Hi ~

In case you’re in a big hurry, the short answer to the question in the subject line is “yes.”

Yes, there is.

Maybe that answer came as a surprise to you (since I talk a lot about NOT striving), but if you study the life of the apostle Paul, you’ll see that it’s super evident.

Back before any of my Untwisting Scriptures work, it seemed like such a conundrum to me.

How could so many Scriptures (like Hebrews 4 and Matthew 11 and Galatians and Colossians and so many) indicate that we’re supposed to “rest” and “not work” . . .

. . . while at the same time Paul talked so much about “striving” and “struggling” (like in Rom 15:20 KJV, 2 Cor 5:9, and Col 1:28-29)??

I wanted to understand it, for my own benefit as a believer.

Well I spent a good bit of time on that one, and I did learn a lot. Several years after that study I wrote articles about it, and they might even be going into the next Untwisting Scriptures book. 

Here’s the bottom line:

What I found was that we “rest” when it comes to anything having to do with earning God’s favor.

Jesus has gone before us as the “Pioneer” and “Completer” of our faith. Praise Him!

Where does the “striving” or “work” come in?

That’s when we want to accomplish things for the love of God and others. Not that we do it to earn His favor. But we want to further the Kingdom of God.

Sometimes the work He has called us to do needs assistance, or teamwork. He created us to be collaborative, after all.

And the work that we do together to further His Kingdom can be joyful work indeed.

I've expanded on this a lot more in a series of blog posts that may one day go into a future Untwisting Scriptures book.

The bottom line is that we can "strive" with joy when we know that the "not striving" is at the root of our relationship.

There is great joy in that!

with you for the joy found in relationship with our Lord,

Rebecca