Working moms face huge challenges. The amount of roles that one has to balance is astronomical. “Doing it all” takes sacrifice, hard work, and endless motivation.

I’m thankful that our culture is finally becoming more loving and encouraging towards working moms. It’s hard by itself, but add the judgment of friends and family to that full plate, and it becomes almost unbearable. Some women have to work in order to make ends meet for their families; others choose to work because they love what they do so much that they would miss it if they gave it up. If you’re a working mom who loves Jesus, consider the following:

Know why you’re doing what you’re doing, and share that with your children.

When you get caught up in the overwhelming facets of “doing it all,” you must be able to remember why you’re doing what you’re doing. From personal experience, try to make your reasons something other than finances. It’s easy to become resentful of your spouse when you feel like you are working simply because you need the money. Remind yourself of the parts of your job that you love. Remind yourself that this is something that’s strengthening your marriage because you’re not putting all of the financial pressure on your husband. Remind yourself that you’re showing your kids an excellent example of what it looks like to work hard and still love and care for your family.

“Doing it all” means being faithful to scriptural mandates first and foremost.

As believers, there are certain things in scripture that we are called to do above all else. First, we have The Great Commission in Matthew 28 in which all believers are called. But then, we also have role-specific mandates as well. Some of those we see in Titus 2, where older women are called to teach the younger women about what it looks like to walk with Christ. Others, we see in the famous Proverbs 31 passage.

My main “takeaways” from all of the scriptural mandates concerning women? She’s extremely hard-working and she loves Jesus, her husband, her children, and others well. To me, the Proverbs 31 woman is the very definition of “doing it all!” I mean, good grief. She doesn’t sleep much, she works out, she makes her home beautiful, she buys fields, she sells good to merchants…I mean, she’s one of those super moms that all of us get intimidated by, but we soak up her blog because we want to learn be exactly like her.

If you’re loving and serving Jesus and caring for your family above all, there is absolutely no reason from scripture that you can’t work as well. It’s when we start to downplay our priorities that the other things become a problem. Know your priorities and treasure them, but then get to work, sister! Be that P31 woman!

It’s okay to fail.

Know that there are going to be days that you’re not perfectly balancing everything. There is grace for that. Just like there is grace for every other sin in our lives, God knows we are going to fail in the roles that he’s set before us. Show yourself the same grace that he has shown you.

Pray to find (and then actively seek out) a true friend who is in a similar season.

The hardest thing for me as a working mom was finding someone who was in a similar season. Moms like us are (obviously) extremely busy, and often don’t have time to seek out relationships. But, companionship with someone sharing your similar struggles and joys is crucial. Pray that the Lord will bring someone like that into your life, and then actively pursue that friendship! Finding time for a coffee date might be difficult, but even committing to short text conversations after the kids go to bed can make a huge difference.

The walk as a working mother is one of the hardest that there is. But, if it’s the life to which you’ve been called, work towards it with all of the strength that you have. Look beyond any guilt that you may have and see the grace of your Lord and Savior who has saved you and who is guiding your footsteps.