You’re Stronger Than You Think

I think every single one of us can use more strength in life. We can use emotional strength, mental strength, and greater ability to handle life’s problems and unpredictable situations.

Maybe you’re dealing with something right now that seems too big to handle. If so, I have good news for you—God wants to be your strength.

The Strengthener

I love John 16:7 in the Amplified Bible. In this verse, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to be “in close fellowship” with us. He uses several different words to describe the incredible work of the Holy Spirit, including “Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener and Standby.”

So, what does this mean? It means when we need help—when life gets difficult and we need more strength—we literally have The Strengthener living on the inside of us, and He will give us all the strength we need!

Just think about it: the Holy Spirit is always with you, and He’s ready, willing and able to help at any moment. Any time you’re tempted to give up—whenever you begin to think, I can’t do this. I can’t take this anymore—that’s when it’s time to pray, “Holy Spirit, strengthen me!”

This applies to every situation—big or small. Maybe you’re getting ready to meet with someone who tends to frustrate you or get on your nerves. Beforehand, take a few moments to simply pray, “Holy Spirit, I can’t do this without You. Please give me the strength to be sweet and love this person.”

Or maybe you’re facing a situation that threatens to overwhelm you. For instance, years ago I battled breast cancer which required surgery. It was a scary time, and fear immediately tried to grip my heart. But God used this time to help me keep my eyes on Him and cling to Him for strength and comfort—day by day, even hour by hour.

I really want you to read 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) with me. God has used this scripture to help me tremendously over the years. It says:

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Now, just think about it: Whatever you’re facing today, God will never allow more to come on you than you can bear. In fact, He promises to always provide a way out of every temptation and difficult spot at just the right time.

This may sound funny, but I believe we can get to the point where we actually learn to appreciate our difficult times. Why? Because if we trust God and lean on Him for strength, He will use our trials to make us stronger and build our character.

So many times, I’ve gotten to the end of a tough situation and realized God did something wonderful in me and through me. Nothing is ever wasted with God—He’ll even use our painful experiences to benefit us if we’ll let Him.

Change Your Perspective

When we’re going through a trying time or facing a tough situation, it’s so important to pay attention to what we think and say.

I think we spend way too much time thinking and talking about our problems. Now, there’s nothing wrong with talking through an issue with a friend or family member, especially someone who can give us wise counsel. But we should fight the temptation to call everyone we know and just keep rehashing it.

When all we do is focus on the problem, we make it bigger than it really is! All this does is lead to worry and anxiety. But I love what it says in the Book of Psalms—it says we should “magnify the Lord” (Psalm 34:3).

What does this mean? To magnify the Lord means to focus on Him and make Him “bigger” in our eyes. As we do, our faith begins to grow because we’re focused on how mighty and able God is to solve our problems. As a result, our negative circumstances don’t seem so overwhelming—they are no match for Almighty God!

The truth is, there is no situation in life that’s too hard for God. In every situation, He wants us to cry out to Him for strength and trust He has everything under control. He wants us to truly believe that He’s greater than any problem we will ever face.

That’s why the Bible is such a treasure chest. As we take time to get to know what God’s Word says, we get to know God! Soon, our hearts begin to fill with faith and we find ourselves responding differently to people and situations.

Whatever you’re dealing with today, I encourage you to look at it with a fresh perspective. Instead of saying, “This is too hard,” choose to say what God’s Word says about your situation. Say things like, “God is taking care of my problem” and "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Remember, a situation may be too big for you to handle, but it’s not too big for God! The Holy Spirit longs to help you, encourage you and strengthen you when you need it the most. And He’s always just a prayer away.