Written by: Rachel Strouf
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” — Isaiah 40:31
This topic spoke to me greatly last year, as I often found myself turning to my strength instead of first turning to God’s strength and wisdom. As women, we often feel the pressure to hold everything together—our families, our jobs, our homes, and even our emotions. We push ourselves to be strong, to keep going, and to figure things out on our own. But the truth is, we were never meant to rely on our own strength. God calls us to rest in His power, not our own.
Our problem becomes one of self-reliance. We are trying to do everything in our own strength, and this will always lead to exhaustion. We are reminded in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
When we lean on our own understanding, we are placing a weight on ourselves that we were never designed to carry. We exhaust our energy trying to figure out solutions, fix problems, and make things work. But God calls us to trust Him instead. Ask yourself why you are always tired? Is He directing your paths, or are you?
Two points to remember to help with this:
1. God’s Power is Sufficient
Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
I have always loved this verse. It a good reminder for all of us that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. That means we don’t have to be strong all the time. We don’t have to pretend we have it all together. Instead, we can surrender our weaknesses to God and allow His strength to carry us. Can I get an Amen, Hallelujah?!
2. Rest in God’s Strength
Resting in God’s power doesn’t mean we stop working or being responsible—it means we stop striving in our own strength. It simply means:
• Praying instead of worrying (Philippians 4:6-7)
• Trusting instead of trying to control (Psalm 46:10)
• Resting in His promises instead of relying on our plans (Jeremiah 29:11)
We don’t have to do it all. We don’t have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. We need to let go of the need to be strong in ourselves, and rest in the One whose strength never fails.
With these two simple reminders, it is my prayer that each one of us will not feel the pressure to hold it all together and trust in His strength.