Cultivate - Encouraging Moms - Happy and Blessed Home

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day! I pray this devotional series is encouraging moms as we find one word each week to be inspired by.

This week as we continue our one word devotionals, our key word for the week is “Cultivate.”

One of the things I love about this word is it’s application. It does apply to things like gardening but it also applies to relationships and refinement.

cul·ti·vate

1. a. To improve and prepare (land), as by plowing or fertilizing, for raising crops; till
b. To loosen or dig soil around (growing plants).

2. To grow or tend (a plant or crop).

3. To promote the growth of (a biological culture).

4. To nurture; foster. See Synonyms at nurture.

5. To form and refine, as by education.

6. To seek the acquaintance or goodwill of; make friends with.

A short video to encourage you: Cultivate.

The part of the definition that states, “to seek the acquaintance or goodwill of; make friends with” got me thinking. As moms we know it’s a part of our role to cultivate our children by promoting their growth and help to for and refine their minds to seek goodness and to have high ethics and values but I wasn’t expecting “make friends with”.

When I think about it though, I can see that the act of cultivating friendships or like-minded parents is just as important as my actions in cultivating character in my children.

We need community and like-minded people to come alongside us and pour into us just like we pour into our families.

Relationships and parenting can be tough. But the scripture gives me hope.

Luke 6:38

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

I am so encouraged by this and I hope you are too. We have the promise that our hard work in cultivating goodness in our children and in our friendships with others will provide “good measure” given back to us. We just have to “cultivate” it.

For me it is an inspiring word this week and I pray it is for you as well.

What would you like to cultivate in your life? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

I pray that good measure is pouring into your life this week!

In His Grip,