“I’m Tired of Being Strong”

 Discover empowering insights for women feeling overwhelmed. Learn to navigate life's challenges and embrace your strength through faith.

In today’s fast-paced world, many women find themselves exhausted from the daily grind, feeling the weight of expectations and responsibilities. This blog post addresses the struggles of strong women who are tired of being strong, providing comfort, encouragement, and actionable insights to help them find peace and resilience.

## Understanding the Burden of Strength

Every day, women juggle numerous roles—caregivers, professionals, friends, and daughters. The pressure to be strong can become overwhelming, leading to emotional and physical exhaustion. Many women feel they must persevere through hardships alone, often neglecting their own needs in the process.

### The Strain of Daily Life
- **Financial Pressures**: Bills pile up, and the anxiety of financial instability can weigh heavily on a woman’s mind.
- **Emotional Exhaustion**: The expectation to maintain a positive facade can lead to feelings of isolation and sadness. 
- **Societal Expectations**: Women are often judged based on appearances, which can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy.

These pressures can create a cycle of self-doubt and despair, making it crucial to recognize that it’s okay to feel tired and overwhelmed.

## The Power of Vulnerability

Acknowledging one’s feelings is a vital step towards healing. It is essential to understand that vulnerability is not a sign of weakness but a pathway to strength. Sharing struggles with trusted friends or seeking professional help can provide relief and perspective.

### Why You Should Embrace Vulnerability
- **Connection**: Opening up fosters deeper connections with others who may share similar struggles.
- **Support**: Leaning on loved ones can provide emotional support and practical help when needed.
- **Healing**: Expressing feelings can be cathartic, leading to personal growth and healing.

## Finding Strength in Faith

For many, faith offers a profound source of strength. Turning to spiritual practices can provide guidance and solace during tough times. Engaging with scripture, prayer, or community worship can uplift spirits and reinforce resilience.

### Steps to Reconnect with Faith
1. **Prayer**: Take time to pray, seeking guidance and comfort.
2. **Scripture Reading**: Find verses that resonate and offer encouragement.
3. **Community**: Engage with a supportive faith community to share experiences and find encouragement.

## Practical Tips for Overcoming Overwhelm

Feeling overwhelmed can lead to a feeling of being stuck. Here are some actionable steps to help regain control and foster a sense of peace:

- **Set Boundaries**: Learn to say no and prioritize your mental health.
- **Self-Care**: Dedicate time for self-care activities that recharge you.
- **Seek Help**: Don’t hesitate to ask for help when needed; it’s a sign of strength.

## Conclusion

The journey of being a strong woman does not mean you have to carry the weight of the world alone. Embracing vulnerability, finding strength in faith, and implementing practical strategies can help ease the burdens you face. Remember, it’s okay to be tired; it’s okay to seek help. You are stronger than you know, and there is hope for brighter days ahead.

### Frequently Asked Questions

#### Why do women feel pressure to be strong?
Women often feel societal pressures to meet expectations in various roles, leading to feelings of inadequacy and overwhelm.

#### How can I find support as a woman?
Seek out friends, family, or community groups that resonate with your experiences. Sharing your struggles can foster connection and support.

#### Can faith really help during tough times?
Many find strength and comfort in their spirituality, which can provide a sense of purpose and hope during challenging times.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Welcome to Planted and Rooted in God's Word. I'm your host, Barbara Wallace. And today I'm just doing solo. I don't have a guest, but we will be having other guests and have that real conversation about women. But before we start, let us pray. Dear precious Father God, in the name of Jesus, we come before your presence humble as we know how. Thank you for this day that you have given us. Thanking you for another opportunity to come before your presence and give you the glory and the honor. I pray, Father God, that you forgive me of any sins and unrighteousness that I may have. That Father God, any woman that are listening to this podcast, anyone that's listening that may feel as if that they are not in a place where they need to be, I pray that you touch their mind, you touch their heart, that you bring them closer to you, Father God. That there be some encouraging words that I speak today, Father God, in your words that they may be encouraged to move closer to you. So today, I give you the glory and I give you honor and thank you for this platform that you have given me in Jesus' name, amen. Amen. So today we're going to be talking about my topic is I'm tired of being strong. And on this topic, we're going to be talking about what happens when a strong woman gets tired of being strong. What happens when you prayed, you pushed, and you cried, but you kept going, and nothing seems to change. When your bank account is overdrawn, your rent is behind, your car barely makes it, and you come in from one place to another, and then it just not giving you anything. Life is just too demanding on you, and you have nothing left to give. What happens when nobody sees you struggling? They only judge you when they see you. Because you're exhausted. But nobody asks you, how are you? Are you okay? So today I want to talk to women who are feeling completely overwhelmed with life. And that is understandable because there's so much going on. There's your bills, there's the notes on your car, there's your children that need to be fed. You have to worry about getting up every morning and getting to work, get to that job, and making sure that you clock in and that you're performing in front of people. When deep down inside you, the things of life have pushed you down. So you're just emotionally drained and you're just exhausted with life. Now, some women aren't living right now. What they're doing is they're just trying to survive one week at a time. And so what happens when you're feeling as if you're ignored, that you're not celebrated, that when holidays come, you even feel more lonely than you felt the other days. And that you're always being overlooked, and that there doesn't seem to be anyone around to help you. And the reason that that's happening to you right now is not because you've done anything wrong, it's not because God has forsaken you, it's not because you were just pulled out of thin air to be tagged on. Because you know who God is, you know that God is your provider, you know the word. But at this present moment, because life has gotten you stuck in that day-to-day rut, that you're feeling so overwhelmed that it's carrying your heavy burden every day. And the thing is that your situation, your problem is not something that's uncommon. It's happened to me, it's happened to other women, and it's happening continually, day after day. You push and you pull and you do everything that you have to do, and then in the middle of the night, only thing that you have left from your exhaustion is just the tears in your eyes. Your heart is broken. You look in your bank account and you see that it's not no money in there. That it's insufficient funds. And then you just pray and you say, Why can't I just have 10% more than what I had before so that I can at least pay for something? And you don't want to, you know, have your kids feel as if that you can't provide for them. So you do the same thing over and over, and what's happening is that the enemy is tricking you, causing you to think that you're never going to get out of this, causing you to feel lonely, causing you to feel disgusted, causing you to feel as if there is no hope, that you're just in some despair. But what the enemy has done is blocked you from seeing who God is, blocked you from praying, blocked you from reading his word, blocked you from having that joy that you used to have a long time ago. That mountain is so big you can't even see the sunlight. And so, if you can't see the sunlight because of you being blocked by the enemy, and the enemy is only doing that because he knows that as soon as you hand it over to Jesus, soon as you trust in the Lord, soon as you release all of that, that the joy is going to come back. You're gonna start serving him like you never did before. And he doesn't want that, he wants you to be defeated because the enemy is there to steal, kill, and destroy. So why not attack you with your bills? Why not attack you with not being able to get from one destination to the other? Why not attack you with a car that keeps breaking down? Why not attack you with the relationships that you're getting into with men that don't seem to be there for you, but all about themselves, and then they get up and leave you, and then there's more hurt on top of that, where you're feeling as if this man was no good for me. And now I'm feeling even more deflated because you think that it's you, that you're the reason that this man left, and that's not even that. Your children still love you. There's a song that I used to hear when I was young, and it's called Lord, don't move my mountain, but give me the strength to climb. Lord, don't take away my stumbling block, but lead me all around. So all of those things that are attacking you right now, your mountain is those bills you can't pay. Those mountains are when you can't afford to get more food on your table for your kids. Those mountains are attacking you and in front of you in your face because of the fact that you feel as if nobody sees you, nobody hears you, no one understands you, no one is available to give you help. I used to feel that way. And I would just spend my nights in my room just bawling my eyes out. I got disgusted where I didn't even want to talk to my family. I was ashamed that I was failing my children. And I said, This can't be right because as women, we feel as if those that's going through this, you don't deserve this. This is not the life that you asked for. This is not the place where you wanted to be. You don't done everything right. So why are you placed in this situation? Why are you the one holding all of the troubles? And it becomes overwhelming. And that's how we feel. After a while, we feel lonely and broken down and heavy burden. And so the enemy is doing exactly what he's set out to do. It's to deceive you, it's to trick you. You know, there's motherhood pressures, you're hiding emotions from your children, you're pretending to be okay, but emotionally you're burnt out. Day in and day out. You get up, you try to put on enough makeup to hide how your face looks, but folks seem to always pick something out and point out things to say, girl, you're looking really bad. What's wrong with you? And I'm here to let you know that there's nothing wrong with you. That you are strong, that you are credible, that I see you because I see you in me. Because that's where I was. I was so deflated that I didn't even want to get up, but I knew I had to. So I know that's what you're going through. You're trying to get up, you're trying to stay strong in front of your children, where you're privately wandering and wandering. And as you wander around, you start to wonder, how much longer can I hold this together? And the truth is that there are so many women that are at their breaking point that they're breaking down and they're so weak. But you're really not weak, you're strong. Because if you got up today after yesterday, being hurt and deflated and discouraged and angry and worried, and you started a new day, you have the strength in you. Because it's not easy to get out of a day that's full of despair and heartache and pain, and then get up the next morning and start all over. You have that fight in you. There's a warrior in you. Because the word says, Greater is he that is in me than he that in the world. And the thing is, is that because we know the word, we tend to think that it's becoming too churchy. But you don't have to be subject to being or worrying about, am I doing this perfectly well? God accepts you as you are, he meets you at your needs, and he doesn't want you to fall apart. And when I spoke about that mountain, that mountain is hiding God. He is close by, he is near. But if the enemy can continue on keeping that mountain in front of you and blocking Jesus, then you're gonna always be in that situation. And how do you get up that mountain? You don't want to go around it, as the song said, but you want the strength to climb. And you climb that mountain one step at a time. And that one step means you pulling out one scripture, one verse, even if you have to repeat it over and over and over in your head, especially when the enemy is attacking you like he is, it's like life is punching you left and right, and you feeling bruised in your body and aches in your body and pains in your body. But if you climb that mountain one step at a time, give it to Jesus because the battle is not ours, it's the Lord's. Asking him to guide you, help you, hold your hand, lift you up, send the warring angels to guide you and guard you every step of the way. And eventually you'll get halfway up that mountain. Then you can turn around and look back and say, Hey, I made it thus far with the help of the Lord. I'm gonna continue on going. So you have to treat that mountain as if it's just something that you're gonna step onto one day at a time. And yes, tomorrow may not look as better as yesterday, but the difference between tomorrow and yesterday, you started to trust in Jesus, you started to know your strength in the Lord. And honestly, emotionally, when you have those men that's not available, you you're thinking this time, this guy is going to be different than the others. And the thing is, is that you know they'll start out as if they want to be there for you, but eventually, you start seeing patterns, you start seeing this guy is only out for himself. And then you say to yourself, I'm not worthy. Well, let's just take that out of our head. You are worthy, you're worthy of being loved completely, and God can send that man of God that can love you the way you should be loved. Because the thing is, is that you're always giving, but you're being unsupported and you're feeling emotionally used, and that's what happens in a situation or a relationship that is toxic, that you thought that you'll be able to have someone to you know help you with the bills, take you out, appreciate you, make you feel loved and beautiful, and when you turned around, you had someone that was not even there emotionally for you. And then when that relationship is gone, although we want better, but when that relationship is gone, now you're feeling even more worse because you don't even have that sad situation that you were in to try to cope with. And we try to tell ourselves that it's gonna be better, it's gonna get better, but it doesn't get better because the enemy knows the tricks, knows how to, you know, deal with you. Now, I know that some women are exhausted because they spend years pouring into people who never poured back into their lives, and that is exhausting when you're pouring into folks and they're not pouring back into you, you know, then you start thinking to yourself, Well, I I'm I'm going to church, but then you stop going to church because you didn't feel as if you were getting anything out of that church service, anyhow. Pastor could have been speaking directly to you, but because of all the situation that's going you're going through, it's like I'm not getting nothing out of this. Why? Why would I wasting my time? Why am I sitting up here? Why am I singing songs of joy when I'm feeling so horrible inside? Why am I clapping to music that basically is not even filling me up? So what you do is you stop going to church. Now, because you stop going to church, then you get to the point where you're like, I'm not even going to read the word. I know what the Bible says, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. God is good. Yeah, we we we do that. We say, God is good. But then you feel as if, if he's so good, why is he not taking me out of this situation? Why do I have to go through this day after day? Why do I have to feel as if I'm stressed? Why do I have to walk around like I'm living in the valley of death? I'm part of the valley of death. But in Psalms that talked about, yea, do I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil. Which means that we're going to go through the valley. We're going to have rough times. We're going to have tough times. But how we get out of that situation is based on trusting in God. We can't trust in ourselves because we fail ourselves time and time again. So each time that you wake up in the morning, you say, I'm going to push my way through this, I'm going to make this work. I'm going to see things change. It cannot change unless you let God change them for you. Unless you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior to do it all. Unless you say, God, I'm not going to do this alone anymore. Then you'll be able to move a little more smoothly through it. And yes, it does feel as if things are tough. You look at your bills every day, you look at your kids, you feel the pressure, you feel the pain. Being that woman who says we have to always be the responsible and strong person. Then it gets scary because if you're behind on your rent, now you're wondering, am I going to get kicked out of this apartment? What am I to do then? What will my children think of me? And then what happens? You put yourself in survival mode. Now you're overstimulated emotionally because nobody is noticing because you keep functioning anyhow. It's like you put on that same old jacket thinking that same jacket that you put on yesterday is going to get you through it. But it's still going to be there. Because you not have to put on this jacket. You have to put on the whole armor of God. And the whole armor of God is not a complete whole sermon that you have to sit through. The whole armor of God is step one saying, Lord, I know you're there. And Lord, I know you're going to provide. So, Lord, I'm going to lay it at your feet. I'm going to let you take care of this. And then you praise Him in the midst of your sorrows. You start thanking Him for another day. Because when you wake up the next day and you breathe and you say, I have breath in my lungs. It didn't come because of what you did or who you are. It's because of Jesus Christ and His grace and mercy waking you up one more day. So when you realize waking up and having breath in your life, although with the situation of pain that you're going through, that Jesus was the one that made that. That is that hope that Jesus gives us. That is that comfort. And it's not to say that what you're going through is right. But we have to realize that God can send us through. There's a scripture that's in Matthew 11 and 28, and it says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. I'm sure you heard of that scripture. But sometimes the scripture hits you differently when you realize that it's an antidote, that it's medicine that you need to strengthen you. It's like someone says that you're sick, and then they give you a prescription, and then you take that prescription, you throw it out, and you say, I'm not gonna use it. I'm not gonna take it. So you can't get better because the medication you threw out. That's how God's word is. His word is medication to us. And you have to take it. But you have to take it daily. You have to inject yourself with the goodness of the Lord. You have to lean onto Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior, who is almighty, who is omnipresent. There's another verse, Psalms 34 and 18. And I pray that some of these scriptures that you can pull out and read it. What it says is the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. And during this time, you are brokenhearted. You are lost. You are fearful. You are burdened down, tapped out, emotionally stressed. Mentally, you are drained. And when you carry things on your own, it will drain you. It will take every ounce of your strength just to make it. Lifting your head seems to be a task. But to lessen that, I would say the word of God could get you through. And I'm saying this because of the fact that I've been there where I just didn't know what to do. I didn't call on anyone. I didn't ask anyone. And I definitely was not going to trust in God during that situation. But when I remembered something that my mom told me, and this was during a time that I was in the valley of the darkness. And she reminded me, and this is a woman that was in, only had a sixth grade reading level, reminded me that the God that she served that worked out things for her, the same God that did it for me. My mother was phenomenal in everything when it came to the Lord. And I don't even eliminate that because I appreciated her. I was amazed at her. My mother loved the Lord so much that when she was on her deathbed, she had ovarian cancer. She had died, and my dad was holding her hand. She wasn't fearful about her dying. She knew where she was going because she loved the Lord that well. Well, she took a breath and then she woke up out of that. And she asked my dad, she said, Honey, are you gonna be okay? And that was unselfishness. You took your last breath, but then you came back and took a breath to ask me, Am I gonna be okay? My dad had to do the unselfishness himself. He had to tell her, it's okay. You can release, you can go under the arms of the Lord. You can leave. I'll be okay. I know God got me. Yes, baby, I'm gonna be sad without you. Yes, honey, I'm gonna miss you. But I know you're going to a better place where there'll be no more dying, there'll be no more crying, there'll be no more heartaches, there'll be no more pain. And in that moment, when my dad told my mom that he was going to be okay, she went on. She went on, and that was it. See, we have to get like that, where we know without a shadow of doubt that God got us through it all. You got to learn how to trust in Jesus. You have to learn how to trust in the Lord. And I didn't share that story to sadden you, but it's a joyful story when you think about it. How death was not even holding her back. It's just that she wanted to make sure that my dad was okay. So your pains, the bills, the bank accounts, the heartaches that you're going through, that's only temporarily. It doesn't last. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning time. And that morning time may not be the next day, or the next day, or the next day, but you keep at it. You keep putting in the word, you keep talking to God, you keep saying, Lord, I love you. You keep saying thank you, Jesus. You keep saying, I trust you. You keep going back to the Lord and saying, Lord, I'm not gonna let this defeat me. You keep telling God, I know you got this. And then eventually, when you get out of that and things turn around, because they will turn around, because his word says so. Everything is in his word is true. Because we serve a God that will not lie, we serve a God that will see you through everything. So, to those who're listening right now, the one trying to figure out how to survive, how to keep going, how to hold on to everything, I need you to hear me clearly. You are carrying more than people realize. And even this season, God still loves you. See, He has that love that doesn't change, that doesn't fade, that doesn't look at you any different than who you are. Maybe you didn't choose this season, maybe you didn't ask for this pressure that that's exhausting, this pain. But hear me when I say this. Your struggle is not the end of your story. And even when life feels heavy, God is still holding you together in ways you cannot see. So don't be despaired about this. And perhaps you hear this, and I pray that you do. Take heed to it. That you take that small step, that you trust in God again, that you lean to Him, that you let Jesus work it out, and that you're not afraid to fall or fail. Because each time that you wake up and God gets you through another day is another victorious day. Because you are seen, you are loved, you are stronger than you think you are, you are great. Don't let anyone tell you any differently. And the people that criticizing you and judging you and looking upon you with uh some kind of look, ignore them. Because it's only between you and God. You can have private time with him wherever you are. You could be in your car driving in your wherever direction that you're going, you could be in a bathroom at work, just shut the stall. And you don't have to cry out loud. Sometimes we can have a silent prayer to ourselves. God hears silent prayers too. But then when you get home in your private room, you can open your mouth or go to a park where there's nobody around. Scream out loud, let it out. Don't keep it inside, release it, let it go. I said something in the last episode, which was reset, release, and rise from that Mari Clay. So reset yourself from that situation, get into the Word of God, release all of your pressure, give it unto God. Let Jesus handle it, and rise, get out of that dark space and rise. And you fall down, rise again. You know, there's a song We Fall Down but We Get Up. Well, this is only a moment that if you fall down, you get back up and get back up again. There's no perfect solutions, but Jesus Christ is the perfect way. So I pray that someone got something out of this. And I have a special prayer. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, I come again humble and thankful and grateful for all that you've done. I thank you for placing me in this platform to speak to women that may be discouraged, to speak to women that may be dismayed, to speak to women that are feeling brokenhearted, feeling as if they're lost, feeling as if they don't know which way to go. But I pray, Father God, that the word strengthens them, that they find you and find joy, and that they move forward in you, Lord Jesus, because you do all things but fail. I pray, Father God, that you cover them from the crown of their heads to the soles of their feet, Father God. I pray, Father God, that they realize that you love them more than they love themselves. I pray, Father God, that you just hold on to them strong and that they hold your hand, Lord. They don't let go. And that will whoever diversity, whatever sadness or whatever comes in their way that looks as if it's going to destroy them, that they look it straight in their face and say, devil, you are a liar, and I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. So, Lord, once again, touch, heal, forgive, and just encourage. Lord, I give you all the glory and honor in Jesus' name, amen. So if you like this podcast, I ask that you like, share, and that you follow. And because I want to make sure that you know that if you're not in church, go back to your church. If you don't have a church home, find a church home that'll keep you fed. If you're in the Tampa area and you don't have a church home, well, the church that I attend to, which is Foundations Church, is a church that will be able to feed you. My pastor Anitra Farragut, she definitely has the word of God in her, and she's just gonna feed you and feed you and feed you. That you can grow. But if you do have a church in you in Florida and Tampa, go back to that church as I said before. Now, our church is listed, you can be located at 3904 Corpus Park Drive, and that's in suite 125A. That's in Tampa, Florida, and that's 33619. Telephone number if you want to leave a message or talk to someone is 813-949-0888. I pray that this broadcast was a blessing to you, and that you got something out of it. So I'm going to conclude it with my song We're Playing It.