We Are Not Strong Enough Series

### **Introduction: The Pressure to Be Strong**

Video Ill.: Sermon Bumper

We live in a culture that bullies weakness. If you cannot handle it on your own, you are labeled as fragile, broken, or useless. Weakness is laughed at, mocked, and quickly dismissed. From childhood, we are told to toughen up, power through, and never show vulnerability.

Just look at who we idolize: the self-made millionaire, the soldier who never cries, the star athlete who pushes through pain, and the superhero who carries the weight of the world on their shoulders—think Superman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Black Panther.

Our heroes never stumble. They do not ask for help. They rise above it all, and they do it alone.

And so the message sinks in: if you are not strong enough on your own, something must be wrong with you.

To reinforce that message, you do not have to look far. Just type “how to be strong” into a search engine and you will find an overwhelming flood of advice. Articles like:

13 Ways to Be Mentally Strong

How to Toughen Up and Stop Being Emotionally Weak

10 Steps to Become Emotionally Indestructible

Master Your Mindset: Become Unstoppable

Never Let Them See You Struggle

The most popular tips are pure self-reliance:

[1]: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/work/how-to-be-more-confident-5-effective-tips/photostory/121769215.cms "How to be more confident: 5 effective tips"

[2]: https://amymorinlcsw.com/mentally-strong-people "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do - Amy Morin, LCSW"

Embrace awkwardness by stepping out of your comfort zone—to build resilience and self-trust.

Practice positive self-talk to change the narrative inside your head.

Use the “2-minute rule”—start something challenging for just two minutes to overcome mental resistance.

Focus outward—instead of worrying about being judged, pay attention to others.

Don’t feel sorry for yourself, don’t shy away from change, and never give up after failure.

These are well-meaning strategies… but at their core, they all reinforce one idea: it’s up to you to fix everything.

Article after article, post after post, reel after reel—each one preaching the same gospel: strength is about independence. Strength means keeping your struggles hidden. Strength means never needing anyone—including God.

But the truth is… that is a lie.

Eventually we will not be able to do it all. Eventually we will wear out. Eventually we will stumble and fall.

When our strength runs out—which it inevitably will—who will hold us up?

The world’s lie says: “You are not strong enough, and that makes you a failure.”

?But God’s Word says something radically different:

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:

9 … [The Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, || in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12, NKJV)

This morning, we’re continuing our study, “Lies the World Tells”. Over the last two weeks, we’ve been exposing the lies the world tells us—and replacing them with the truth of God’s Word.

In week one, we uncovered the lie that we have to earn God's love—when the truth is, His love is a free gift of grace, not something we can work for or deserve.

In week two, we confronted the lie that our past defines us. But Scripture showed us that in Christ, we are made new—redeemed, restored, and no longer held captive by shame.

Today, we want to unlearn self-reliance and learn dependence on Him—because we do not have to be strong enough on our own.

The world’s lie leads us into a constant cycle of exhaustion and shame.

### **I. The Burden of Self-Reliance**

Consider the heavy burden of self-reliance. When we believe the lie that we have to do everything on our own—that we have to be strong enough, capable enough, disciplined enough—we begin to buckle under the weight.

It is exhausting.

You finish one task, only to see three more waiting. You try to hold it all together—family, work, emotions, faith—but the cycle never stops. And every day you feel like you're falling further behind. It wears you down.

So what do we do?

We avoid letting others in. We build walls to protect ourselves.

“I can handle it.”

“I don’t need anyone.”

“If I let someone in, they’ll just judge me.”

And so we keep pretending.

We hide the struggle. We mask the exhaustion. On the outside, we project confidence and competence. But inside, we are crumbling. The weight is too much. And because we isolate ourselves, we become not only exhausted… but lonely.

Then the fear creeps in.

What if I fail?

What if I cannot finish this?

What if I am not enough?

The anxiety grows. The burnout builds. We burn the candle at both ends until there is nothing left. The flame flickers out.