Amber Ginter Johnson shares her story of When Strong Wasn’t Enough and gives hope and insight when you are facing challenging seasons.
When Strong Wasn’t Enough
A year after graduating college, I was spent—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
No one could tell I was breaking. Not my family, not my friends, not my co-workers, and not even my boyfriend. Maybe not even me. I was good at pretending to be strong. Okay. Fine. Holding it all together.
God saw straight through the facade. He saw that I wasn’t just tired physically—I was tired on the inside.
Living Under the Pressure to Perform
It didn’t happen overnight. I’d spent years being the “strong one.” The “good Christian girl.” The “peaceful one,” in a dysfunctional family. The “independent one,” who didn’t need help—even when it was offered.
Without realizing it, I’d taken on invisible weights: Unrealistic expectations to be perfect, to keep the peace, to stay productive. I felt the pressure in every role—Christian, student, teacher, dancer, girlfriend, writer. No matter how hard I tried, I always felt “too much,” or “not enough.” Mix that with anxiety, depression, and years of unresolved trauma, and I was crumbling under the pressure to appear fine. I have to wonder, have you been carrying these weights, too?
When Your Body Says Enough
One morning on the way to work, everything caught up to me. My vision blurred, my heart rate skyrocketed, and I nearly blacked out behind the wheel. Endometriosis and vasovagal syncope aren’t good companions for untreated anxiety and buried grief. And in that moment of panic, I heard something I hadn’t heard in years: a whisper of grace.
Permission to not be okay.
Permission to not be strong.
The Beginning of Surrender
That moment became a turning point. I surrendered the pressure to “have it all together” and sought Christian therapy, and started working with doctors and specialists. I let friends into my struggle. Slowly, I began to believe that rest didn’t mean I was lazy, and weakness wasn’t failure. That honesty could be holy. That I was human.
Most importantly, I learned that I wasn’t alone. So many people feel like they’re carrying invisible burdens. But the good news? We were never meant to carry them alone.
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus offers us this invitation: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (NLT).
For years, I misunderstood this verse. I thought rest meant I’d never face hard things again. But Jesus never promised a struggle-free life—He promised His presence in the struggle. He invites us to trade our heavy burdens for His peace. To let Him carry the load.
God’s Strength in Our Weakness
Friend, God doesn’t shame us for being weak—He invites into His strength. That’s why Paul could say in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (NLT).
The world says strength is self-sufficiency. That we should hide our struggles. But true strength is found in surrender. In saying, “God, I can’t do this on my own.” That’s when His power shines through—when we stop pretending and start trusting.
As Revelation 12:11 powerfully states: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (KJV).
Healing through surrender isn’t easy. It’s scary to let go of control when you don’t know how the story ends. But God values authenticity over perfection. He adores our presence over our performance.
Learning to release the pressure to be strong didn’t mean I never felt weak again. I still do. Many of my circumstances haven’t changed. But my relationship with God has. It’s deeper. More intimate. Why? Because I’ve stopped trying to earn His approval and finally started receiving His love.
An Invitation for the Tired
If you’re tired on the inside—tired of pretending, tired of being strong—please know this:
No one asked you to carry it all. It’s okay not to be okay; it’s okay to lay down the mask. It’s okay to stop striving.
The same invitation Jesus gave still stands: Come to Me. Rest. Be held.
As Isaiah 40:29–31 reminds us:
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak… those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength” (NIV).
What if not being “strong enough” isn’t failure—but the very place where God’s grace was always meant to meet you?
Agape, Amber
Meet Amber:
Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.
Links:
Website: AmberGinter.com
Podcast:
- Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1a8sDwE7N0YF1TopSriTsa?si=a79f63e9594b43b6
- Apple https://tr.ee/fZfMSA9m5y
Socials:
- TikTok
- Substack
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Hope in the Healing: A 40-Day Journey Through Chronic Illness
Hope in the Healing: A 40-Day Devotional Journey Through Chronic Illness
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