You Don’t Have To Hold It All Together - Encouragement for Today - October 27, 2025

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October 27, 2025

You Don’t Have To Hold It All Together
DR. AVRIL OCCILIEN-SIMILIEN

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“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

My mind was spinning with everything I had to do: overdue tasks, upcoming deadlines, and the pressure to be everything for everyone. I was exhausted but trying to power through, hoping I could catch up if I just pushed a little harder.

The next morning, I awoke to a whisper I couldn’t unhear: “My grace is sufficient.”

This simple truth comes from 2 Corinthians 12:9, which wasn’t a new Bible verse to me. I’ve heard it, quoted it, and even encouraged others with it. But that morning, it landed in my heart like a fresh revelation. I’ve learned that the Holy Spirit has a way of highlighting a truth right when you need it most, even before you know you need it. So I paused and leaned in.

When I looked up the full verse, I was struck by Paul’s words: “But [Jesus] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

I don’t know about you, but weakness isn’t something I tend to boast about. Most of us are taught to push through, stay strong, and hold it all together. But Paul delighted in hardship. Not because he enjoyed suffering but because he had learned the secret: When we come to the end of ourselves, we come face-to-face with the sufficiency of God's grace.

As I reflected on this scripture, I realized how weak I was feeling. But God wasn’t asking me to push harder. He was calling me to surrender, to stop measuring my strength and start trusting His.

That’s what I call the upside-down beauty of grace. It doesn’t show up when we’re “crushing it” in life; it shows up when we’re crushed. When we’re out of options, energy, and motivation. When we’ve tried to hold everything together and finally admit we can’t. Grace isn’t God’s reward for the capable; it’s His gift to the weary.

If you’re in that place today — tired, stretched thin, unsure how to keep going — I want you to hear what I heard: You don’t have to keep going in your own strength. Not for one more minute. God is not disappointed by your weakness. He’s drawn to it because His power is made perfect right there.

Whatever burdens you may be facing, remember the pressure is off. God’s grace is sufficient, and Christ’s power is waiting to rest on you.

Father, thank You that Your grace is not a backup plan — it’s the main source of my strength. Thank You for meeting me right in my weakness and not expecting me to have it all together. Help me to stop striving and start surrendering. Teach me to see my limits not as failures but as invitations to experience Your power. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

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ENGAGE

Are you ready to stop striving and start resting in God’s strength right where you are?

Download your free “When You Feel Overwhelmed” Prayer Guide to discover how to release the pressure and invite God into your weakness.

For additional resources to encourage, equip, and elevate you on your faith journey, connect with Avril at www.flowtopower.com or follow her on Instagram.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

2 Corinthians 4:7-9, “… this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (NIV).

What part of your life feels the heaviest or most overwhelming right now? How have you been trying to handle it in your own strength?

What might change if you allowed yourself to fully receive God’s grace in that area? Share with us in the comments!

© 2025 by Dr. Avril Occilien-Similien. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
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Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org