10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
Where is this abundant life Jesus promised? I look within Church walls, and I’m not sure I see it. Are we doing this faith thing correctly? Are we so burdened with the demands of tomorrow that we fail to see the abundance of today? When we see the life of Jesus, it was undoubtedly ripe with burden, yet it was unmistakably abundant. While humble, Jesus was no minimalist. All He did was to the extreme. Or perhaps it is extreme only because it looks so alien to our own lives. In order to have the full life Jesus offers, we must be willing to turn our lives and thinking upside down. Our patterns of thinking is crucial here because our lives are ruled by them. “Our lives move in the direction of our greatest thoughts.” Jesus is offering life, but first we must be willing to die and do so daily.
You must put to death those thoughts that have held you back and with courage, face the life-giving words of our living savior.
I love this passage, with all it’s frustrations, because it gives this current life value. It shows today to be important in all it’s fragile beauty and conflicting peace. Today, live abundantly. Eat that second donut. Kiss your lover passionately. Invest all you have into something beautiful, regardless of circumstance.
Lord, give us this abundant life. Help us to go beyond Carpe Diem and to the marrow of a life lived passionately through you. Change the way we think.
Matt simon blog 