If you’ve been on social media, you’ve probably seen the graphic of the little girl holding a small teddy bear in front of Jesus, who’s hiding a bigger bear behind His back. The message is usually: trust God, He has something better for you. While I understand the intention, it can be a bit self-focused.
Recently, while talking with a friend, another image came to mind: someone leaning on a crutch they didn’t really need. That image reminded me of the little girl graphic, and it made me think about how our walk with Christ doesn’t always mean we’ll get an “upgrade” when we let go of something. Sometimes giving something up—whether it’s something we want, love, or have simply grown used to—leaves us feeling confused or even hurt. We can find ourselves leaning on those things like “crutches.” But unlike the teddy bear graphic, letting go of those “crutches” doesn’t always mean we get something bigger and better in return. It simply means learning to lean on Christ alone, even when we don’t immediately get something in return.
A pastor I listened to once gave this example: if he got up from a chair while speaking and someone quietly removed the chair, he might sit back down, assuming it was still there because he sincerely believes it would be. His sincere belief wouldn’t keep him from falling—because belief, no matter how genuine, doesn’t make something true. That example has always stuck with me.
That’s what our crutches do. They give us the illusion of stability; they have been there, and we trust they will hold us, but they aren’t the truth. And God will call us to let them go. All these thoughts had me thinking of the many scriptures about belief, trust, faith, humility, not leaning on your own understanding, and so on. These “crutches” people lean on because they have gotten so comfortable with trusting “that thing” and not recognizing they aren’t fully trusting God.
My current “crutch” is my ADHD; I find myself using it as an excuse for why I do certain things or don’t do certain things. I have come a long way in my relationship with trusting the Lord. Still, admittedly, especially when things aren’t going how I would like them to, I blame it for what I do or don’t do, instead of surrendering it to the Lord and trusting Him. For others, the crutches might be their worldview, past traumas, culture and traditions, politics, unforgiveness, personal goals, relationships, religion, lack of intelligence, fear, and/or self-reliance. Whatever it is, these things can quietly stand in the place of God until He lovingly removes them. And sometimes, even when we think we’ve surrendered something, He will help us realize we’re still holding on.
The truth is, some of us don’t have just one crutch—we have many. And even when we think we’ve laid one down, we often find ourselves picking it back up again or picking up a different one, especially when we don’t see the answers we seek from the Lord. Jesus calls us to something greater: to lay down every false support and trust Him to hold us. Following Jesus means dying to our old selves, renewing our minds, and learning to walk by faith without leaning on substitutes. It’s not easy. Suffering is part of the path. And we must remember: God doesn’t owe us anything. Jesus is enough. Yet that doesn’t mean He has nothing for us. In Him, we find life, love, joy, peace, strength, wisdom, healing, and more. Some of those gifts we may not see fully on this side of eternity, but we can trust that they will come.
(Romans 5:1-5, NIV) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
