S8.17 | The Myth of Self-Reliance: Relying on God in our Struggles
In this deeply moving season finale, Carla invites her listeners into a conversation about strength, vulnerability, and the transformative power of God's presence in our struggles. As she dissects the cultural narrative of being a 'tough kid', Carla illuminates the path towards true empowerment through surrendering to God's guidance. This episode not only provides solace but also offers a vital perspective shift for anyone feeling the weight of life's battles. Listen in as Carla wraps up Season 8 with a powerful message of hope, faith, and the beauty of God's unending strength.
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Key Takeaways
Cultural Critique of Strength:
Carla delves into the allure and potential issues with pop culture, specifically discussing Taylor Swift's new track, "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart", and the societal push towards self-reliance and toughness.
The Godly Perspective on Weakness:
Dive into an exploration of weakness from a Christian viewpoint, where Carla argues that acknowledging our limitations opens the door to experiencing God's might and wisdom.
Surrender and Faith:
Learn about the importance of submitting to God's will and what it truly means to entrust Him with our pain and struggles instead of clinging to control.
Connect With Carla:
Inquire about 1:1 coaching ---> carlaagreswellness@gmail.com
Renewing Hope Course —-> https://www.carlaarges.com/renewing-hope
Come hangout on IG with me @carlaarges
Check out the blog
Resources:
5 Steps to Building Resiliency
Affirming Truths Facebook Community
5 Tips for Overcoming a Negative Body Image
Who You Say I Am Biblical Affirmation Cards
TRANSCRIPT
Carla Arges [00:00:08]:
Hey friends, welcome to affirming truths. I'm your friend and host, Carla Arges. This show is a safe place to share our struggles, grow in faith, and root our identity in Christ. My hope is that you will leave each episode feeling encouraged in your journey. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode. And it would mean the world to me if you would leave a review. I am so glad here, let's get started. Hello friends, and welcome to this last episode of season eight.
Carla Arges [00:00:43]:
I can't even believe affirming truths has had eight seasons. That is surreal. The podcast is just over two and a half years old, and it has been such a joy and such a blessing to come with you today. And so we're going to end this season with some encouragement for those who are hurting, for those who are struggling, for those who are in the challenge. I don't know if there's any swifties that listen, but just this weekend, Taylor Swift dropped her. I think it's what, her 11th studio album, something like that. The tortured poets department. I am not a swiftie.
Carla Arges [00:01:27]:
There's some of her songs that are catchy. Overall, I find the whole industry problematic and very seductive for those who are trying to follow the faith. So I actually don't listen to a lot of secular music myself. But, you know, I did give some of her songs a listen, and on social media I've seen some of them tracking. And in fact, I did a reel using one of her songs that are tracking. And I wanna talk about that song. I want to talk a little bit about that reel. You'll have to go to Carla Arjestagram to check it out.
Carla Arges [00:02:10]:
But it's her song. I can do it with a broken heart. And it is like becoming this anthem for women that struggle, women who see themselves as high functioning in their mental illness, in their anxiety, women who are trying to wear so many hats through the struggle and through the challenge, saying that I can do it with a broken heart. I don't miss my mark. I show up, this is what I'm made for. I can do it. I can handle it. I'm a tough kid.
Carla Arges [00:02:47]:
And those words, I can see why so many women are jumping on that song and feeling empowered by it, like, yeah, I'm a tough kid. I can handle it. And I want to give you another perspective that you don't have to be a tough kid when you have an almighty God. You know, I think sometimes we wear toughness as a bad of honor, and we try in our own strength to be strong, that I'm not going to let my pain, I'm not going to let my heartache, I'm not going to let my struggle slow me down. I'm going to keep forging ahead. That all sound really, really good. But I think we miss the mark as christian women when we adopt this attitude, when we take that song as our anthem, we're missing something really important. And what we're missing is Christ.
Carla Arges [00:03:52]:
I mean, he tells us in his word that it is in our weakness. He is made strong in and through us. And so when we deny our weakness, we are denying the power of the Holy Spirit and the strength that comes with that to work in and through us. When we try to handle it on our own and in our own strength and in our own might, we are missing out on a God who has a perfect plan and a perfect way to shepherd us through the valley. We're missing out. Yeah, great girl power. Tough girl. But I think I would rather be a soft girl with Jesus than a tough girl on my own.
Carla Arges [00:04:41]:
I think I would rather sit with my weakness and pour them out to Jesus and let him strengthen me. I think I would rather surrender and submit my plans and see if this is a season for waiting versus a season for pushing through at all costs. You know, there's a reason why God says, cast your burdens on me. His yoke is easy, we can exchange it. But if we are supporting our healing in ourselves, if we are making ourselves master over our pain, we will never find freedom. And I know some of you may have been be struggling. Maybe you feel like you're walking in circles, that you're trying to find your way out of your struggle. You're trying to find your way out of your challenge.
Carla Arges [00:05:44]:
You're trying to overcome the pain. And you feel, feel like you are walking in circles. My question for you is, who is your guide? Are you trying to do this on your own? Because when we use Jesus as our guide, we don't walk in circles. We walk the straight path he has prepared for us. Now, yes, making all the crooked ways straight does not mean we don't have the trials, but it means that we have a way through with our heavenly Father and our good, good shepherd. You see, so many of us want to be the lioness that we are not allowing ourselves to be the sheep. And really God is the lion of Judah. We are the sheep.
Carla Arges [00:06:38]:
And how much are we from ourselves when doing we deny our position in the kingdom and try to elevate ourselves as gods over our situation. And I know thats not what we think what were doing. We dont think oh Im going to elevate myself over God. We dont think Im going to push God out, but we do it. We do it when we say I can handle it on my own, we do it when we say I'm going to figure this out on my own. We do it when we say I'm going to force myself to be strong. We do it when we say I can do all things and we leave out through Christ who strengthens us. My friend, you cannot do all things outside of Christ, and in Christ the only things that you can do in his power and in his might is the things that he has ordained for you.
Carla Arges [00:07:44]:
I can do all things through Christ Jesus does not mean I can become an astronaut or I can bench past 350 pounds. It is whether I live in abundance or whether I walk through the trial. I can handle both situations with the fruit of the spirit present in my life, because I can do it through the power of Christ Jesus who is my strength when I am weak. What are you trying to handle on your own? What have you not surrendered or submitted? Where are you denying your weakness and in that, denying Christ's strength? These are really big questions that I want you to marinate on. I want you to spend the next few weeks until the podcast comes back in June thinking about this. Where have I elevated myself to God in my own struggle and in my own situation? Or where have I abdicated my role and my responsibility in this surrender? Where have I abdicated it? Right? You were not meant to do it on your own. We're not meant to do it on our own. Yes, healing is a partnership.
Carla Arges [00:09:20]:
We show up with the faith, God shows up with the strength. We show up with faith, we show up that faith that even though I'm weak, God's got me and is equipping me. As I surrender to his will and I do things his way. I release my plans and my ideas of what my life should look like and I embrace where God is calling me to. Can you do that? Can you in your pain, walk in forgiveness? Can you and your trauma lean into acceptance of what was trusting God's sovereignty, grieving what might have been, forgiving those who you need to forgive, and allowing the Holy Spirit to come be a sweet bomb in your life? You cannot handle it all. You can't handle it all. That's countercultural to the message that we hear. You're limitless.
Carla Arges [00:10:35]:
Suck it up. You can do it friend. You are limited and that's a good thing. Because in your limits, we have an almighty God. We have an almighty God, a sovereign God, a just God, a loving God, a God full of mercy and grace. A God who is, and was, and is to come. A God who spans all time and space. He's in the past.
Carla Arges [00:11:03]:
He's in the future. He's in the present. He knows all things. Before the foundation of the earth was created, the cross was his plan. It was in his sight line. He did it for you and to reconcile us and to restore us. And there is power in the name of Jesus. You're not meant to handle it.
Carla Arges [00:11:29]:
You're meant to exchange it for the peace that surpasses all understanding. Surpasses all understanding. You may not understand at all. You may not understand it all. But do you trust? Do you have faith? Are you willing to release control? How many control freaks do I have here? Right? Hands up. Are you willing to release control? God wants to move in your life. God wants to move powerfully in your life. God wants to give you a hope in a future.
Carla Arges [00:12:16]:
It's there for you. But to receive it, we have to die to self. Put down our pride, put down doing it our way. Put down being strong enough, and embrace who he is. Surrender. Accept our God given role as sheep, trusting the good shepherd and the green postures he will lead us to, and the still waters we'll lie down next to. He is a good father, and he wants good for you. My affirming truth for you today is I can't handle little.
Carla Arges [00:13:06]:
But thank God, I serve a father who can. Right? Thank God I serve a father who can. And there are so many scriptures I could point you to, but one I really want you to read is psalm 23. I want you to really see the attributes of God's character in psalm 23. As our good shepherd, as our protector, as our provider, as everything that we need is found in him, not in ourselves. There's no higher vibration. You need to vibe to, to find your next level self to be able to handle it. No, it's all in him.
Carla Arges [00:13:59]:
And I want you to embrace that. I want you to lay down to that, lay down your will and pick up what Christ has for you, which is peace and comfort and joy in his will. All right, guys, I'll talk to you again in June. Stay in touch on Instagram. I'll be there this whole time. We're on pause from the podcast that is Instagram, Arla Arjs. I will be doing perhaps webinars and all the great stuff, and you can find out about that on my website@carlaarges.com. I will be still sending out my weekly newsletter with encouragements.
Carla Arges [00:14:50]:
It always comes with three reflective questions, two tips to thrive, and an affirmation to hold on to that week. So I encourage you to sign up to do my newsletter. If you haven't, you can do that from my website@carlaarges.com. And guys, pray for me over this little hiatus until June. Pray for me and pray for the podcast and get excited for what God's going to do in and through it. All right, I'll talk to you in June. Bye, guys. Thanks for joining me today.
Carla Arges [00:15:28]:
I hope we're already friends on social media, but if we're not, come find me on Instagram, arlaarges or at affirming truth. Can't wait to see you back here next week. Bye, friends.