Parenting on PointSample

Loving God with All Your Strength

Strength represents our physical life, our actions, and the energy we put into our daily tasks. It is how we use our bodies to glorify God, even in the mundane moments of life. Parenting is a physically demanding job. From sleepless nights to endless chores, it requires stamina, resilience, and endurance. Yet the Bible tells us that even in our weakness, God’s strength is made perfect. Loving God with all our strength means relying on His power, not just our own.

Take a moment to pray for physical energy, not just for the tasks ahead but for strength to love and serve your family well. Jesus shows us what it means to love God with all our strength. Despite the physical toll of His ministry—long days, walking miles, healing the sick, and even enduring the cross—He always served others with compassion and grace.

Consider the ways your body is an instrument of worship. The way you care for it, use it, and offer it to God matters. The Bible says that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, the Temple was meticulously cared for and tended to because it housed the Holy Spirit. The same should be true of your body.

Sometimes, loving God with all your strength means knowing when to rest. Even Jesus took time to withdraw and rest. Don’t be afraid to take breaks, ask for help, or delegate tasks. It’s okay to acknowledge your limits and lean into God’s strength when you are weak.

As a parent, you will find yourself stretched to the limits of your physical energy and capacity. As a dad of five kids who were each two years apart, when they were up all night with the flu or having bad dreams, I (Mark) felt like a zombie at work the next day. However, my exhaustion, like every father's, is nothing compared to what mothers sacrifice to care for their kids.

As a young mom, most days I (Grace) felt like I was in survival mode with all the roles I filled for my five kids. I was a chef, nurse, house cleaner, fixer of all things, problem solver, peacemaker, teacher, counselor, snuggler, book reader, potty trainer, laundry washer, and bill payer (you name it, I did it). I would recognize, about every quarter, when I was relying on my own strength because I would cry in desperation over little things that had happened. I would let exhaustion build up and then break down when it would have been more helpful to get daily bread and strength from the Lord. I eventually learned how to ask for God’s strength each day, and the meltdowns became less often. Our weakness is an opportunity to be strengthened by a God who loves us and is often the only One who can help us! Isaiah 40:29 (ESV) says, “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” Memorize and pray for this!

Involve your children in this process. Teach them the importance of taking care of their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. Encourage them to be active, eat healthy, and rest well, but also to use their physical strength to serve others and honor God.

Dear Father, thank You for the gift of my body and the strength You provide each day. Help me to use my physical strength to serve You and my family. Renew my energy and fill me with the power of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, Amen.