Sleeplessness and Sanctification

For me, one of the greatest challenges of motherhood was waking up in the middle of the night for feedings. This became a huge thorn in my flesh since Katie persisted in waking up at night months beyond when she was “supposed” to be sleeping through the night. I became obsessed with sleep and fell into many sins as a result (bitterness, anxiety, anger, self-pity, etc.). Thankfully one morning, God intervened. I had been reading through the book of Hebrews, and I came upon this:

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’ It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:5-11)

Through this passage, God reminded me that He was doing serious work in me through the unique trials of early motherhood. Inspired, I decided to make a list of all the ways that God could be sanctifying me through Katie’s sleep issues. In His mercy, God changed my perspective and provided me a way to hope when I was tempted to despair. So, when you are facing yet more laundry to do because of a baby who spits up, or when you have to get out of bed to soothe your child for the fifth time since 2 a.m., be encouraged. God is treating you as His child and is working so that even the mundane, draining demands of motherhood will lead you to share in His holiness and will produce the peaceful fruit of righteousness. And how kind is He that the “rod” of choice is nothing less than your own precious child.

By having to get up in the middle of the night to feed my child, God is training me…

…to trust His sovereignty over my child

…to trust His good purposes in difficulties

…to love sacrificially, considering another’s needs above my own

…to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, constant in prayer

…to give thanks in all circumstances

…to not love sleep more than God and others

…to depend on Him for strength, energy, faith, and endurance

…to be humble (I can’t do everything right or control the world)

…to not complain against Him

…to sympathize with others

…to apply His Word to my life

…to not sleep and still function (which can be a very helpful skill!)