Enduring the Weight Without Quitting

Day 2 – Monday, August 11, 2025

Scripture: Matthew 16:24 (NLT) – “…take up your cross, and follow me.”

Devotional:

Carrying your cross is not a one-time act of obedience—it’s a daily commitment to keep going even when the weight feels like it’s pressing you into the ground.

There will be days you wake up and your spirit feels strong, ready to take on the world. Then there will be days you wake up already tired, when just getting out of bed feels like a battle, and the thought of “carrying your cross” feels impossible. But here’s the truth—the days you feel weakest are often the days God is building your greatest strength.

The women of Encouraging Her Resilience know this weight all too well.

The weight of addiction—when your flesh craves what your spirit is rejecting.
The weight of shame—when your past tries to convince you that you’ll never be free.
The weight of trauma—when the memories you wish would fade still try to replay in your mind.
The weight of responsibility—when you’re trying to rebuild your life while still carrying the needs of others.

But here’s the good news—you were never meant to carry it alone.

Even Jesus, the Son of God, who was sinless and perfect, had help carrying His cross. As He walked toward Calvary, exhausted and beaten, Simon of Cyrene was pulled from the crowd to help Him. That moment wasn’t weakness—it was a divine reminder that endurance sometimes requires accepting help.

Enduring the weight doesn’t mean pretending it’s light. It means refusing to put it down when God has told you to carry it. It means adjusting your grip, leaning on your sisters in Christ, and remembering that with every step forward, you are building spiritual muscle for the next season.

If you lay your cross down now, you might relieve the pressure temporarily, but you’ll also forfeit the growth, breakthrough, and victory that comes from finishing the walk.

So today, make the decision: “No matter how heavy this feels, I will not quit. I will keep walking. I will keep carrying. I will keep trusting God with every step.”

Application Steps:

Identify the weight. Write down one area in your life that feels too heavy for you to carry alone. Be specific—name it so you can confront it.
Invite God in. Pray and ask Him to carry what you can’t. Speak it out loud: “Lord, I can’t do this without You. I need Your strength today.”
Seek help. Share your struggle with a trusted sister in Christ, mentor, or counselor. Let them pray with you, check in on you, and help you keep going.

Journal Prompt:

When have I felt like quitting, and what helped me keep going?
Who in my life has God placed to help me carry my cross, and how can I let them in?
How might God be using the weight I carry to prepare me for something greater?

Affirmation:

“The weight will not break me—it will build me. I endure through Christ’s strength, and I will not quit.”

Point to Ponder:

Even Jesus—the One who created the universe—accepted help to carry His cross. Don’t let pride stop you from receiving the help God is sending you.