

"God’s love is not based on my output. I release the pressure to do it all. His grace is sufficient for me, and I can rest without guilt."

Closing Encouragement

Mama, if no one has told you lately, let me lovingly say it:

You need to rest.

Not because you are weak.
Not because you are failing.
But because you are human.

And God, in His goodness, never designed you to run on empty.

May this be the season you stop proving and start receiving.
May you trade striving for surrender.
May you discover that grace can carry what hustle never could.

With love and permission to rest,
Karen 🤎

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Additional Resource: Check out the Restored & Renewed Course from my Wellness Coach, Janetta Olaseni RN, HN-BC, CHHP, CHC, CCM