EP 8// Resting in Christ Instead of Striving for Approval; Walking Peacefully as a Faith Mom

January 26, 2026

Episode Summary

Faith-filled moms don’t struggle because they don’t care.
They struggle because they care deeply.

In this episode of Faith Mom Mentor, Anne speaks directly to the quiet pressure many Christian moms carry—the pressure to do more, be better, and hold everything together spiritually for their children.

With tenderness and biblical clarity, this conversation gently lifts weary hands, strengthens tired knees, and steadies unsteady footing by pointing moms back to one unshakable truth:

Peace is not earned through striving.
Peace is received by resting in Christ.

If your faith feels sincere—but heavy—this episode invites you to slow down, release the burden of approval, and walk peacefully in the assurance of who you already are in Christ.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

Why sincere faith can quietly turn into exhausting responsibility
How striving for approval steals peace—even in devoted Christian moms
The difference between managing faith and resting in Christ
Why your child learns faith more from your steadiness than your words
How walking peacefully shapes a strong, safe, Christ-centered home
Gentle encouragement during Poverty Awareness Month for moms facing need or uncertainty
A clear reminder: You are approved in Christ—not because you strive, but because you belong to Him

Key Takeaways for Faith Moms

Your faith is not careless—it is tender
Pressure does not come from God; strength does
Rest is not weakness; it is trust placed in the right hands
You are not holding your faith together—Christ is
Peace becomes settled when Christ becomes the anchor
Children learn where safety lives by watching what steadies their mom
Need does not mean neglect; dependence does not mean failure

Scripture References Mentioned in This Episode

All Scriptures are referenced or clearly alluded to in the teaching:

Hebrews 12:12–13 – “Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees…”
Galatians 3:3 – “Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
Matthew 11:28 – “Come unto me, all ye that labour… and I will give you rest.”
Romans 5:1 – “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God…”
Galatians 2:20 – “Not I, but Christ liveth in me…”
Psalm 23:1 – “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
James 1:8 – “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
Philippians 4:19 – “My God shall supply all your need…”
Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”

A Gentle Invitation for Support

If this episode stirred something in you—relief, clarity, or a desire to walk more peacefully—you don’t have to navigate that alone.

Faith Mom Mentoring is:

Quiet
Scripture-centered
Personal
Free from pressure or hype

It’s an open door, not a demand.

👉 Schedule a Faith Mom Mentor Session

Helpful Resources for Faith Moms

Visit Life & Peace Ministries for simple, faith-filled tools designed to support you as you:

Know God deeply
Teach your tween faithfully
Build a home marked by peace and steadiness

🌿 Explore resources, Faith Mom merchandise, speaking opportunities, and mentoring at: Life and Peace Ministries

Help Encourage Another Faith Mom

If this episode encouraged you:

Follow the podcast
Leave a short review
Share this episode with a mom who may need gentle encouragement today

Sometimes the most faithful thing we do is pass along peace.

Final Encouragement

You are not approved because you strive.
You are approved because you are in Christ.

Your faith is not fragile.
Your calling is not slipping.
Your presence is shaping more than you know.

💛 Keep leading with faith. Your faithfulness is shaping a legacy.

Episode Transcript

?Welcome to the Faith Mom Mentor, the podcast for moms who want more than surface level faith for themselves and their kids. I'm Anne, and if you're a mom who feels unsure where to start, spiritually worries. You're not teaching your kids enough and wants a calmer or confident faith at home, you are in the right place here.

We cut through the noise and get grounded in truth. Each episode helps you know God deeply, teach your tween faithfully and build a home that feels strong, steady, and Christ-centered even in the middle school years. If you are ready to stop guessing, start leading with confidence and grow a faith, your family can actually live out.

You are in the right place. Welcome to the Faith Mom. Mentor. Faith Mom, before we talk about scripture, before we talk about parenting or peace, I want to slow everything down for just a moment because the faith you carry is not careless. It is tender. You don't doubt God because you don't care. You wrestle.

Because you do you think about your child when the house is quiet, you replay conversations. You wonder if you said the right thing or enough. You notice what feels shaky in your own heart and worry what that means to your child. And you don't always say this out loud, but sometimes the pressure might feel like this.

If I were stronger, if I were more consistent, if I were better. Then maybe I'd feel settled. That pressure does not come from God. Scripture speaks gently here. Hebrews 1212 says, lift up the hands, which hang down and the feeble knees. God is not asking you to prove anything. He is offering strength where you already feel weak.

Many faith-filled moms begin walking with God through love, but somewhere along the way, faith quietly turns into responsibility, not rebellion, not apathy, but responsibility. You start carrying things Jesus never put in your hands the pressure to get it right, the fear of falling short. The belief that peace comes from an after improvement.

But scripture ask a loving question, having begun in the spirit, are you made perfect by the flesh? In other words, why are you trying to finish by effort? What God has begun by grace? Striving feels faithful because it feels serious. But seriousness without rest always leads to exhaustion. Jesus does not invite you to manage faith better.

He invites you to rest with him. Come unto me all you, that labor and I will give you rest. Rest is not weakness. Rest is trust. Placed in the right hands, God named this carefully without shame. Many faith moms. Don't think they are earning salvation, but they are trying to maintain approval. It might sound like this.

God must be more pleased when I'm doing better. If I slow down, I'll drift. If I don't stay on top of everything, something will fall apart. That is not faith. That is fear. Wearing spiritual clothes. A fear cannot produce faith. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Peace is not something you earn by doing enough.

Peace comes from knowing where you stand and where you stand right now. If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is in Christ. Here is a steady truth. Your heart needs to hear. God did not ask you to improve your old life. He gave you a new one. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live yet not I, but Christ lives in me.

That means you are not holding your faith together. Christ is you are not supplying the strength. Christ is. You are not the anchor. Christ is when Christ lives in you. Peace is not fragile. It becomes settled, especially when life feels. Tight, especially when resources are thin, especially when answers feel slow.

Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want not because everything is full. But because he is present and faith mom, if something is resonating in you right now, that's not weakness. That's relief. And relief often means inviting you to stop carrying what was never yours. And if you want help walking this shift from pressure into peace, not through hype, not through fixing yourself.

But through scripture and steady guidance, I'd be honored to walk with you. Faith mom mentoring is quiet. It is word centered. It is personal, and you can schedule a Faith Mom Mentor session at Life and peace ministries.com. This is not a demand. It is an open door Now. Let's talk about what this means for your child.

Your child is learning faith long before they can explain it. They are learning it by watching what steadies you. If approval studies you, they learn pressure. If control studies you, they learn fear. If Christ studies you. Your child learns peace. James one eight reminds us, a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

But a settled mother teaches stability without saying a word. When your child sees you return to God, not panic, they learn where safety lives. When they see you rest, not strive, they learn confidence. That does not depend on performance. That is discipleship and that is legacy. January is poverty awareness month, and we remember something sacred.

Need does not mean neglect. Dependence does not mean failure. Philippians four 19 reminds us, my God shall supply all your need. God's care is not proven. By excess. It is proven by faithful presence. Walking peacefully does not mean pretending things are easy. It means trusting God when they are not. And when you do, your home feels steadier.

Your child feels safer, your faith feels quieter, but stronger Faith, mom, hear this slowly. You are not approved because you strive. You are approved because you are in Christ. I'm gonna say that again. You are not approved because you strive. You are approved because you are in Christ. There is, therefore now no.

Condemnation to them, which are in Christ Jesus. That is Romans eight verse one. So let your shoulders drop. Let your hands, UNC Unclench, let your footing become steady again. Rest, receive, walk peacefully. And if you do want help walking this path, you are invited to go to Life and Peace ministries.com and schedule a faith mom mentor session.

Your faith is not fragile. Your calling is not slipping. Your presence is shaping more than you know. Before you go, remember this, you are doing the sacred work as you nurture faith in your home, and it matters more than you realize. Thank you for choosing to spend this time growing stronger and steadier in truth, if today helped you take one more.

Forward Head to Life and peace ministries.com for simple faith field resources designed to support you as you know God deeply and teach your tween faithfully, including faith, mom t-shirts, and ways to connect for speaking and faith mentoring. You can also help another mom by following the show, leaving a quick review or sharing this episode with somebody who needs encouragement right now.

Until next time. Keep leading with faith. Your faithfulness is shaping a legacy.