And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. -1 Thessalonians 5:14‭-‬24 ESV

We can feel utterly crushed by the physical, emotional, and mental demands of motherhood. And even in that, God calls us to "rejoice always." HOW to be joyful when being a mom is so hard.

There it is. In black and white: Rejoice Always. Literally two words for an entire verse. That's how big and powerful and important. Rejoice always.

But how? I was awake the entire night rocking a teething baby. I walked downstairs to what looked like a war zone. No one had done their chores, a 2-year-old was running wild like a banshee, and the house reeked of overdue diapers to be trashed.

And as a Mama who is deeply bothered by sensory overload, especially on 4 hours of highly disturbed sleep, this is the perfect storm.

Stink.

Mess littering every inch of the floor.

And the sound of televisions, loud conversation, and screaming toddlers ricocheting off the walls at ungodly decibels.

This is "Crap is About to Go Down" Town.

So how, in all that God-forsaken mess and racket and exhaustion, am I supposed to "rejoice always”?

Fortunately, encapsulated all around this tiny, monumental 2-word command are all the instructions we need to make it possible, even in the biggest messes, on the worst days.

1. Pray without ceasing.

2. Give thanks in ALL circumstances.

3. Test everything, and hold fast to what is good.

4. Don't quench the spirit.

5. Abstain from every form of evil.

6. Admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

7. Always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

Then, at the end of this list of "things to do" is an overwhelming promise for the results of all my effort: He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

He is faithful to give me a road map to a life filled with joy. He is faithful to complete the works of patience, faithfulness, self-control, service, and sacrifice that he has begun in me. He is faithful to fill me with joy in contentment in direct relationship to how fully and deeply I submit my will to his.

For every one of my desires, he gives me the countermeasure.

Don't yell. Pray without ceasing.

Don't question your sanity for having children. Give thanks in all circumstances.

Don't follow parenting fads or Facebook advice. Test everything, and hold to what is good.

Don't quench the spirit. Honor and pray and obey the spirit of God as he actively pursues, comforts, and instructs you.

Don't lose your mind when your expectations are unmet. Encourage, admonish, help, and be patient.

Don't be quick to anger or sin in anger. Seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

For every one of my spiritual ills, there is a God-breathed antidote. All of my impatience, quick temper, razor-sharp tongue, selfishness, irritability... He has JOY instead when I CHOOSE HIS WAY. When I look to him FIRST and slowly, day by day, allow these sinful desires to be peeled away by his incredible pursuit of my heart.

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

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