When You Feel Like Throwing in the Towel
We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NLT)
Introduction: The Weight of Life’s Struggles
We’ve all been there—that moment where life has piled more on you than you can carry. It feels like you’re being crushed under the weight of responsibilities, heartache, and uncertainty.
This is the breaking point—when you’re emotionally and physically drained, barely holding on, and wondering why God would allow things to get this hard.
Maybe you’re at that breaking point right now. You’ve put on a brave face for others, but behind closed doors, you’re overwhelmed.
You’ve prayed, you’ve waited, and yet, the breakthrough still feels out of reach. Like Paul, you’ve reached a point where you wonder, “Can I even survive this?”
But the breaking point, as hard as it is, isn’t the end. It’s actually a crucial moment where transformation begins. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul openly admits he thought he wouldn’t make it.
Yet, in his suffering, he found something more powerful than his own strength—he found the power of relying on God.
Your Breaking Point is God’s Opportunity
When we reach the end of ourselves, that’s often when we begin to see God work in a new way. Paul said,
We stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely on God.
When you’re at your breaking point, it’s God’s opportunity to show His strength through your weakness.
For many of us, letting go and trusting God can feel like the hardest step. We’re so used to controlling things—managing our careers, families, finances, and problems. But God never intended for us to carry these burdens alone.
Consider the story of Job. In Job 1, Job was described as a man of integrity, devoted to God, and blessed with abundance. Yet, in an instant, his life was shattered—he lost his wealth, his children, and his health.
Despite his suffering, Job chose to trust God. He fell to the ground in worship and said,
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Like Job, our breaking points are not the end of the story; they are turning points where God can step in and carry the weight we were never meant to bear.
We often wonder why God lets us reach these moments of complete exhaustion. Sometimes it’s the only way we’ll stop relying on ourselves and truly depend on Him. It’s at the end of your strength that God’s strength can shine the brightest.
It’s at the end of your strength that God’s strength can shine the brightest.
Pressure Produces Power
We’ve all heard the saying,
God won’t give you more than you can handle.
But if you look at Paul’s words, you’ll notice something important: sometimes God will allow more than you can handle—on your own. The crushing weight Paul describes in 2 Corinthians wasn’t meant to destroy him but to draw him into deeper reliance on God.
This pressure wasn’t a punishment; it was a process.
The idea of pressure producing power can be seen in the natural world. Consider how diamonds are formed—under immense heat and pressure.
Without the crushing weight, a diamond would never become the precious stone that it is. Similarly, in the spiritual life, God uses the pressure we’re under to refine and strengthen us.
Job’s story exemplifies this process. In the face of overwhelming loss, Job didn’t give in to despair or curse God as Satan predicted . Instead, he held onto his faith, and through that suffering, God revealed a greater purpose.
Later, in Job 42, we see that God not only restores Job but gives him twice as much as he had before . The intense pressure Job faced produced deeper faith, humility, and eventually, a blessing far greater than anything he could have imagined.
When we face these crushing moments, we can either resist and become hardened, or we can surrender to God and let Him transform us. The pressure you’re under today could be preparing you for a breakthrough tomorrow.
The pressure you’re under today could be preparing you for a breakthrough tomorrow.
God’s Resurrection Power in Your Situation
One of the most powerful revelations Paul shares is that he learned to rely not just on God, but on “God who raises the dead.” This is a game-changer.
The God who raised Jesus from the dead is at work in your situation right now. No matter how hopeless things seem, God specializes in bringing dead things back to life.
When Jesus hung on the cross, His disciples were devastated. To them, it looked like the end.
Yet, three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, proving that nothing is impossible with God. This same resurrection power is available in your life.
That dream you think is dead, that relationship that seems beyond repair, that situation you’ve given up on—God can breathe life into it again.
Job’s story reminds us that God is a God of restoration.
After losing everything, Job was not only restored but blessed beyond what he had before. His family, wealth, and health were renewed.
What seemed like a hopeless situation became the canvas for God’s greatest work in Job’s life.
Similarly, your breaking point is not the end. It’s the beginning of God’s resurrection power in your life. Even when you can’t see a way forward, God is already working behind the scenes.
Your breaking point is not the end; it’s the beginning of God’s resurrection power in your life.
Conclusion: Hold On and Trust in God’s Plan
At the breaking point, it’s easy to feel like giving up.
But the stories of Paul and Job teach us that these moments of overwhelming pressure are where God’s power is revealed most clearly.
Both men faced unimaginable suffering, but both also discovered that God’s plan is far greater than the pain they endured.
In your own life, you may not understand why you’re going through what you are. But know this: God is not finished with you yet.
He is able to restore what has been lost, to bring life where there was death, and to turn your breaking point into a breakthrough.
So, hold on. Don’t throw in the towel.
The God who raised Jesus from the dead, and who restored Job’s life, is the same God who is with you in your suffering. Your breaking point is not the end; it’s the beginning of something new and powerful. Trust Him—He’s got you.
What seems like a hopeless situation becomes the canvas for God’s greatest work in your life.
Next Steps
- If this message resonated with you, I encourage you to check out the full sermon here.
- Join us for Church Online on Sunday, October 27, 2024, at 10:30 AM, where we’ll dive deeper into this topic.
- And don’t miss our next in-person service on November 3, 2024, at 10:30 AM—we’d love to see you there!
7941 47th St
McCook, IL 60525
