When Life Just Feels Like Too Much: A Christian Take on “Embrace the Suck”

May 10
5 min read

There’s a phrase I came across recently that made me pause for a second:

Embrace the suck.

A little harsh, right?

The phrase comes from a TED Talk by former Navy SEAL Brent Gleeson, who knows a thing or two about hardship. In military culture, “embracing the suck” does not mean pretending pain is enjoyable. It means facing hard reality honestly instead of wasting energy resisting what already is. It means staying present in the discomfort and continuing forward with purpose.

And honestly, the older I get, the more I understand it. Because most of us eventually walk through seasons that feel impossibly heavy. Seasons where life feels less like a sprint and more like trying to carry soaking wet blankets uphill. Every step takes effort. Everything feels heavier than it should. You keep thinking relief has to come soon, but the road just keeps climbing.

Maybe you know that feeling. Maybe life feels messy, exhausting, and unfair right now. Maybe it is a diagnosis, a betrayal, burnout, grief, anxiety, or a loss that still catches in your chest when you least expect it. Or maybe it is harder to explain than that. Just a quiet ache. A numbness. A constant emotional fatigue that makes even ordinary days feel hard.

If that is where you are, I want to gently say something I wish someone had told me during difficult seasons: You do not have to pretend this is okay. You do not have to call pain “good” in order to believe God can bring good from it. Pain is not proof that God is absent. Sometimes it becomes the very place where we encounter Him most deeply.

What It Really Means to Embrace the Hard

In his talk, Gleeson describes embracing hardship as a form of acceptance, but not passive resignation. It is acknowledging reality while refusing to let suffering have the final word.

That idea echoes something Scripture has taught all along:

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”Romans 5:3–4 (NLT)

This kind of hope is different from toxic positivity. It is not denial. It is not stuffing emotions down and smiling through the pain. Biblical endurance is honest. It grieves. It wrestles. It asks hard questions. But it keeps leaning toward God even while trembling.

That kind of strength rarely looks dramatic. Most of the time, it looks like getting out of bed when your mind is exhausted. Showing up for your family when your heart feels depleted. Whispering a one word prayer when you do not have words for anything longer.

Real resilience is usually built quietly over time.

Jesus Never Pretended Suffering Was Easy

There is a moment in the garden of Gethsemane that always grips me. Jesus knew what was coming. The betrayal. The humiliation. The cross. The crushing weight of human sin.

And Scripture says He fell facedown and prayed:

“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”Matthew 26:39 (NIV)

Jesus did not minimize suffering. He did not spiritualize it away. He did not pretend it was easy. He was honest about the anguish. And then, in perfect surrender, He stepped forward anyway. Not because suffering itself was good, but because love was greater.

That matters deeply when we walk through our own painful seasons. You do not have to like what you are going through in order to trust God within it.

Three Faith-Filled Ways to Keep Going When Life Feels Heavy

1. Honesty Is Holy

You are allowed to admit that this is hard. You are allowed to grieve, cry, feel disappointed, confused, exhausted, or overwhelmed. God is not intimidated by your emotions. The Psalms are filled with raw honesty; fear, anger, lament, confusion, sorrow yet David was still called a man after God’s own heart.

Why?

Because honesty creates intimacy. God does not ask you to sanitize your pain before bringing it to Him. He simply asks you to come.

2. Your Mind Can Be Trained Toward Truth

From a psychological perspective, our thoughts shape our emotional experience. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy calls distorted thought patterns “cognitive distortions” and asserts that we can change the way we think. Scripture speaks similarly about the renewing of the mind.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”Romans 12:2 (NIV)

This is not about forcing positivity. It is about learning to challenge lies with truth.

Lie: I cannot handle this.

Truth: God will strengthen and sustain me. (Isaiah 41:10)

Lie: I am abandoned.

Truth: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. (Psalm 34:18)

Over time, repeatedly practicing truth changes the way we think, respond, and endure. Science calls it neuroplasticity. Scripture calls it renewal. Both point toward the same reality: what we repeatedly dwell on shapes us.

3. Community Is a Lifeline, Not a Luxury

Navy SEALs do not endure hardship alone. Neither were we meant to.

One of the enemy’s favorite tactics in suffering is isolation. Shame tells us to withdraw. Exhaustion tells us no one would understand anyway. But healing almost always happens in safe connection.

Sometimes strength looks like asking for help. Sometimes courage looks like answering the phone. Sometimes faith looks like letting someone sit beside you in the dark. Whether it is a trusted friend, pastor, support group, or counselor, do not underestimate the power of being seen and supported.

When the Pain Hasn’t Ended but God Is Still Faithful

One of the hardest lessons I have learned is this: You do not have to feel brave in order to be brave.

Some days, resilience looks strong and confident. Other days, it looks like crying in the parking lot before walking inside. Sometimes it looks like resting instead of quitting. Sometimes it looks like whispering, “Lord, I do not know how to keep doing this.” And even there, especially there, God remains near. Not because pain is easy. But because His presence is steady even when life is not.

A Final Word for the Weary Heart

Friend, I do not know what you are carrying today, but I do know this:

You are not weak for struggling. You are not failing because this feels hard. And you are not forgotten by God. You are carrying something heavy and continuing to show up anyway. That matters. So maybe today, instead of trying to fix everything, your next faithful step is simply this: “Lord, help me stay present with You in this hard place.” And truly, that is enough.

If you are walking through grief, anxiety, burnout, trauma, or a season that simply feels like too much and would like professional help, the counselors at Still Waters Counseling & Education Center are here for you. We offer evidence-based counseling with optional Christian integration for those who desire it. You do not have to walk through hard seasons alone.