I’m sure we have all wondered from time to time, what I am contributing? What is my purpose? Why am I here? There has to be more? I can’t even begin to tell you how many of those questions have played on a continuous loop in my own head. Am I doing enough? I am enough?

Well, I want you to know first and foremost, you are without a shadow of a doubt ENOUGH and secondly that God has good plans for all of His children. The question is only one- Are you drawing near to your father so he can show you His love for you and work on your behalf? “Come near to Me and I will come near to you.”

We live in a fast paced world of hustle. Hustling for our jobs, our families, our worth all the while still feeling inadequate in some way, shape or form. We lay our heads down at night wondering if everything is going to be ok. We have begun to settle for the okay, the mundane in our lives but God wants so much more for us. He wants to show us who we are in Him and what He can do through us if we are pliable. Surrendering everything and I mean everything over to him is your key to real freedom. Is it scary? YES! But so worth it.

Let’s go back for a minute to The Fall of Mankind. God’s original plan for our lives was only goodness but Adam and Eve took matters into their own hands even though God was clear about not eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Once, that happened they both immediately became ashamed. Their souls grieved and their bodies began to age. Many of us still live in The fall but Jesus came to bring the good news and then died a brutal death so we could not only be forgiven but live an abundantly good life. Our lives are meant to have meaning and purpose outside of the daily grind. Jesus gave us this free gift of salvation. How many times has someone given you something with absolutely no strings attached? But somehow, we still don’t know we can just receive and be free in Him. We think we must work for it. Remember, it’s about a relationship.

Now, through salvation the sanctification process begins. Sanctification is the process in our daily lives by which we are being transformed to the image of Christ. So each day, as we draw near to Him, we are experiencing firsthand subtle changes in our character, soul, and spirit. Our spirit is God’s original design that He begins to bring back into alignment with His original plan. Our soul is our thoughts, will, and emotions. Our soul can become battered and bruised in this life if we don’t allow God access to heal and reaffirm who we are.

We are now living dependent on God for all things. This is the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is where we can rest and become renewed as he leads us. As we continue to eat from The Tree of Life, these things will be given…

God’s Leading and Direction

God’s Wisdom

Fruits of the Spirit

Provisions- resources

Abiding

Gifts Revealed

God’s Sufficiency

Dependence

Freedom

Grace

Life

Trusting

Adequate

Forgiven

Humility

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Do you believe those promises? Do you believe that God wants to give us the desires of our hearts in His time, when we are fully ready to receive? Our God does not want to set His children up for destruction, a fall so we have to participate. Our participation is simple, draw near to Me and I will draw near to you. How awesome is that? We strive and strive while he is saying, “My child, let me help you?” “Don’t you know I know the past, present, and future?” “I am in control?” “I created you and I love you!” “Just rest your weary head and heart on Me and I will give you rest.” “I will reestablish you.” That is the good news!

Do we want to live from the (world’s) achieving system or do we want to live from (God) the receiving system? The choice is ours. The best is yet to come.

Are you depending on your hustle to earn your way in the world? Or have you received God’s grace? How can you live according to His grace today? What do you think God wants from you?