“The Lord will fight for you,
you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:14

Last December, I had a friend tell me in the wake of a tough time that my “strength” amazed her. “You are so strong. I am so proud of how bravely you’re handling this,” she assured me. I almost laughed in her face. I didn’t, but it was sure hard not to.

Strong? If she only knew how weak I felt.

Proud? If she only knew the shame I carried of not getting through this faster.

Brave? At times, vulnerability felt more like a breaking point then a step of courage.

Guys, I can’t tell you how many times the phrase, “stay strong” has rolled off the tongue of a supporting friend. I know it is meant as encouragement, maybe even as a compliment, but I wonder what would happen if we knew, and I mean really just knew that any strength we have left is not our own.

2 Corinthians 12:9, “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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

You see, the power of Christ can’t be made perfect until we confess our weakness. Until we approach the cross bare, naked, vulnerable, with nothing left to cling to than the love of Christ, we can’t rest in the strongest strength there is. We tend to be proud of a strength that isn’t ours. We tend to encourage others to find strength that, well, we just don’t have.

What if I told you to not stay strong. What if I told you you didn't have to. Because resting on our strength alone is not only impossible but exhausting. It’s something I can’t do. It takes courage, real bravery, to be weak and let God carry you.

But here’s the thing: letting yourself be weak can be a little scary. It’s actually quite terrifying to finally feel things in all their weight and hurt. To be vulnerable and admit that no, contrary to what my Instagram might have you believe, I’ve never been so devoid of strength in my life. Yet the moment we boast in our weaknesses is the moment we begin to rest on Christ’s perfect power. His grace is sufficient. It’s enough. It’s all we need to bring hope and joy and peace to moments of darkness that seem never ending.

Sometimes we are so tired of the load we carry, that we forget the freedom that comes from letting God carry us. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Matt. 11:30). Psalm 107:28 says, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.” It required no strength from the people, no noble action. It required only surrender. They cried out, and He was faithful. They cried out in their weakness, and His grace was sufficient.

So, because of these things, I’ve committed the act of never telling anyone I love to stay strong. I don’t want to will them to carry something so heavy. Because quite honestly, when people tell me to stay strong I want to yell back that I can’t. I’m too weak. But praise God, I have a Savior that is strong enough to carry me and all my baggage, and He’s strong enough to carry you, too.

“You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by. Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning. You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.” Job 11:16-18

“…We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…” Hebrews 6:18-19