Dericka Canada Cunningham, GBW Founder
April 10, 2023
This Week's Anchor
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10 (NKJV)
As I moved through this recent Holy Week and entered the Resurrection weekend, I found myself consistently echoing Jesus’ message in our anchor scripture of John 10. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” I hung onto this concept of abundant life. As encouraging as these words were, I imagine that the Pharisees whom Jesus conversed with in this moment had no clue that the abundant living that Jesus promised would be at the expense of His own life. As many frequently phrase it, Jesus died so that we could live—live free from the cages of sin and experience the fullness of lives anchored in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But are we really living out the abundant life that Jesus had hoped for us? As a Tyler Perry movie character put it, “Are we living or just existing?”
I hate to be frank, but Jesus didn’t die for us to passively exist. What does passive existence look like you ask? It varies for each of us, but common indicators might include:
Directing all our attention to others’ lives, goals, or passions with little focus on our own
Feeling consistently drained and in survival mode
Having a minimal sense of passion or excitement for things in life
Consistently striving for things in the future (i.e., the next job, next move, next relationship, etc.) but not feeling grounded in our present experiences
Limiting ourselves
Having little sense of direction or sense of purpose/passion
Not tending to our basic needs or self-care
Disconnecting from others (from meaningful relationships and communities)
Feeling unsettled spiritually
It makes sense that we can easily find ourselves in the monotony of passive existence because as I often say, life be lifin’. It isn’t exclusive, but for Black women, this can be particularly true. Our lives are often sacrificed for everyone and everything else—poured out, but rarely poured into and refilled. We often operate on autopilot, running off fumes and barely making it by. To be fair, the reasons and seasons that bring us to the space of passive existence are often beyond our control, and when you throw in the relevance of mental health, it’s non-judgmentally understandable that we get to this place. It’s not a mystery that we will have seasons where existing is all we can offer, and that’s okay. I imagine this was the season that Mary, the disciples, and Jesus’ followers found themselves as they grieved the death of Jesus following His crucifixion. Without Jesus living, breathing, and inspiring among them, how grim life must have been in those few days that probably felt like a lifetime.
Nevertheless, like Jesus in the borrowed tomb, our moments of immobilizing despair aren’t ones we have to remain in. We too can rise from the ashes and experience wholehearted living. Thanks to the Holy Trinity, in even the most challenging seasons we are granted meaningful moments of peace, joy, and sustenance, and we are encouraged that come what may, we can live and live again and again and again. So, how exactly can we connect with the abundant life that’s been Divinely gifted to us? To start, we can ask ourselves a few meaningful questions to help us understand the aspects of our lives that give that spark.
Questions to Reflect & Explore:
What, Who, and/or Where...
...helps you connect to the present moment?
...brings you joy?
...keeps you anchored and grounded?
...gives you a sense of meaning and purpose?
...makes you excited?
...moves your soul?
Whatever, whomever, or wherever it is, set intentions to connect with it/them more.
Now, as you all are aware, I challenge grind culture and the stronghold of capitalism, so this isn’t a demand to do or be more, but it is a call to intentionally live. Sometimes we more vibrantly live in the simple things, and that’s okay too. If nothing else, each moment we spend with Jesus is a moment of rich living. It’s exactly why He died for us. He died so that we could be boundlessly free, and He promised us a Presence that would consistently anchor us in abundant life—life not just here on earth, but a life that, as we discussed last week, transcends physical space and time.
So, as we transition from Holy Week and the celebration of the sacrifice of Jesus, let us each thoughtfully ask ourselves, am I living or just existing? May we intentionally and compassionately remember ourselves. May we be Divinely inspired to find joy and purpose in living. And may we connect with the moments, spaces, and relationships that make not just our life, but more importantly Jesus’ sacrificed life matter.
Reflection
What is resonating for you about this scripture and/or this devotion?
What do you need from the Holy Trinity to live abundantly?
What intention(s) do you want to set to connect and/or reconnect with being grounded this week?
Related Scriptures to Ground You Through this Week
Psalm 16
Matthew 6:33-34
Luke 6:38
John 6:50-51
Romans 12:1-2
Galatians 2:19-21
James 1:16-18
My Through-the-Week Reflection Guide
A Song of Inspiration
Quote of Love & Liberation
“The ways you have learned to survive
may not be the ways you wish to continue to live”
Thema Bryant
May God Bless the Grounded Black Women Project! 👠
This was truly AWESOME! I Am BLESSED! 🌺🦋🌺 I Am a QUEEN in His Sight!👑