When You’re Tired of Striving: How to Find the Holy Ease of Working with God

Striving is different than hard work.
Striving is for man’s accomplishment.
Working hard is for God’s glory.

When I strive, it’s a kind of forcing—pushing something that isn’t ready. It’s toiling in my own strength. And that always (and I mean always) leads to exhaustion. It’s been such a pattern in my life that I can recognize it now when it starts to creep in.

The beautiful thing about awareness is that it gives us a choice. Once we see it, we can either stay stuck or respond differently. For me, that counteraction is rest.

For a long time, I wrestled with ambition. I would ask God, “Why did You make me ambitious if You didn’t want me to go after things?” Oh, little Austi. I’ve since learned that the gift of ambition is to go after things—just not in my own strength. God wants me to work hard, but the piece I’d missed for years was that He provides the harvest.

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I love to garden. It truly brings me joy, and when I haven’t been able to tend to it, I feel that deep longing to get my hands back in the dirt.

Gardening is hard work—bending, digging, pulling out stubborn roots. If you don’t do that work, the plants can’t thrive and grow. Yes, some things grow on their own—that’s the miracle and grace of God—but most of the time, growth happens through co-laboring. We do the work of tending, and God provides the harvest.

When we’re striving, though, we’re overworking. We’re trying to do it all in our own power. And while it’s uncomfortable to admit, striving often comes from a desire for our own accomplishment. We start to believe the lie that if we just try harder, hustle more, or stay up later, then we’ll finally see the results we’re longing for. But the truth is—God is the one who brings the harvest.

“Then I considered all that my hands had done
and the toil I had expended in doing it,
and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind,
and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 2:11 (ESV)

Striving is different than hard work.
Striving is for man’s accomplishment.
Working hard is for God’s glory.

Working hard for God’s glory gives Him room to show off.

Years ago, I helped renovate a teen center. We painted walls and rearranged furniture. We laid new rugs and added encouraging words to the space. It was a lot of work, but when it was done, God showed up and showed off. That space became a refuge for teens to feel safe, known, and loved. Volunteers poured into them. Parents were equipped through classes. And over a decade later, that center is still running strong.

We put in the hard work, but God brought the harvest—the harvest of changed lives and hearts made whole.

Be encouraged, friend. If you’re striving, release it to God. Let Him remind you of your belovedness and invite you to co-labor with Him. Let Him show off in ways that fill you with awe.

As you step into this week, take time to notice the difference between striving and faithful work. Pay attention to your body, your breath, and your heart—where do you feel pressure, and where do you feel peace? The more you practice noticing, the easier it becomes to respond with rest instead of resistance.

Questions to Consider

Where in your life are you working hard for God’s glory? In which areas might you be striving for your own accomplishment?

Journal Prompt

Take a few quiet minutes to reflect:
When was the last time you felt peace while working hard? What made that moment different from times when you felt drained or anxious?
Ask God to show you what it looks like to co-labor with Him this week. What small, faithful step can you take that leaves room for Him to bring the harvest?