Existing Versus Truly Living
“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” - John 10:10
It is possible to believe in God and still live in survival mode. You wake up, get through the day, manage responsibilities, and repeat the cycle again tomorrow. Faith becomes something that helps you cope rather than something that transforms how you live. You are not falling apart, but you are not fully alive either. Many believers quietly settle here, assuming this is as good as it gets.
Jesus never described life with Him as barely making it. He spoke about abundance, not excess, but fullness. Abundant life is not about having more stuff or fewer problems. It is about a life energized by the Spirit of God rather than drained by constant striving. Survival asks, “How do I get through this?” True life asks, “Who am I becoming as I walk with God?”
Existing focuses on managing pain and avoiding failure. Truly living invites growth, joy, and purpose even in the middle of difficulty. When faith is reduced to survival, prayer becomes reactive. You pray when things go wrong. You read Scripture when you feel guilty or desperate. God becomes someone you turn to for help instead of someone you walk with daily.
The Spirit offers more than that. He brings strength where you feel worn down. He brings clarity when life feels foggy. He brings courage to step forward instead of shrinking back. Truly living does not remove hardship, but it changes how you move through it. You stop operating only on your own energy and begin relying on God’s presence within you.
Some believers avoid abundant life because it feels risky. Survival feels safer. Living fully requires trust, surrender, and openness to change. Yet staying small comes at a cost. Over time, faith feels dull. Hope feels distant. Passion fades into routine. God never intended for His Spirit to dwell in you so that you could merely exist.
Ask yourself today whether your faith has become about getting through or growing deeper. God invites you into more than endurance. He invites you into a life shaped by His power, His peace, and His purpose. You were not saved to survive. You were saved to truly live.
It is possible to believe in God and still live in survival mode. You wake up, get through the day, manage responsibilities, and repeat the cycle again tomorrow. Faith becomes something that helps you cope rather than something that transforms how you live. You are not falling apart, but you are not fully alive either. Many believers quietly settle here, assuming this is as good as it gets.
Jesus never described life with Him as barely making it. He spoke about abundance, not excess, but fullness. Abundant life is not about having more stuff or fewer problems. It is about a life energized by the Spirit of God rather than drained by constant striving. Survival asks, “How do I get through this?” True life asks, “Who am I becoming as I walk with God?”
Existing focuses on managing pain and avoiding failure. Truly living invites growth, joy, and purpose even in the middle of difficulty. When faith is reduced to survival, prayer becomes reactive. You pray when things go wrong. You read Scripture when you feel guilty or desperate. God becomes someone you turn to for help instead of someone you walk with daily.
The Spirit offers more than that. He brings strength where you feel worn down. He brings clarity when life feels foggy. He brings courage to step forward instead of shrinking back. Truly living does not remove hardship, but it changes how you move through it. You stop operating only on your own energy and begin relying on God’s presence within you.
Some believers avoid abundant life because it feels risky. Survival feels safer. Living fully requires trust, surrender, and openness to change. Yet staying small comes at a cost. Over time, faith feels dull. Hope feels distant. Passion fades into routine. God never intended for His Spirit to dwell in you so that you could merely exist.
Ask yourself today whether your faith has become about getting through or growing deeper. God invites you into more than endurance. He invites you into a life shaped by His power, His peace, and His purpose. You were not saved to survive. You were saved to truly live.
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2 Comments
It was only a short couple months ago that I began to glimpse in my spirit what this means. Living Sunday to Sunday was a spiritually broke mentality for me and a cycle it seems Christ is helping me out of. Thank you Jesus!
I read your devotional daily, it's a great help. This one "hit me right between the eyes) Thanksgiving You!