Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full

Today I’m excited to introduce Katie Atkins to you. Katie is a friend and avid reader; she’s frequently engrossed in several books at once, and she’s passed some remarkable recommendations my way. Thus, when I toyed with the thought of bringing a regular guest contributor to the blog to compose periodical book reviews, Katie was my natural go-to girl. I hope you are encouraged to pick up some of the titles she suggests. I think they will be like a soothing balm to your mama heart. Now take it away, Katie!

Are you loosing sight of Christ in the mundane everyday activities of life, maybe in piles of to-do lists or simply in the chaos of your home? As a mom to two young kiddos, I feel like I am in a constant battle of showing my kids unconditional love and discipline while still being a shining beacon of Christ in every situation. In this encouraging book, Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full, Gloria Furman reminds me that “When I view motherhood not as a gift from God to make me holy but rather as a role with tasks that get in my way, I am missing out on one of God’s ordained means of spiritual growth in my life. Not only that but I am missing out on enjoying God.”

This book has renewed my mind and soul so that I can better serve my family as God has uniquely created me to do. 

Divided into two sections, Gloria discusses how the Gospel is essential to our daily lives as women (and as mothers). In the first section, God Made Motherhood for Himself, she reminds us of the fall of Adam and Eve and the blessing that was bestowed upon God’s children.

Have you ever thought about the words from the mouth of God to Serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Gen. 3:15) God cursed the Serpent but in his own words he promised LIFE! That means that the man and the woman will have offspring. Adam and Eve did not deserve a blessing, yet God in his matchless mercy bestowed upon them that there would be life.

I know that there are many days when I feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising the blessings God has bestowed on us. I become focused on simply surviving the day and loose the eternal perspective in the everyday tasks. There are many times when I think to myself, if I only had more time…

In this book I was gently reminded that, “When we have lost sight of an eternal perspective in our daily lives, the atonement becomes neither vital nor precious to us. A greater gift than time is the gift of forgiveness for our sins through Christ Jesus so that we can behold our holy God.”

Living with eternity in mind is a work of God’s redeeming love in our lives. This is a reminder I need daily.

In the final section, Motherhood as Worship, Gloria reminds us to worship in all circumstances. “If Jesus has assured me that he is with me to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20), then surely he is with me in all of my baby carrying, housecleaning, car driving, nighttime parenting, and husband helping.” Do you respond with a heart of worship throughout your days and nights? Are you teaching your little ones how to worship our creator through your actions and words?

I don’t know about you, but whether I’m aware of it or not I constantly find myself striving to win that ‘Fictitious Mother of the Year Award’. It’s within our sinful nature to compare and contrast. Gloria does a compelling job of reminding us that “the grace given to us through the cross liberates us from the heavy burden of pretense before other people and (most importantly) before God”.

Throughout this book I was prompted to evaluate my days through the eyes of the gospel. I was reminded that “God will not and does not change his mind. He knew the worst things about me and he knew my self-righteous tendencies when he declared me righteous for Jesus’s sake.” No matter how I screw up on a daily basis, he is always there. He offers His power to mothers who will live in their mundane by faith as Daughters of the King.

CLICK HERE TO BUY Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full.

Katie Atkins is a Christ-follower, work-in-progress. She is a wife to an incredible husband and the mom of two amazing children. While not a professional writer, she enjoys putting pen to paper and sharing her story with others. Katie loves to read (anything and everything), she seeks out ways to be adventurous with her kids, and after 12 years of marriage, she is learning to cook. She works each day to live out the words of Philippians 3:12-14 with all that she is. She blogs at Treasuring Christ Daily.

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