Thrive, Not Just Strive

Watercolor Devotional 7

by Jennifer Greene-Sullivan

Today, I sat at my desk with watercolor, pen, and a sketchbook, practicing illustrations for a children’s book that has quietly begun taking shape in my heart. Joy and Felicity is still becoming, much like the burgeoning artist attempting to bring my characters to life. My bee, Joy, and my butterfly, Felicity, are whimsical by design because I want them to feel like Liam’s childhood drawings—warm, playful, and full of wonder. Yet even in whimsy, I found myself critiquing every decision.

I wish I had angled Felicity more toward the daisy.

I wish I had placed her a little lower in the composition.

I wish I had softened a line here or changed a proportion there.

That internal dialogue came quickly and naturally, and then I realized I was not simply talking about watercolor. Last week, I felt the Lord impress something simple yet deeply convicting on my heart:

Thrive. Not just strive.

If I am honest, striving comes far more naturally to me than thriving ever has.

I know how to work hard. I know how to produce. I know how to revise, rewrite, refine, and carry responsibility. Twenty years in education, motherhood, ministry, writing, and business taught me how to keep moving. Productivity has often felt familiar. Unfortunately, grace-filled flourishing has felt far less natural.

So, today, the Holy Spirit used watercolor to get my attention.

Watercolor is a fascinating teacher because it does not reward control the way other mediums might. You can guide it, layer it, and prepare for it, but you cannot dominate it without consequences. Force muddies the colors. Overworking steals the light. Sometimes the wisest thing an artist can do is step back and let the page dry before touching it again.

That preaches, doesn’t it?

How often do we keep putting our hands on situations God is still working through for our good? Jesus reminds us in John 15 that thriving does not come from frantic performance but from abiding.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit…” (John 15:5, ESV)

Fruit does not strain itself into existence, and branches do not anxiously white-knuckle grapes into being. They remain connected.

Remaining connected does not mean there is no effort in Kingdom living. Paul writes of laboring and pressing on, but always through the power of Christ working within him, not through self-powered striving. There is a profound difference between faithful participation and exhausting performance.

I think that may be what the Lord is teaching me through this little bee and butterfly.

Thriving says, I am becoming.

Striving says, I should already be there.

One posture leaves room for grace, growth, and the Holy Spirit’s leadership. The other leaves us exhausted. So today, I am choosing to practice. To learn. To sketch imperfectly. To paint with wonder. To let the Holy Spirit lead both the creative process and the spiritual one. After all, perhaps thriving looks less like arriving and more like trusting the Artist with the unfinished work.

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Reflection

Where have you been striving instead of thriving? What areas of your life have become driven by performance, pressure, or perfectionism rather than peaceful dependence on Jesus?

Challenge

Spend time in John 15:1–11 this week. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you whether you are operating from abiding or anxiety. Where is He inviting you to release control and trust His process?

Scripture Study: Thrive, Not Just Strive

If you, like me, are learning the difference between striving in your own strength and thriving through the leadership of the Holy Spirit, spend some intentional time with these passages this week. Ask the Lord to reveal where you may be operating from performance, pressure, perfectionism, or exhaustion rather than peaceful dependence on Him.

John 15:1–11
Jesus reminds us that fruitfulness comes through abiding, not anxious effort. A branch does not strain to produce fruit; it remains connected to the vine. As you read, ask yourself: Am I abiding in Christ, or am I trying to force spiritual growth in my own strength?

Matthew 11:28–30
Jesus offers rest to the weary and burdened. His invitation is not toward burnout, but toward surrendered partnership. Reflect honestly: Have I picked up burdens Jesus never asked me to carry?

Colossians 1:28–29
Paul speaks of laboring for the Kingdom, but not through self-powered striving. He makes it clear that his work is fueled by Christ’s power within him. Ask: What is driving my effort—my own pressure or the Spirit’s empowerment?

Isaiah 40:28–31
This passage reminds us that strength is renewed in those who wait on the Lord. Waiting is not weakness. It is trust. Consider: Where is God asking me to slow down, rest, and receive renewed strength instead of pushing harder?

Psalm 127:1–2
This scripture is a loving confrontation to hustle culture. Unless the Lord builds what we are building, our striving is ultimately empty. Ask the Holy Spirit: Am I partnering with God, or am I exhausting myself trying to accomplish something apart from His leadership?

Zechariah 4:6
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
Let this be your reminder that Kingdom living was never meant to be sustained by human striving alone.

As you study, invite the Holy Spirit to gently uncover any places where striving has replaced abiding. Thriving in Christ does not mean passivity; it means faithful participation led by grace rather than driven by pressure.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for caring enough to teach me through ordinary moments, watercolor pages, and unfinished projects. Forgive me for the places where I have confused striving with faithfulness. Teach me to abide in You more deeply, trusting that true fruit comes from connection, not performance. Help me thrive under the leadership of Your Holy Spirit instead of exhausting myself trying to force outcomes. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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