4 minute read
Are You Making Sleep an Idol? How an Exhausted Mother Found Her Way to Early Morning Prayer
By By Chrissie Kenaston
If you’re a mother of little ones or a working mom, or really, any kind of mom — the thought of waking up even one second earlier than you need to in the morning sounds completely ridiculous.
Mom Life already means you don’t get enough sleep. Either you’re nursing a baby, waking up with needy toddlers, comforting a kiddo with a bad dream, or waiting on a teenager to make curfew. You might be up late because none of the laundry got folded that day. Or you have to finish a project for a client. Or you just need some quiet time alone! That level of exhaustion can actually turn into a problem in our walk with the Lord. When we value sleep above all else, we turn sleep into an idol.
If you’ve ever felt like you should wake up early in the morning to spend time in your Bible but then decided you needed your sleep more, you may have turned sleep into an idol. You’re putting sleep above time with God!
Trust me, I get it. I had three kids in five years. That kind of exhaustion is hard to put into words. But that’s exactly when God revealed this concept to me. I spent years resisting waking up before my children so I could have some quiet moments with the Lord. I constantly told myself, “You’re a better mom when you get your sleep! Imagine what kind of mom you’d be on less sleep!” I tried to fit my time in God’s Word into nap times or the occasional evening, but I couldn’t keep that consistent. It’s hard to get three kids to nap at the same time, so I was rarely alone for long. And I was so tired by the evenings, I couldn’t focus on anything. Plus, God had put this concept of Morning Bible Study on my heart. If I kept choosing sleep over that, there’s no question that I was making sleep an idol. So, I made a decision. I would start waking up at the ridiculous hour of 5:30 am to spend time with God and study His word.
I can’t even pinpoint what changed in my life after that. Everything just got a little easier. I spent thirty minutes at the start of each day reading the Bible, journaling about what I’d read, and then praying. And I didn’t feel exhausted throughout the day like I assumed I would if I got up that early! The Lord sustained me because I was being obedient.
I started to really learn from the Bible, instead of just having an overview of the big stories. Key verses implanted themselves in my brain, and I was able to call on them in times of need. Feeding my mind and soul with His word first thing in the morning really changed my mindset for the entire day. I truly felt like something had shifted and I was better prepared to handle each day’s challenges. I noticed the most difference on the days where it didn’t happen. If I woke up late and didn’t get in my early morning time with God, the entire day felt off. (That doesn’t mean I beat myself up for missing a day here and there. No one is perfect, and God’s grace is for all of us!)
So I ask you -- are you making an idol out of sleep?
It’s a hard pill to swallow! It might make you feel uncomfortable or even angry to think about that. It’s human nature to get defensive, especially as a worn out mama. But I encourage my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to think hard about this. Is God asking you to wake up early and spend the first part of your day with him?
From my experience, if He’s asking you to take this step of obedience, He will be there to lift you up and sustain you when you say “Yes, Father”.
In the morning, O LORD, hear my voice. In the morning I lay my needs in front of you, and I wait. (Psalm 5:3)
Chrissie Kenaston is an author and copywriter who believes in the amazing power of God’s saving grace to get us through the ups and downs of marriage, motherhood, and, well, life. Her first book on the subject -- What If I Name Her Grace? -- is being published later this year. You can read more about her journey as a Christian mama at chrissiekenaston.com.
Judges 5:10
