There is a quiet misconception many of us carry into our walk with God. We believe strength means having it all together. We assume maturity looks like self-sufficiency. We measure progress by how little we need help.
But God’s definition of strength is different.
As we move further into this new year, many women are discovering that God is not asking them to be stronger on their own. He is inviting them to surrender more deeply to Him. True strength does not grow through control. It grows through surrender.
When Weakness Feels Like Failure
Weakness is uncomfortable. It exposes our limits and confronts our pride. We often try to hide it, pray it away, or compensate for it. Yet Scripture tells us that weakness is not something God despises. It is often the very place where His power is most visible.
The apostle Paul understood this struggle.
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
God does not deny Paul’s weakness. He meets it with grace.
Grace Changes How We View Strength
Grace is not a temporary fix or a backup plan. Grace is God’s sustaining power at work in our lives. When God says His grace is sufficient, He is saying it is enough to carry us through what we cannot carry on our own.
Strength, in God’s kingdom, is not about proving ourselves. It is about depending on Him.
Surrender shifts the focus from what we lack to who God is.
Surrender Is Not Giving Up
Surrender is often misunderstood. It is not resignation or defeat. It is an active choice to trust God more than ourselves. When we surrender, we stop striving to hold everything together and allow God to work in ways we could not manage on our own.
Surrender requires humility. It asks us to admit that we do not have all the answers or the strength to do everything in our own power. But it is in this admission that God’s strength becomes evident.
God’s Power at Work in Us
When we surrender our weaknesses to God, we make room for His power to move freely. We stop resisting His help and start receiving it. Over time, we discover that what once felt like weakness becomes a testimony of God’s faithfulness.
God does not remove every weakness. Sometimes He redeems it.
The strength we gain through surrender is lasting. It does not depend on circumstances or emotions. It rests on God’s unchanging character.
Application
Take time this week to examine where you are striving instead of surrendering.
Ask yourself:
-
Where am I trying to be strong on my own?
-
What weakness have I been avoiding or hiding?
-
What would it look like to fully surrender this area to God?
Bring these areas before God in prayer. Release the pressure to perform and ask Him to meet you with His sufficient grace.
Prayer
Lord,
I come to You aware of my weakness and in need of Your strength. Teach me to surrender what I cannot control and to trust that Your grace is enough. Help me to stop striving and start resting in You. Let Your power be made perfect in my weakness, and shape my heart to depend fully on You. I place my strength, my limitations, and my life in Your hands.
In Jesus' Holy Name. Amen.
Add comment
Comments