When the Spirit Feels Thin: Finding Strength When You're Worn Out

Brother, sister, friend. Have you ever felt that deep, bone-weary exhaustion? Not just the kind that comes from a long day of service, but a deeper fatigue—a spiritual weariness that makes you wonder, “How much longer can I keep going?”

It’s a universal experience, isn't it? We pour ourselves into the work, into our families, into our callings, and sometimes, we hit a wall. We feel depleted. We feel like we’ve run on the reserves of our own will and effort.

When we’re deep in missionary discussions, or when we’re trying to keep up with the pace of discipleship in our local ward, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if we just *try* harder, we’ll feel better. We think that sheer grit is the only currency that matters.

But the truth, the truth we need to remember as we continue to build up the Kingdom, is that no one—not David, not Moses, not even the most dedicated of us returned missionaries—can sustain the effort by ourselves. Only God does not tire.

This week, I was reflecting on some insights about that very feeling of exhaustion. It got me thinking about how we often treat asking for help. We treat it like a failure, like a sign of weakness, when in reality, it is one of the most profoundly Christlike acts we can perform.

The Strength in Asking for Help

The message here, which echoes through the scriptures and the counsel of our leaders, is that humility isn't weakness; it's the gateway to divine power. When we realize we are depleted—when our patience is thin, or our enthusiasm for the gospel feels muted—we must learn to be *honest* with the Spirit about it.

It’s not just about asking God for help, though that is always paramount. It’s also about learning to ask our companions, our leaders, and even our families for help. Sometimes, the burden we carry is so heavy that we become martyrs to our own perceived self-sufficiency. We try to do everything—the calling leader handles the whole committee, the parent handles the whole household—and in the end, we burn out, and the people around us feel the strain, too.

Think about it: If we are modeling for investigators how to approach the gospel, we can’t model an image of perpetual, effortless perfection. We have to model *reliance*. We have to model the beautiful, necessary act of saying, “I need help with this.”

A Little Prep Skill for Our Internet Missionary Lives

If you’re feeling the drain right now, here is a small, actionable thing you can practice this week. Don't try to solve a huge problem. Instead, identify one small area where you are trying to carry a burden alone—maybe it’s keeping up with personal study, or maybe it’s a specific aspect of your calling that feels overwhelming. Then, deliberately, practice asking someone else for help with it. It could be as simple as texting a friend, “Can you quiz me on my Book of Mormon verses tomorrow?” or asking your Bishopric member to help you organize a small part of your ward function. That small act of vulnerability is a massive spiritual muscle builder.

Remember that the effort isn't in the *doing*; the effort is in the *relying*. Relying on the Savior, relying on the Spirit, and relying on the covenant community He has gathered around us.

If you are feeling the weight of the world, or just the weight of your own efforts, please know that the covenant path is designed not to break us, but to refine us. And refinement always requires us to lean on something greater than ourselves.

If this message resonated with you, please take a moment to share it with someone who might be feeling the same way. And if you’re looking for deeper study on endurance and faith, I highly recommend checking out the Isaiah Studies resources in LivingBook. It’s a wonderful place to deepen your understanding of divine strength.

For those of us who are ready to deepen our knowledge in a structured way, I’d love for you to join a Book Club or a Bible Study Group in HolyPlaces. Let's build up our testimony together!