“You Were Created for All of It” (5 Day Devotional)

For the Woman Building Dreams Without Losing Her Heart

By: Karen Schatzline

October 15, 2025

 

Day 3: Strength in the Stretch

 

Theme: Grace lives in the tension — not the balance.

 

Devotion:

 

If you’ve ever tried to keep all the plates spinning — work, family, relationships, rest, health, ministry, and dreams, you’ve likely felt the weight of chasing balance.

The cultural narrative tells us balance is the goal. That if we could just divide our time perfectly and give equal attention to everything and everyone, we’d finally find peace.

 

But here’s the truth: balance isn’t biblical…grace is.

 

God isn’t looking for perfect time management.  He’s looking for surrendered hearts.

He doesn’t ask you to split yourself into pieces…. He asks you to abide in Him and let Him order your steps.

 

That means your peace won’t come from doing everything equally.

It comes from knowing what matters most right now and having the wisdom and freedom to follow His lead.  Sometimes, your “yes” will look like launching something new.  Other times, it will look like pausing to rest or holding space for your people.

 

The stretch you feel between roles, between responsibilities, between passion and rest, it’s not a sign that you’re failing.  It’s a sign that you’re alive, that you’re growing, and that you’re walking out a life of structural tension with grace.

 

Think of building muscle.  They only grow stronger through stretching.

And when you stretch with God… not by force, but by faith, He builds you, He covers you, and He sustains you.

 

Strength doesn’t come from having it all figured out.

It comes from waiting on the Lord. From learning to listen. From letting go of what’s urgent to make room for what’s eternal.

 

So today, stop trying to get it perfectly balanced, and start trusting God in the stretching.

 

Scripture:

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

 

Prayer:

Jesus, I give You the tension I feel…. the places where I’m stretched, the roles I’m carrying, and the pressure to get it all right.  Teach me to stop chasing balance and start choosing grace.  Lead me with clarity. Guide me with peace.  Stretch me without snapping me…. and let every part of this journey shape me into who You created me to be.

 

Journal:

Where do I feel most stretched right now…. emotionally, spiritually, or practically?

Can I sense God’s grace meeting me there?

What might it look like to release the need for balance and receive divine guidance instead?

 

I AM Affirmation:

 

I am growing in the stretch… not breaking.

I am led by grace, not driven by guilt.

I am strengthened as I wait on the Lord.

I am not called to balance everything…. I am called to follow God’s voice.

I am being stretched for greater capacity, not crushed by expectation.

I am exactly where I need to be when I’m walking with Him.

I am held, led, and empowered…. even in the tension.