When You’re Tired of Being Strong
by Amber Ginter
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9a NIV
SOMETHING TO PONDER
It had been one of those weeks. The kind where everything breaks and keeps on breaking, all the way to your soul. By Sunday night, my husband and I were weary.
As we rehashed the week's events, I knew it had been a doozy. Our newer car needed a thousand-dollar repair, the mold issue in our home was going to cost quadruple that, and our lovely Goldendoodle decided to eat a pantry liner (yes, he has a fetish with pee pads) and bite my husband in the process.
Rolling onto my side, I asked my husband a question I ask him all the time, "Are you okay?" In the silence, I could feel his tears roll onto my hands. I knew he wasn't.
"I feel like such a failure, " he whispered. "I'm so weak and can't lead us well," he cried.
For the next few minutes, I tried to encourage him. He wasn't a failure, and this was just life. I told him I was for him and us, but more importantly, so was and is the Lord.
When I read 2 Corinthians 12:9, I can't help but feel that Paul felt the same way as my husband and I after a long and exhausting week. Some of you reading this devotional know exactly what it's like to face these kinds of weeks. Some of you have never known what it's like to get out of such a state of panic. And yet, I have good news for you:
If you're carrying heavy emotional burdens or responsibilities, feeling like a weak failure who can't possibly handle one more thing, especially in seasons where expectations run high, would you just hold on? Would you look to Paul and his thorn, or Jesus on the cross? Would you remember that even when we are weak, we are strong by Christ's working power within us? Would you recall that it's okay to be weak and broken?
Embracing our weaknesses as strengths isn't easy. It's not like our human nature. But Jesus reminds us that when we feel at our lowest, that's when His power can shine through.
You can be tired of being strong. And that's okay.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Dear Jesus,
When we face tiring life circumstances, please remind us that it's okay to be weak and weary. Just as you told Paul that your grace was sufficient for him, remind us that your grace is sufficient for us, too! You are with us, within us, and all around us, and you care about our well-being. We love, praise, and thank you, Lord.
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. Read the entire chapter of 2 Corinthians 12. Journal about what it would be like to be Paul. What can we learn from his endurance?
2. Are you tired of being strong? Take some time to pray and journal your thoughts to the Lord. Then, ask Him to show you how your weaknesses can reveal strength.
3. The next time you see someone who feels weak, encourage them. Offer to pray with them and talk through their struggles.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Jude Beck
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Originally published Monday, 14 July 2025.
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