If I’m being completely honest, there are days I feel like I’m drowning. Between school drop-offs, packing lunches, answering work emails, folding laundry (that’s been sitting in the basket for three days), and somehow trying to carve out a moment for prayer, I wonder if I’m doing enough—or if I’m just barely holding things together. As a single mom of two, I know the pressure of carrying the weight of an entire household on your own shoulders. Add in a career and a God-given calling, and the balance can feel impossible.
But here’s what I’ve learned: it doesn’t have to be perfect to be purposeful. When we invite God into our hustle, He transforms it from chaos into a rhythm of grace. The “grace-filled hustle” is about pursuing goals, raising children, and honoring your calling without losing yourself—or your faith—in the process.
The Struggle is Real: Daily Juggling Without Balance
Let me paint a picture.
There was a week when my daughter had a school project due, my toddler came down with a cold, and I had a major deadline at work. I stayed up past midnight to finish everything, running on coffee and prayers the next morning. I remember staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror thinking, “God, how long can I keep this up?”
That’s when it hit me: I wasn’t meant to carry it all alone. I was hustling, but without grace. I was relying on my own strength instead of inviting God into my schedule, my parenting, and even my career.
Maybe you’ve felt that too—the endless cycle of rushing, striving, and feeling like no matter what you do, it’s never enough. But what if success isn’t in doing everything perfectly, but in doing what God has asked of you with a heart of trust?
Step 1: Redefine the Hustle with Grace
The world says hustle means grinding until you’re exhausted. But grace says, “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). That means I don’t have to “do it all” to be successful—I just have to stay aligned with God.
Practical tip: Before you open your laptop or grab your phone in the morning, take 2 minutes to pray. Just say, “God, guide my steps today. Show me where to focus and give me peace in the rest.” It shifts the hustle from self-reliance to Spirit-led movement.
Step 2: Set Boundaries That Protect What Matters
I used to feel guilty about saying no—whether to extra projects at work, social events, or even volunteering at church. But I realized that if I said yes to everything, my kids would get the tired, stressed version of me, not the present one they deserved.
Now, I protect my evenings for family time. Work emails can wait, laundry can wait, but bedtime prayers with my children can’t. Boundaries are holy—they keep you from pouring out until you’re empty.
Practical tip: Write down your “non-negotiables.” For me, it’s family dinners, bedtime routines, and one Sabbath rest day each week. Everything else has to work around those.
Step 3: Integrate Your Calling into Daily Life
Sometimes, as mothers, we think our calling has to wait until the kids are older, or until life “slows down.” But God has shown me that my calling shows up in the small, everyday ways too—like encouraging another mom at school pickup, or writing this blog post at 5 a.m. before the kids wake up.
Practical tip: Ask yourself daily, “How can I honor my calling in this season with what I have?” Maybe it’s a 15-minute Bible study podcast on your commute, journaling while the kids nap, or mentoring one person instead of trying to lead a whole group. Small seeds still grow big fruit.
Step 4: Release the Pressure of Perfection
Here’s the truth: some days you’ll crush your to-do list, and other days you’ll be reheating chicken nuggets while folding laundry at 10 p.m. Both days are valid. Both are holy when offered to God.
I used to cry at night thinking I wasn’t “enough.” But God reminded me: “You are enough because I am enough.” My children don’t need a perfect mom; they need a present, faith-filled one.
Practical tip: At the end of each day, write down three wins. They don’t have to be big—“I made my kids laugh,” “I prayed instead of panicked,” “I met my work deadline.” This practice builds gratitude and reminds you of your progress.
Living the Grace-Filled Hustle
The grace-filled hustle isn’t about slowing down to a stop or ramping up until burnout—it’s about walking at the pace of grace. It’s about learning to balance ambition with peace, motherhood with calling, and faith with action.
To every single mom reading this: you are already doing more than you realize. You are seen. You are loved. And you don’t have to choose between being a good mother, a thriving professional, and a faithful servant of God. With His grace, you can be all three.
Take it one day at a time, invite God into the hustle, and watch Him turn your chaos into purpose.
