Stay close to Jesus
You don’t have to be strong today.
You just have to stay close to Jesus.
That sentence runs against almost everything we are taught to believe. We are conditioned to push through, hold it together, power up, and project confidence—even when our insides feel thin, tired, or frayed. Strength is praised. Weakness is managed or hidden. Dependence is quietly discouraged.
But Scripture tells a different story.
When the apostle Paul begged God to remove what he called a “thorn,” the answer he received was not relief, but clarity:
“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”
—2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
That response changes the question entirely. God does not deny that weakness exists. He does not shame Paul for asking. Instead, He reframes weakness as the very place where divine power does its most honest work.
This matters because so many of us believe we need to arrive at God with something in hand, resolve, energy, spiritual momentum, or answers.
But the gospel does not invite us to perform.
It invites us to abide.
It calls us not to self-sufficiency, but to nearness.
Staying close to Jesus is not about intensity or spiritual heroics. It is about orientation. It is choosing to turn toward Him rather than inward. It is trusting that grace is not a consolation prize for failure, but the primary means by which God sustains, forms, and carries His people.
Paul says he learned to boast in weakness, not because weakness is good in itself, but because whenstrength is gone, there is room for Christ to act without competition. When our grip loosens, His faithfulness becomes visible.
So what does this look like in real, ordinary life?
First, name where you are without editing it.
Prayer does not require polish. Tell the truth about your fatigue, fear, frustration, or numbness. When a weakness is acknowledged, it becomes an offering rather than a burden.
Second, simplify your faithfulness.
You may not have the capacity today for big plans or bold steps. Stay close in small ways: a short prayer, a single psalm, a quiet moment of surrender. Faithfulness is not measured by volume, but by direction.
Third, resist the urge to withdraw.
Weakness tempts us to isolate, but grace often comes through presence—Christ’s presence and the presence of His people. Let yourself be seen. Let others carry what you cannot.
Finally, trust that God is not waiting for you to recover before He works.
He is already at work in the middle of your limitation. His power does not pause until you feel strong again.
You don’t have to be strong today.
You don’t have to fix everything or figure it all out.
You just have to stay close to Jesus and trust that His grace is, in fact, enough.