Grace for When It Feels Impossible to Get to Bible Study {Part 2}

Have you struggled with feeling like a failure because you just can’t get to Bible study on time or at all? Maybe you show up with half your homework done, feeling nervous the older woman sitting next to you might judge the blank spaces in your workbook.

Well, sister, you’re not alone in this season of motherhood, when the needs are high and the resources few. 

Even so, your limitations don’t negate you’re longing for connection with other sisters in Christ, right? Bible study may be the best option for you, especially if there is childcare. So how about we pick up from Part 1 and consider the ways to make it work for you in this season of life?

Those teachable moments trump punctuality!

May I give you permission to be late to study so that you can nurture your kiddos well and take the time to discipline when necessary? I’m not saying to make it a policy to just show up whenever, but rather to give yourself grace when the schedule falls apart.

I promise, no one is judging you for being late when you’re juggling such holy mothering responsibilities. And if you are inflicted with a critical comment, I am praying God gives you the ability to deflect it with the truth! Ask God to fill your spirit with grace, as you choose to heed His Word instead. Your first priority is to invest in the training up of your little one while they are still little, which will take time and not conform to schedule.

Take heart in that there will come a time when you can be punctual again, once those precious little ones are all grown up.

Please don’t let the HUGE load suck you dry! 

It is a humongous job to run a household, care for a family, and work a part-time or full-time job. But, that doesn’t negate the fact that you still need to take care of yourself. Fitting in exercise might be easier than finding time to do your Bible study homework. I get it that no one sticks to their nap schedule and waking up earlier than your sunrise greeters is impossible.

Part of me wants to give you a free pass and say, “Don’t worry about it. Just show up to study.”

But the other part of me want to urge you to do whatever you can to find time to be in the Word, because looking back I see how that was the best and biggest investment I made into my mothering and marriage. As soon as the kiddos went down for a nap or quiet time in their room, I poured myself a cup of tea and spent 15 minutes doing my Bible study homework. I gave myself permission to not get it all done and to let the babies fuss for it a bit, but to at least make the effort. I promise you, a decade later, I see the fruit!

It’s okay to do as much as you can and let the undone dwell within God’s grace. 

It is worth admitting your real needs!

Going to Bible study is a routine that meets so many needs, but the question is whether it is meeting your needs? Or is it heaping an unnecessary burden upon you in this season of life that could be avoided with a different approach?

For example, are you going to study because you need the accountability of reading your Bible and doing the homework? Would it be possible to gain the same results in a one-on-one mentoring relationship or participating in an online study while finding an accountability partner you can connect with by phone or Voxer? Could you join a MOPS group for the fellowship time and study Scripture on your own instead? 

Mama, I encourage you to take the time to evaluate whether your reasons for going to study are the best ones or if you can find those needs met in other ways. 

Trust me, I’m a huge advocate for Bible study, as it has my lifeline for the last fifteen years. Connecting with women from every season and stage in life through an “in-real-life” Bible study group has indeed been a priceless investment. Yet, I also remember the strain it was on my life throughout those infant and toddler days, and the guilt I felt for showing up late and unprepared. Oh sister, I don’t want you to walk the same road. I pray that God’s grace would be all over you as you seek the ways He wants you to connect with the body and study the Word during this season of your motherhood journey.

For You, and For Him,

Elisa Pulliam

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