From Striving to Inspired

• By candidasullivan
• June 4, 2026
• No Comments

Are you overwhelmed and exhausted?

I remember waking up each morning already exhausted. As I mentally went over my daily list of to-dos, I felt as if I was already behind for the week, and I hadn’t even started my day. I lived in a mental state of discouragement and defeat. It’s like I could never work hard enough to get to where I needed to be. 

I wish I could go back and tell the stressed-out, overwhelmed version of myself to pause and sit with the Lord. God knows the way. No matter how hard we strive, it won’t happen if it’s not God’s will. 

We can wear ourselves out by trying to do it all when God needs us to do one small thing. The only way to truly know what God wants us to do is by taking the time to ask Him. 

When we start our day by sitting in His presence, He will fill us with everything we need for that day. He will give us the instructions for the day. The first time I did this, it was hard for me. I expected a long list of things to do, but God gave me only a few. Everything else I added to my list was because my flesh insisted we needed to do it. 

Looking at the Bible, I can see that God’s instructions to His people were often simple. So simple in fact that they stumbled over it. 

Sometimes we think we have to pack our lives with activities to find joy. When the real joy comes from sitting with the Lord. Mary and Martha are an excellent example of this. 

Martha strived to do it all. While Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. 

God knows our situation. He knows what we desire. What if a few minutes in His presence every day could transition us from a striving life to an inspired one? 

I have really been working on this in my life. Instead of hitting the ground running, I’m learning to start my day with the Lord and ask Him what He wants me to do that day. 

Sometimes following God is not in doing more, but in being more aware of His voice. Why we do things is just as important as doing them. If I do things because I think it will increase my soul’s worth, then I’m wasting my time and energy. Because that is gained through the gift of salvation, not striving. But if I do things from love and obedience to God, then every ounce of my effort is maximized. 

Colossians 3:2 KJV

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

When we desire to live for the Lord, He will show us how to truly live.

Colossians 3:23 KJV

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;