The Joy of the Journey: Learning to Lean

The Joy of the Journey

Learning to Lean

There is a certain strength in being independent. We admire people who can carry responsibility, solve problems, and keep moving when life gets difficult. But there comes a point when independence can become isolation. Sometimes real strength is not found in standing alone, it is found in having the humility to lean on someone else.

God never intended us to walk through life alone. From the beginning, God designed us for relationship. We need people who will celebrate with us in the good seasons and sit beside us during the difficult ones. We need people who will pray when we cannot find the words, encourage us when our strength is fading, and sometimes simply remind us that we do not have to carry everything by ourselves.

The Word of God tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:9–10: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Notice that Scripture does not say, “If they fall.” It says, “When one falls.” There will be moments when every one of us needs someone to help lift us up.

One of the greatest obstacles to receiving help is pride. We become accustomed to being the strong one. We are the person others call when they are hurting. We give advice, offer encouragement, pray for others, and help carry their burdens. Then suddenly we find ourselves in a season when we are the ones who need help. This can be uncomfortable. Yet Galatians 6:2 tells us, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” We often read that verse as an instruction to carry someone else’s burden. But there is another side to it. If believers are commanded to bear one another’s burdens, then sometimes we must be willing to let someone help bear ours.

You don’t have to tell everyone everything. Wisdom still matters. Trust matters. Healthy boundaries matter. But God places certain people in our lives who can walk beside us when the load becomes too heavy. Even Moses discovered this. During Israel’s battle with Amalek, Moses stood with the staff of God raised in his hands. As long as his hands remained lifted, Israel prevailed. But eventually Moses became tired. Exodus 17:12 says: “But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side.”

Moses was still God’s leader. He was still called. He was still faithful. But he was tired. And being tired did not make him weak. Aaron and Hur did not replace Moses. They simply helped him carry what he could no longer carry alone. There will be seasons when you are Aaron or Hur, holding someone else’s hands up. But there will also be seasons when you are Moses.

We must learn to accept both. Perhaps today you have been carrying something quietly. You have smiled, kept working, kept serving, and kept telling everyone that you are fine. But underneath it all, your arms are getting tired. Find someone you trust. Talk to them. Pray with them. Let them stand beside you. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” God will always be our ultimate source of strength, but sometimes He sends that strength through the hands, prayers, presence, and encouragement of another person.

You were never meant to carry everything alone. Sometimes faith means leaning on God, and sometimes leaning on God means allowing Him to send someone to help hold up your hands.