By Hanna Seymour
Note from Barbara: Hanna Seymour is the daughter of our long-time friends, Michael and Cindy Easley, and dear friend of our daughter Laura. She wrote today’s post about a battle we all face: dealing with negative thoughts. Here she specifically addresses “mom frustration” with the messes kids make. But her solution for moms applies to each of us in relationships with those who either drive us crazy or seem bent on our irritation. Read this quick-to-digest post for yourself or for your daughters or nieces or daughters-in-law. Forward them this helpful content, then go find Hanna’s book and give it away to those God brings to mind.
When we memorize a word, phrase, line, or verse from God’s Word, it’s like implanting a powerful radioactive speck of the very mind of God into our own finite brains.
– Robert Morgan
Memorizing and meditating on Scripture may be one of the most powerful tools we have for changing our thought life.
At the beginning of my seminary program, I had to complete a lengthy—and very personal—spiritual assessment. One section required me to identify recurring negative thought patterns I struggled with. Then I had to find Scripture that directly confronted those thoughts.
One of the patterns I named surprised me: negative thoughts about my own kids.
I hesitated to even write that down. It felt vulnerable and easily misunderstood. But I also knew I wasn’t the only mom who gets hit with thoughts like these.
So let me be clear: I love my kids fiercely. I adore them. They are the delight of my life. I would do anything to protect them. I would die for them without hesitation.
And yet—for whatever reason (call it sin, spiritual warfare, stress, exhaustion, or all of the above)—I had this tape playing in my head, feeding me negative thoughts I didn’t actually believe or want.
At the encouragement of the assessment, I wrote down a few phrases from Psalm 127:3–5:
Children are a blessing from the Lord.
Children are a reward.
CHILDREN ARE A BLESSING FROM THE LORD.
Then I found a large block of expensive, high-quality parmesan cheese hidden in the corner of our living room—gnawed on by what looked like a rat but was definitely my two-year-old. I internally yelled:
CHILDREN ARE A REWARD.
Later, when I discovered Sharpie scribbled all over the entry hallway walls, I again shouted inwardly:
CHILDREN ARE A BLESSING! THANK YOU, GOD, FOR MY BLESSINGS.
And then there was the day I walked into the kitchen to find a strange light-pink substance scattered and pulverized across our wood floors as far as the eye could see—only to realize my three “blessings” had dumped a pound of deli ham on the ground and rolled over it back and forth with their scooters (which, for the record, they are not allowed to ride in the house).
That day, I yelled externally: “What in the actual hell?!”
Okay—so it didn’t work every time. Some days the words came easily. Other days, not so much. But over time, something really did begin to shift.
Do I still get angry, want to scream, actually scream, pull out my hair, and more? You better believe it.
But the Word of God truly uprooted those negative thoughts and replaced them with truth.
Many times now, I’m able to shake my head and laugh at whatever absurd mess they’ve made—while still dreaming up a fitting and memorable consequence.
I really do believe that children are a blessing from the Lord. I always did. But through the simple habits of meditation and memorization, I was able to uproot my own thoughts and replace them with God’s.
Maybe you hear a familiar internal tape, too.
Maybe it’s about your kids—or maybe it’s about your patience, your competence, your marriage, or your ability to handle the season you’re in. And maybe, like me, you don’t actually believe those thoughts—but they still show up, loud and uninvited.
If that’s you, I wonder if you might take a page from my professor’s assignment and try something simple: write down Scripture that directly confronts the thoughts you’re carrying.
Start small. One verse at a time—even short verses. Don’t overcomplicate it. Set yourself up for success.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, find a verse about peace.
If you’re struggling with anger, find a verse about patience or forgiveness.
If you’re struggling with fear, find a verse about trusting God.
God’s Word–a “powerful, radioactive speck of the very mind of God”–planted faithfully, really can change the story we tell ourselves—and the way we show up for our children.
Adapted from Everyday Spiritual Habits by Hanna Seymour.
Hanna Seymour is an author, Bible teacher, and podcast host living in Tennessee with her husband and three kids. She holds a master’s degree in Biblical Studies and is the author of Everyday Spiritual Habits, a book about growing deep faith through small, sustainable practices in everyday life. Hanna hosts the podcasts No Matter What with Hanna Seymour and The Weekly One. You can read more at hannaseymour.com or find her on Instagram (@hannaeseymour).
