When Your Soul Is Tired of Trying: A New Year Invitation to Surrender

There’s something about January that stirs up pressure, isn’t there?
A fresh start. A blank calendar. A brand-new list of expectations we quietly place on ourselves.

Everywhere we turn, the world tells us to hustle harder, set bigger goals, chase more, produce more, become more. And while there’s nothing wrong with goals or growth, I noticed something in myself these last few years: I didn’t need a new plan. I needed a new pace.

And not the pace the world tells me to run…
but the one God invites me to walk.

In A Pace of Grace, I write:

“Stillness doesn’t come from clearing my calendar but by filling my soul with Him, even in the chaos.”

That sentence came straight out of a season when my soul felt overextended—like I was trying to carry the weight of my life on my own shoulders. And friend… I don’t want to start another year like that. Maybe you don’t either.

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Striving looks holy on the outside, but it drains us on the inside.

I used to think striving and obedience were the same thing—like if I didn’t give 110 percent, God would be disappointed. But striving is fueled by fear. Obedience is fueled by love.

Striving says:
“I have to prove myself.”

Obedience says:
“God, I trust You.”

Striving keeps us frantic.
Obedience keeps us free.
Striving puts the weight back on us.
Obedience puts the weight back on God.

As I prayed over this January, the Lord reminded me that a surrendered heart is far more powerful than a perfectly executed plan.

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Maybe this year isn’t about doing more. Maybe it’s about releasing more.

Releasing control.
Releasing hurry.
Releasing the expectations we’ve been carrying for far too long.

Surrender is letting God lead instead of dragging Him behind us while we run.

And surrender becomes a doorway to peace.

When I finally stopped trying to “fix” my life through lists and schedules and leaned fully into Jesus, everything shifted. My circumstances didn’t magically change… but my heart did. My pace did. My awareness of His presence did.

Maybe the invitation for us this January isn’t to work harder but to breathe deeper.

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A simple practice for this week:

5 Minutes of Stillness

I want to invite you into something small and sacred:

Take five minutes each day to sit with Jesus before you sit with the world.

Set a timer.
Sit in the quiet.
And pray, “Lord, I surrender this day to You. Lead me at Your pace.”

Don’t overthink it.
Don’t try to “do it right.”
Just show up. God loves showing up too.

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This month’s heart posture: Surrender over striving

As we step into a new year, you don’t need to earn God’s love or prove your worth. You are already His daughter—chosen, loved, and held.

My prayer for you (and for myself) is this:

Lord, teach us to walk in step with You. Slow our striving. Steady our hearts. Let obedience be our joy and surrender be our strength.

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✨ A Note About the Book

If your heart is longing for a gentler pace this year—one filled with rest, presence, and freedom from striving—A Pace of Grace was written for you.

It will be available for pre-order, and I can’t wait to walk this journey of surrender and obedience with you each step of the way.

A Pace of Grace: Steady Your Spirit When Life Gets Messy

By Heather Cook

Buy on Amazon

God Told Elijah to Nap

“Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.”

— ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19‬:‭3‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There’s a meme I saw once that made me laugh out loud: “Elijah was overwhelmed and ready to give up, so God gave him a snack and told him to take a nap.”

It’s funny because it’s true. And it’s powerful because it’s Scripture.

Elijah was exhausted—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He had just faced down prophets, carried heavy responsibility, and then ran for his life. By the time he collapsed under a tree, he was completely done. His words in 1 Kings 19:4 are raw: “I have had enough, Lord.”

And how did God respond? Not with a lecture. Not with a pep talk. But with compassion. He sent an angel who offered Elijah food and let him sleep. Twice.

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The Holiness of Sleep and Food

This story stops me in my tracks. Because sometimes, the most spiritual thing we can do is eat a real meal and go to bed early.

“Sometimes holiness looks like hydration, a good meal, and an early bedtime.”

We don’t often think of rest this way. We assume that “spiritual” means more prayer, more serving, more doing. But God designed our bodies with limits. When we ignore those limits, we run ourselves into the ground. When we honor them, we step into God’s rhythm.

Elijah’s nap and snack weren’t wasted time. They were sacred preparation. After rest, Elijah was able to hear God’s whisper and receive direction for what came next.

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Trusting God With Our Limits

Our culture tells us to push harder, hustle longer, and prove our worth through productivity. But Elijah’s story reminds us that God doesn’t need our nonstop striving. What He wants is our trust.

Rest is an act of trust. When you close your laptop, turn off the light, or put down your phone, you’re saying, “God, I believe You’re still at work, even while I sleep.”

Limits aren’t weakness—they’re grace. They remind us that we are human, and God is God.

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A Simple Step This Week

Here are two gentle ways to lean into God’s rhythm of rest this week:

• Honor your bedtime. Choose one night to turn in earlier than usual. Instead of squeezing in one more chore or one more episode, choose sleep as an act of trust.

• Eat with intention. Instead of grabbing food on the go, sit down for one meal this week without rushing. Thank God for the nourishment, and let it remind you that He provides for your needs.

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Reflection Questions

• Do you see your limits as weaknesses or as invitations from God?

• Where in your life could you treat rest as worship instead of an afterthought?

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A Prayer for the Weary

Father, thank You for creating me with limits and for caring about my whole being. Forgive me for pushing past exhaustion as if I were in control. Teach me to honor the simple gifts of food, sleep, and stillness as holy. Help me to trust You more deeply in my rest. Amen.

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✨ Your Turn: What’s one simple way you can honor your limits this week—through sleep, nourishment, or slowing down? Share it in the comments so we can encourage one another. And if this post spoke to you, send it to a friend who could use the reminder: sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap.