James Bryan Smith begins this episode by sharing a story from Deuteronomy 30:15-19. In this passage, Moses offers some powerful words at the end of his farewell address. Moses essentially says: I have told you about God’s commands and, at the center of them all, is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. He concludes with a warning, “Obey these commands. If you do, you will find blessings. If you don’t, you will find curses.” Smith explains that it can be easy to be frightened by this story, especially if your narratives about God are that God is mean and angry and out to get you. But this passage is not about God being mean. Quite the opposite. God is simply telling the truth – something that is true of all of life.

What God truly desires is for you to thrive. Not merely survive. God wants you to thrive! Smith likes to say “we are all commanded to thrive.” He then goes on to tell a story about his friend Steve, who was fired from his job for choosing to do the right thing. This event caused Steve to re-evaluate his life. He felt God calling him to surrender, in humility, and to rip open the box he had put God in, and to integrate God in every area of his life—especially his work life. Steve spent seven long and painful months trying to make this change. The change occurred while he was driving on the highway, of all places. Suddenly he could see it clearly. He was now seeking first the kingdom of God.

James explains that not everyone has the same experiences as Steve, but that does not mean there is no hope. Adversity can be a blessing. God commands us to thrive. God wants you to walk in freedom and wholeness. But let’s be clear, we must never go after the blessing. We must go after God. God can make things happen in your life that you can never make happen. Making those things happen is not your job. Your job is to walk in obedience, love God with every fiber of your being and commit to walk in His ways.

Smith closes with this: “God is not limited by your supposed limitations. God is not limited by the things you don’t have, the resources you don’t have, or the skills you don’t possess. If you keep God in first place, God’s desire and command for you to thrive will overcome every struggle, every stronghold, every addiction, every obstacle you face. Your problems may be big, but the God who loves you is far, far bigger.”

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