It’s hard to show weakness in today’s world—especially as a man.

We’re expected to be the example of strength, of stability. The anchor others tie their lines to when the waters get rough. And when you’re already judged harshly from every angle, the thought of exposing your weakness can feel like handing someone the blade and turning your back.

But then I think about Jacob.

Jacob wrestled with God. Not metaphorically. He physically struggled through the night. And what strikes me isn’t just that he wrestled—but that he was blessed. Not because he won, not because he was stronger than the Almighty (how could he be?), but because he was honest. He was vulnerable. And in that vulnerability, he received both a limp and a blessing.

I wonder if the blessing wasn’t a reward for strength but a gift born from surrender.

That’s what I keep coming back to—this idea of vulnerability before God. Of laying it all bare. Not the polished Sunday version of myself, but the one who struggles to pray some mornings. The one who still fights old temptations. The one who knows what it is to fail. Deep down, I think that’s what God wants. Not my performance. Just my honesty.

It’s not that I’m meant to live out of my weakness, letting failure define me. It’s that in acknowledging it, in handing it over to God, I find a strength that isn’t mine. When I lean into Him, I’m no longer walking in my own power. I’m living the life He calls me to live—not by grit, but by grace.

Paul put it perfectly:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation… I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13)

That’s not a catchphrase for locker room speeches or a bumper sticker for hard times. It’s a way of life. A daily rhythm of surrender and strength. It’s what allows me to face whatever comes—feast or famine, joy or sorrow—and still stand.

So today, Lord, I pray:
Help me to do all things through You.
Help me to accept my weakness—not with shame, but with honesty.
And in that, help me lean into Your strength.

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