Why Women Feel a Stirring to Live More Simply

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, there's been a noticeable stirring among wives and mothers recently. Many women are beginning to recognize that their worth doesn’t lie in accolades or constant busyness, but in something much more profound, yet simple: their identity in Christ.

The Call to Slow Down

Being a mom wrecked me in the best way, because it required me to slow down enough to realize that all the things I was chasing after didn’t bring me life. It just brought me to more chasing. More striving. And it was a never-ending cycle.

After having our first child, I  finally reached a point where I had to be alone with my thoughts. I couldn’t busy myself or distract myself with tasks. A baby required me to be present—to slow down. And at first, that was uncomfortable. I didn’t love who I was when I slowed down enough to sit with her. I loved what I did. I loved what I accomplished. But yet the love for those things was unfulfilling and never enough.

Why? Because Jesus was calling me to more. And that “more” was Himself. I realized that my worth isn’t in my accomplishments or how busy I can keep myself. My worth lies in my identity as His daughter. That’s where my true identity rests. When I look for it elsewhere, it always falls flat.

A Simpler Life, A Better Focus

This revelation has made everything so much simpler. Life doesn’t have to be as complicated as we make it. Instead of asking, “What does the world need from me?” (which usually revolves around everything I can do and achieve), I now ask, “What does God need from me?” The answer is simple: He wants all of me. Not my achievements, not my busy schedule, but just me. The person He created me to be. And the goal of giving him all of me? It is becoming more like Him.

Rethinking Marriage and Motherhood

Growing up I never thought of becoming a wife or having babies as a way to grow closer to or honor God. I thought marriage was about happiness! Finding the love of your life! But as I’ve grown and lived this beautiful gift out, I’ve come to realize that it’s actually about God Himself. About reflecting who He is to the world through that beautiful gift. And my kids? That work right there isn’t about bringing me joy either (although it does). That’s about my sanctification too. Dying to my flesh. Laying down my life for my family. Choosing a better way even when there’s no applause.

Sound like Jesus, doesn’t it? That’s because as mothers we are to reflect who He is to the next generation. And that is holy work. That is work that leads us to becoming more like Jesus.

Gifts for God’s Glory, Not Ours

In addition to this pursuit of becoming more like Jesus, I’ve started to view my gifts not as something to showcase to the world, but as a means of showing the world who God is. Yes, I still use my gifts and talents. Yes, I still pursue the things I’m passionate about—but now, it’s not to bring glory to myself, but to God.

And I’ve come to embrace the way God has designed me as a woman—not as the world says a woman should be. I’ve realized the immense power and beauty He has instilled in me. As a wife and mother, I carry a mantle that is sacred. I recently read a powerful line in a book called Theology of Home II that said, “Satan knows, just as he did when he targeted Eve, that if he gets the woman, he gets everyone.” God has given women a unique role, and it is not one to take lightly.

The Illusion of “More”

The book also discussed how Eve was tempted with a promise of “more,” which led her away from God’s will. It’s the same temptation many of us face today. In our quest for more, we can be easily led to believe that what God has provided is not enough. The temptation is real: to chase after things that promise fulfillment but leave us empty.

But more and more women are waking up to the realization that we make terrible gods. The pursuit of “more” outside of God’s will is an illusion. And this line really struck me: “Like Eve, there was seemingly ‘more’ promised by living outside God’s will, and that promise tempted us to shift our gaze from the good fruit we might yield to the good we might acquire.”

Embracing the Fruit We Already Have

The fruit is our family. God has entrusted us with these blessings. As women, we are called to steward these gifts—to raise our children, to guide them in the way they should go. The impact of our work often takes time to reveal itself, which makes the temptation to strive for more even greater. But more women are beginning to realize that the “fruit” they are meant to tend to is already in their hands. Their families are the fruit. The children they raise, the lives they nurture—that is fruitfulness.

So, yes, you might see women baking bread, planting gardens, and making meals from scratch. Deep within us, God has planted a desire for nurturing, caring for, and tending to others—and doing it well. He has equipped us to bring forth life in many forms, and He has instilled in us a deep yearning for fruitfulness. The world may try to suppress that longing, but God’s design remains.

So we should lean into it.

No Labels, Just Identity in Christ

And no, I don’t subscribe to the “tradwife” life or crunchy culture. I think too often we want to name things, like it’s going to make us feel better if we have a label. But I think oftentimes we just end up putting ourselves in boxes. Rather, I am simply a child of God. a daughter of the King. And I’m on a mission to learn all the beauty that comes with that.

I hope you are too.