Moms know that motherhood brings out all the feels. We are basically “Feelings Managers.” We teach our toddlers to recognize and name their feelings, encourage our children to be aware of the feelings surrounding them, empower our teenagers to process feelings, and we pray that our adult children can make good choices despite their feelings.

And, after all of that, we have our own feelings to consider! Many times in our motherhood journeys, we must intentionally decide to rise above our feelings. We rise above insecurity, tiredness, sickness, and overwhelming days to be our best for our family. While the act of rising above looks different in the different seasons of motherhood, the main consistency is our relentless choice to rise above.

As Julie likes to say in the Pirate Parenting series: “Motherhood is the relentless pursuit of raising competent, resilient, and independent adult children. The keyword is relentless! We never quit. So, we are basically Navy Seals, because their motto is ‘Never Quit.’”

Moms are amazing! We rise above so much every day and equip our children to do the same. Yet, why is it so easy to back down when we feel afraid?

We give so much power to the feeling of fear. And yes – fear is just another feeling! Fear is defined as “the feeling caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, harmful, or unpleasant; an emotional response to a perceived threat.” Fear is there for a reason. It gives us pause to consider our safety and think about our next moves or the best courses of action. But it can also paralyze us or completely deter us if we aren’t mindful of how much power we are giving to our feelings.

In the Bible, God told Joshua to be strong and courageous. He did not tell Joshua to feel strong and courageous. Joshua didn’t wait for his feelings to change. He chose to be strong and courageous and do the next right thing because he had faith.

In truth, our feelings are our own language, whereas faith is the language of God. We can feel our feelings and still choose to rise above and keep going in – even when that feeling is fear. Because “We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are chosen to be a part of His plan.” Romans 8:28 (NLV)

The next time a challenge leaves you feeling afraid, remember that fear is a feeling, and while we don’t choose our feelings, we can control how we respond to them. So, even when you feel afraid, you can be strong and courageous! You can choose faith over feelings and empower your kids to do the same.

A great Morgan Harper Nichols quote reads: “Do not think less of yourself if you do not feel fearless. Doing it afraid is just as brave.” You can be a Fearless Mom, even if you don’t feel fearless. You’ve got this, Mom!