When we love God, we want to do what pleases Him. But often along the way, that good intention can become striving—where we take all the responsibility on our shoulders to get our relationship with God just right. God never intended for that weight to be on you. His yoke is easy and His burden is light!
The key to this delicate dance of inspired action versus striving is in who initiates the relationship.
You are not the initiator of your spirituality, God is.
It is His righteousness that empowers us to live in the way that only He can. We simply respond to His righteousness by being righteous because life with Him is too wonderful to live any other way.
God doesn’t require that we take His truth and apply it to our lives.
Instead, He invites us to learn the practice of abiding in Him so that His life can come through us. The Spirit of Truth is who the Holy Spirit is, not just a value or principle.
This is one of the reasons that The Nature of Freedom (my newest book that releases TODAY!) is written as a personal letter to you. It’s an invitation, not an information exchange—a personal voice of God’s heart to encourage you that He delights in living this life with and through you. It’s an encouragement to replace simply applying what you’ve learned with a relationship with Him in which you behold His true nature (mostly because that’s how we become like Him according to 2 Corinthians 3:18)!
Here is one of the passages from the book that captures this best…
Beloved, this is how We work. I give My peace to you—but not in the same way as the world gives things. The world would put something in your hands for you to use; a tool, a means for you to apply and use peace. That is not the Kingdom Way and Life in Jesus.
Instead, We give you PRESENCE. We are your peace! The Prince of Peace overcomes all worry, anxiety and trouble. When you are weary and heavy laden, it is because you are trying to live this life in your own strength.
Come to Us first as your absolute priority. We will give you rest in Ourselves and teach you how to become rest in Us.
It is a simple turning, lifting and yielding of your heart in thanksgiving and gratitude for the supremacy of My life within you.
My presence will always be with you, in you and working through you. Who has first given to Me that it may be paid back to him again? No one, Beloved. We are the givers, the Ones who give you life. This life flows from Us, through Us and returns to Us in everything.
Hope it helps!
PS. The Nature of Freedom is officially releases today. Get your copy here! I am SO excited about this book and what it’s going to do in the world. God is always inviting us into more intimacy with Him & these “letters from God” simply provide a gateway to that invitation. Can’t wait to hear from you after reading!
