Being a mother means you are “on call” twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. You never know when a child will keep you up all night, will have you running all over town for an entire day or will need you by his side for hours at a time. Most mothers put many of their own needs aside if necessary, in order to care for their children.
Unfortunately, one of the first things that often gets cut from a mom’s life is Bible study. Taking the time to read scripture suddenly sounds like a luxury we can’t afford. Yet, this is the time in our lives when we need to hear from God daily more than ever.
When I was a young mom, I found it helped me to be in a weekly Bible study. There was an accountability that made me take at least some time every week to study the scriptures. An added benefit for me was that many of the women in the study were ahead of me in their mothering journey. They could help me in my journey, for they had recently walked there themselves.
As you think about starting or joining a Bible study for moms, one of the first hurdles is what to study. So I was interested when I had an opportunity to review a new Bible study designed specifically to help moms. Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood: An Eleven-Week Devotional Bible Study
As an eleven week study, this book could be used for a personal Bible study or in a group with other moms. Each week is divided into five smaller daily study units. The author shares her own thoughts and experiences as well as scripture and biblical examples. She asks thought questions and leaves room for you to answer them in the book. The back contains additional questions which could add to the discussion if you are using the book in a group study.
The study covers topics with which most mothers would be familiar. From finding time for God to anxiety to training children, she addresses a variety of important topics. Although some if not much of the information could probably be found in other Bible studies, this is arranged in a way to specifically take those scriptures and principles and discuss them in the light of the role of mother.
Although I am not a huge fan of Bible study, fill-in-the-blank books, this one does have value. It is a strong template for examining motherhood in relationship to faith. I only wish the few times she asks readers to think of creative ways to introduce certain things into their homes, she gave more concrete help. Ultimately, I think this study would have been even stronger if the author had taken the time to introduce lots of practical tips and ideas or at least places to go and look for them.
My suggestion would be to use this study in a Bible study for moms, but make sure you have some experienced, godly, creative moms who are part of the group. They can expand the themes the author addresses and hopefully provide more of those practical ideas the study is missing.
Whether you use this book or another, please take the time to study God’s Words. It will help you more on your mothering journey than you realize. The Bible is one of the best parenting tools you have – especially if it is used regularly.
A copy of this book was given to me for free in exchange for my honest review. An affiliate link is included in the post for your convenience.