Abiding When the Weight Feels Heavy
Trusting God in the Waiting, Finding Strength in Surrender
Beloved,
Walking in your calling doesn’t always feel easy. Some days, the weight of obedience feels more like sacrifice than joy. When the burden grows heavy, when the waiting stretches long, when your why feels overwhelming—how do you keep going?
The answer is always the same: Jesus.
The pressure to build, to prove, to be seen—these are weights the world places upon us. But Jesus never called us to carry them. He simply said, Come to Me.
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
— Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)
Jesus didn’t call you to hustle. He didn’t ask you to manufacture and strive for fruit. He called you to abide. To receive.
The Pressure to Build vs. The Joy of Abiding
The pressure to build a platform can steal the very joy of why you started. One minute, you’re writing from the overflow of your heart, and the next, you’re caught up in numbers, algorithms, and expectations. But that was never the assignment.
Your words, your calling, your purpose—they were never meant to be sustained by striving. Like everything else in the Christian life, they are meant to flow from rest in Him.
Jesus didn’t call you to perform—He called you to abide.
He didn’t tell you to manufacture something—He invited you to receive.
Write from a place of abiding. Speak, create, love—not because of deadlines or demands, but because you are rooted in Him. His faithfulness is your only metric.
Like the Sunflower: Growing in His Light
We often forget that sunflowers don’t grow by straining toward the sky. They follow the sun. It’s their nature. They don’t worry about how tall they’ll get or whether anyone notices them bloom. They simply turn their face to the light.
Beloved, you don’t have to force growth. You don’t have to prove your worth. You simply have to abide.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
— John 15:5 (NKJV)
The sunflower’s strength isn’t in its striving, but in its position—rooted deep, turned toward the sun. And so it is with us. When the weight of doing feels too much, shift back into being. Return to the joy of why you started. Trust that He will carry your words, your calling, and your purpose exactly where they need to go.
Let's Pray
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe. You are the One who carries our burdens, who lifts the weary, who breathes life into our tired hearts. Teach us to abide in You, to release the weight we were never meant to bear, and to trust that You are working, even when we can’t see it.
Jesus, we lay our worries at Your feet. We surrender the pressure to be seen and choose instead to rest in being held. You are our refuge, our strength, our unshakable foundation. May we walk in step with You, trusting that Your timing is perfect and Your purpose is sure.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Decree & Declaration
I decree and declare that I am not defined by numbers, outcomes, or expectations. I am a branch connected to the Vine. My purpose is to abide, and in Him, I bear much fruit. I release the burden of striving and choose the peace of surrender. God is working through me, and His timing is perfect.
Join the Conversation
What’s one way God has carried you through a heavy season? I’d love to hear your story—drop a comment below and let’s encourage one another. 💛
With love and grace,
Elizabeth 🌻🧶
These are beautiful words. My nature can’t go 100 miles an hour. I do much better lingering, dwelling in Him. I may not ever get the most subscribers or followers, but I’ll lay my head knowing that I woke and encouraged others. Thank you for these words.
Beth, thank you for this. Such a great reminder and lesson leading us back to the Father and our first love. HIM! I'm so glad you're here and I found your substack. God bless and I look forward to continuing this journey with you.