The people that we most often look up to are those that show extraordinary resilience, and who have weathered storms well. They can be moms, businesspeople, members of the armed forces, missionaries, artists, athletes, or just your average Joe trying to do life well. The characteristic these individuals evince is strength, and it is a great quality to possess in everyday life.
What do you do, though, if you don’t have enough strength to face a challenge? Sickness, abandonment by friends, financial problems, messy and complicated relationships – all of these are examples of things that can tax your strength and push you beyond your mental, physical, and emotional limits.
Admitting that you lack strength is hard for many people; after all, who wants to be considered weak? However, it can be a show of great strength and character to acknowledge your weakness and your need for help.
On the night that He was betrayed, Jesus needed His friends there to watch and pray with Him. He felt overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, and He needed His friends with Him at that moment (Matthew 26: 36-46). Jesus’ example should embolden us to recognize when we are weak and to seek help from others when we need it.
Bible verses about strength
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:28-31, NIV
This verse from Isaiah comes in the context of Israel failing and falling away from the Lord. After centuries of disobeying God, the Lord was going to hand them over to what they desired by allowing the nation of Babylon to overrun them.
While they may have felt abandoned by God, God had not abandoned them. They were feeling weak as a nation, and they began to project that onto the Lord, but Isaiah reminds them of who God is.
These verses from Isaiah remind us of the limit of our strength. Young men and women are often the epitome of strength. They have pep, they are resilient, they are courageous, and they are driven.
However, even their boundless energies get sapped, and they eventually come to the end of themselves. Isaiah is using these images of youth and fatigue to evoke the reality that whatever strengths we possess, they aren’t always enough for the difficulties we will face.
Not only that, but Isaiah is reminding his listeners and readers that God doesn’t have the limitations we have. God never tires. That means when He is for you, there won’t ever be a situation in which He pushes through on your behalf and then stop because He’s grown tired. He will complete what He’s begun, so we can trust Him on that.
Additionally, the everlasting God can empower or strengthen those who are weary or weak. When you are out of your depth, beyond your strength and capacities, God can strengthen you to continue the journey.
Finding help when you need it
You don’t have to be strong or put on a show of strength. It’s okay to be weak and to need help. Jesus, the Son Of God, needed help and was willing to ask for it. That gives us the freedom to overcome our egos and seek help.
Knowing that God gives us strength when we can’t muster up our own is freeing because we know we aren’t on our own. We don’t have to have it all figured out, and we can trust God to provide us with the strength to fulfill what He’s called us to.
If you’re overwhelmed, if your strength has run out and you feel like you can’t carry on, don’t lose hope or allow yourself to burn out. God can and will strengthen you, and there are people available who can help you find and use the strength to go on.
Lean on your friends or call upon a professional like a trained and licensed counselor in Rockwall, Texas to help you in your time of weakness. Your counselor at Rockwall Christian Counseling in Texas can provide you with resources to cope, understand your strengths and weaknesses better, draw healthy boundaries if you need them, and they can give you the support you need on your journey.
If you don’t have a counselor, we would be happy to help. Contact our office today at Rockwall Christian Counseling in Texas for more information.
Photos:
“Red Flower”, Courtesy of Polina Kuzovkova, Unsplash.com, CC0 License
- Kate Motaung: Curator
Kate Motaung is the Senior Writer, Editor, and Content Manager for a multi-state company. She is the author of several books including Letters to Grief, 101 Prayers for Comfort in Difficult Times, and A Place to Land: A Story of Longing and Belonging...
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