When you look strong but are crumbling inside
In the world of sports, strength matters.
Seasoned athletes know the routine: bench pressing heavy weights, fitting in multiple workouts each day, juggling practice around classes, homework, and sleep. Wake and repeat. Top performance and never peaking, always striving for more, elevating our better to best. Usually, the strongest teams survive, and the strongest conditioned last in a long season.
Sports require a constant turn of the wheel, and we often pride ourselves on how much we can tackle on our own and rise to the top of our team, conference and sport. We think the more we heave onto our shoulders, the better we look to those around us. We want to give the impression we can handle the weight, but inside, we’re really crumbling.
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Our relationship with Christ reveals a new reality. True strength lies in surrender, in submitting to the Lordship of Jesus, and laying our burdens at His feet. Through His strength and perfect capability, He will handle what we’ve been holding. Our job is to trust and obey. As He works in and through us, His Spirit strengthens us for exactly what we need, when we need it. Pushing pause on rushing to deal with things on our own leads to growing pains, but they teach us dependency and intimacy with the God who made us and wants a close relationship.
This is what God is after: our transformation. We become strengthened when we surrender to His shaping.
This is the key from which everything turns. Through the completed work of Jesus’ life, death on the cross, and resurrection, He has taken away our sins and brought us into the family of God. If there is nothing else to strengthen ourselves in, this is it. In Christ, we have freedom, acceptance, everlasting life, fullness, love and so much more. The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us, moving through us and transforming, shaping, and empowering us to share Him with a world in need of a Savior.
“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” — Romans 8:11
The world and the enemy do everything possible to knock us down and set us spiraling off course. But we are not left on our own to find our footing. God empowers us to rely on His Word to fight back and remind ourselves of our worth, our purpose, and the greater plan of His Kingdom come. The Lord is too good to leave us on our own, and the more we notice His movement in our lives, the more our confidence grows. We find firm footing when we dig our heels in the ground and stand against the lies, temptations, and sorrow that want to take us down. We will stand victorious in Christ, able to resist worldly pressures with godly wisdom and power.
“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” — Ephesians 6:13.
We can’t keep all this good news to ourselves. It’s a two-way street: we receive forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and transformation, and we pour this into those we encounter. We’re meant to share what God has shown us and equip those in our sphere of influence. Through our own time in the Bible, prayer, and communion with church family, God strengthens and shows us how to share what we’ve learned. This can encourage a teammate who’s looking for acceptance, a classmate who just wants someone to see them, the person bagging our groceries, and whoever else God puts on our path. We can’t keep Him to ourselves; we’re meant to share. God will strengthen our hearts and minds to put our faith into practice.
“Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me — everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” — Philippians 4:9.
The more we become like Christ, the stronger our spirits become. Humility and surrender may seem like an upside-down way of living, but they make all the difference.
Christ has paved the way for us to be humble, steadfast, and full of love. God will give you what you need. Trust and believe. When you rely on Him, you are more than secure; you are strong.
Sarah Freymuth is the Communications Manager for Fellowship of Christian Athletes and writes content for blogs, articles, Bible reading plans and devotionals that share God's heart with coaches and athletes. She played softball for Concordia University Wisconsin, is in their Hall of Fame, and has led FCA Huddles since high school.
