“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ - Matthew 7: 21-23
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We make a lot of assumptions in church, looking out over our friends and loved ones filling up the surrounding pews.
We assume the people sitting around us all know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, we assume they are trying to live their life to honor Him, we assume they believe in the entirety of scripture, and understand what it says. We assume they have good healthy relationships with their friends and families, we assume they are secure, we assume they are like us.
We assume. We assume. We assume.
But how often do we really get to know the people we rub shoulders with at church? Do we see how they live behind closed doors, do we ask them about their life, or do we just let them be, content to not see beyond the surface of their life, and content to not let them see past the surface of yours?
This is truly sad, and very serious stuff. Do you know why? Because while we are sitting in our own pew, assuming that the person next to us has it all together, they may be falling apart, they may be broken, and worse, they may not be saved. They may be sitting inside your church every Sunday, inches from Jesus' face, but miles and miles away from knowing and accepting His truth.
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Today's scripture warns us: Not everyone who says My name will enter Heaven. Not even if they preached My name. Because words are meaningless, and remember: God knows our true hearts.
The reason God is warning us here about false disciples, is that, people around us will look, and sound, and appear to know Jesus…but they don't. They know the words, they know what to say, but they have no personal commitment to Christ. They have never bowed the knee, and acknowledged Christ as LORD.
We need to understand that God knows our inner hearts, our unspoken thoughts, our unseen life. He knows it all, and just because we sit in church, in our pretty little dresses and neat bow ties on Sunday morning, that doesn't "get us into" Heaven. Just because we speak The Name of Christ, does not get us into Heaven. Our heart must be changed before God, there must be true repentance, and salvation from Jesus must be sought. There is no other way. No matter how many Sunday services you attend, and no matter how pretty you look doing it. An ugly heart is an ugly heart before God, and the heart is what matters.
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The reason we need to understand this scripture, is because this is happening in your life. There are people in your church that are just putting on a show, completely lost in their own lie. There are people in your family who may even think they're saved, may even claim Christ as Savior, but have never allowed The Holy Spirit to penetrate their hearts and change their lives. This is happening, and it's happening to those we love.
We have a responsibility to see these people, and come along side them in love, and draw them in. We have a responsibility to speak truth into their life, to speak words of life into their hearts, and pray for them to be moved by The Holy Spirit to a place of true repentance. These people in our lives need us to love them, to help them, to pray for them, and in some cases, perhaps even confront them.
We are talking about peoples souls here...do we really want to take a chance?
This may even be a time for you to examine your own heart. Have you truly given your heart and life over to Jesus, or are there parts of you that you're still holding onto, places you're unwilling to give to God? Are you sitting under a preacher every Sunday, hearing The Word, but rejecting it with a cold heart?
One day we'll all stand before our Savior, and how much it will break your heart to hear: "Away from me, I never knew you"…
And how much will it break the heart of God for Him to have to say…
God is warning us here, so that that doesn't have to happen. We are being told to be aware, to be on the look out, and to make it right.
Don't be this person God warns of, don't live your life not knowing Jesus.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
Until My Day of Completion
Today has been one of those days that I'll just be thankful for when it's over.
I know every day is a gift from God, and we should live in the splendor of it, but do you ever have days that you wish you could just start over and redo...or never live through again?
I've got a whole list of things I could complain about, things I did wrong, ways I need to improve, but instead of focusing on those negative things, I'm going to embrace the promise that God makes me new every day, and if He so chooses to give me tomorrow, I will do better.
It's easy for me to beat myself up over doing something wrong, my expectations are always set so high. But I have to remember tonight that God gave me this life, my husband, and my 3 daughters because He knew I could handle the job. I'm sure He also did it to teach me a thing or two, and that's what's happening now.
I am being refined, being shaped, I am being challenged.
If there's anything I've learned, it's that Motherhood will challenge you more than anything else ever could.
I may not have been who I was supposed to be today, but I am a work in progress, and my God has promised to never leave me unfinished.
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"Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus our LORD." - Philippians 1:6
This verse has been a favorite of mine for a lot of years. I've always demanded a lot of myself, always had high standards and very rarely felt like I was reaching any of them. So for God to promise to keep working on me, to never give up on me, to never leave me in my ugliness, has always been a very personal promise.
Since becoming a Mom, and feeling like I fail daily, this verse has become even more personal.
God is telling me tonight: I started a good work in you (I put you in your new family) and I'll carry it out (I'll help you figure out how to be a good Mom) until the day I come back for you. (This is permanent, there is no going back, there's no one I'd rather be in your shoes, no replacements)
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I'm going to bed with an eager heart, to start fresh tomorrow, to do better tomorrow, to allow God to keep working on me...until my day of completion.
I know every day is a gift from God, and we should live in the splendor of it, but do you ever have days that you wish you could just start over and redo...or never live through again?
I've got a whole list of things I could complain about, things I did wrong, ways I need to improve, but instead of focusing on those negative things, I'm going to embrace the promise that God makes me new every day, and if He so chooses to give me tomorrow, I will do better.
It's easy for me to beat myself up over doing something wrong, my expectations are always set so high. But I have to remember tonight that God gave me this life, my husband, and my 3 daughters because He knew I could handle the job. I'm sure He also did it to teach me a thing or two, and that's what's happening now.
I am being refined, being shaped, I am being challenged.
If there's anything I've learned, it's that Motherhood will challenge you more than anything else ever could.
I may not have been who I was supposed to be today, but I am a work in progress, and my God has promised to never leave me unfinished.
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"Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus our LORD." - Philippians 1:6
This verse has been a favorite of mine for a lot of years. I've always demanded a lot of myself, always had high standards and very rarely felt like I was reaching any of them. So for God to promise to keep working on me, to never give up on me, to never leave me in my ugliness, has always been a very personal promise.
Since becoming a Mom, and feeling like I fail daily, this verse has become even more personal.
God is telling me tonight: I started a good work in you (I put you in your new family) and I'll carry it out (I'll help you figure out how to be a good Mom) until the day I come back for you. (This is permanent, there is no going back, there's no one I'd rather be in your shoes, no replacements)
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I'm going to bed with an eager heart, to start fresh tomorrow, to do better tomorrow, to allow God to keep working on me...until my day of completion.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
What The Dixie Chicks Taught Me About Praise
"Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!" - Psalm 8:1
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The Dixie Chicks used to sing a song: "Some Days You Gotta Dance" and part of the chorus goes like this:
This song came to my mind tonight as I was thinking about writing this post. I know that's odd, so I'll explain:
As I was trying to decide what I needed to write about tonight, I got the feeling in my heart: "Some days, you just need to praise" which is how my mind got to this song, thinking about how life and it's stresses can take us over sometimes, and somedays, we just need to let go, and praise God.
Of course, the Dixie Chicks theology is skewed, but the concept is there & can be applied in a spiritual way: when our world doesn't make any sense, and we're feeling just a little too tense, we need to refocus, and take time to rejoice in our God.
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David knew a lot about needing to let go and praise God in the midst of a life that didn't make any sense.
In Psalm 7, we see David praying out to God for deliverance and protection from those who sought to kill him, and in Pslam 9, we see David thanking God for His protection from his foes…so what comes in between? What happened in Psalm 8?
Read below, David took time to praise:
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The Dixie Chicks used to sing a song: "Some Days You Gotta Dance" and part of the chorus goes like this:
"…Some days you gotta dance
Live it up when you get the chance
'Cause when the world doesn't make no sense
And you're feeling just a little too tense
Gotta loosen up those chains and dance…"
This song came to my mind tonight as I was thinking about writing this post. I know that's odd, so I'll explain:
As I was trying to decide what I needed to write about tonight, I got the feeling in my heart: "Some days, you just need to praise" which is how my mind got to this song, thinking about how life and it's stresses can take us over sometimes, and somedays, we just need to let go, and praise God.
Of course, the Dixie Chicks theology is skewed, but the concept is there & can be applied in a spiritual way: when our world doesn't make any sense, and we're feeling just a little too tense, we need to refocus, and take time to rejoice in our God.
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David knew a lot about needing to let go and praise God in the midst of a life that didn't make any sense.
In Psalm 7, we see David praying out to God for deliverance and protection from those who sought to kill him, and in Pslam 9, we see David thanking God for His protection from his foes…so what comes in between? What happened in Psalm 8?
Read below, David took time to praise:
"Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!" - Psalm 8
how majestic is your name in all the earth!" - Psalm 8
While looking at his life, David could have easily hid in fear, wallowed in self pitty, or grown angry with God. But He didn't. When his life didn't make any sense, he chose to praise God.
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Taking time out to praise God is what refuels our broken spirits, it's what brings us back to a right place before Him, because we are forced to humble ourselves, and truly examine and acknowledge what God has done for us.
The act of praise is our way of showing God we love Him, and it's through our praise that we are often shown our sins and shortcomings, having come face to face with our sinless and Holy God.
The time we take to praise God reveals a lot about the condition of our heart, and our standing before The LORD. If we are not praising, if we are not humbling our hearts, than we are taking glory from God, and giving it to ourselves.
Because of these things, praise is a very important act in the Christian life. Praise keeps us humbly connected to our Savior, giving Him the honor He deserves, and helps us to grow closer to Him. Through acknowledging our need for Him, we are ultimately drawn in closer to God, as a result of His love for us.
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So tonight, in the middle of a world that is lost, and suffering, and leaving me feeling tense, I want to take a time out, to loosen up my chains, and praise.
I want to take this time to dwell on my Savior, and His goodness to me.
I want to take in the glimmering snow, clear sky, and sparkling stars. I want to breathe in deep the scent of my newborn baby girl, and absorb her sisters giggles coming from upstairs, I want to memorize the look on my husbands face, and sit peacefully in our warm home.
I have so much to be thankful for, so much to praise my God for, and tonight I just want to be still before my God, and allow my heart to praise Him.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Preparing to Say Goodbye
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am." - John 14:3
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This verse was one of the first verses I ever learned in Sunday School. My teacher was Mrs. Maddocks, and I remember her telling me this verse was important to us, because it was our hope as Christians. That God had promised to go prepare a place for each one of us in Heaven, and she wanted me to imagine my "mansion" and draw a picture of what I thought my home in Glory would look like.
As a child, I don't think I quite understood this, because I didn't understand death, and the pain of separation from those I loved. As an innocent child, I didn't need any hope for Glory, because my life on earth was so good. I remember being excited for Heaven, because it sounded so pretty, with all the gold streets and glimmering crystal lakes and of course, Jesus was there, but my heart didn't begin to understand this scripture until much later in life, when pain began to hit home.
Between the ages of 8 & 11, I lost a lot of people I loved, and watched as my parents mourned the loss of theirs, and other loved ones. Dad always did a lot of funerals in our small community church, and for the longest time, our high school senior class had a running "curse" of a senior dying every year. I said "goodbye" to a lot of people I loved in my youth, and it was through those losses that I began to understand just why we need hope for Heaven, just why I needed it.
I became to understand in a personal way that my loved ones were in Glory waiting for me, that they were happy, and healthy, and safe there. That they were with Jesus, and couldn't be in any more pain, and couldn't feel any more sadness. These thoughts comforted me, and as a child when I would pray at night, I would ask God: "Please say hello to Grandpa for me, tell Grandma I miss her too" convinced that my loved ones were right there next to Jesus' side as I was praying, waiting for my word for them.
Growing up only brought more losses, and when my Gram died on my 21st birthday, hope for eternity and seeing her again was all I held onto for months. I missed her so much, here on earth, and kept scripture all over my dorm room reminding me of Heaven, and God wiping away our tears. I clung to this promise, as pain broke my heart, and everything around me felt meaningless. I just longed for Heaven, and having my heart whole again.
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Suffering loss is the hardest thing we do on this earth, and there's no real way to prepare for it. The only thing we can do is fill our hearts with God's promises, so that they fill us up, and hold our hearts together when they break.
God's promise for us today is this: "I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back to take you with me." This promise is the most significant in time of loss, because this is where our eternal hope lies: we all die, but God Himself has prepared us a new home with Him, and He's coming again to take us there. We will be safe, our loved ones will be safe, because God is prepared.
Our death, and the death of our loved ones, is no surprise to Almighty God. He knows our days, and prepared for them long ago. And in preparing for our life, He also prepared for our death, and we know that our eternity is secure in Him.
As we prepare to say goodbye, may this hope help heal our hearts: We have a God in Heaven Who is waiting for us, and waiting for those we love. We can say goodbye with assurance that we will see them again, and that they are going to the very best place, a place God prepared long ago.
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This verse was one of the first verses I ever learned in Sunday School. My teacher was Mrs. Maddocks, and I remember her telling me this verse was important to us, because it was our hope as Christians. That God had promised to go prepare a place for each one of us in Heaven, and she wanted me to imagine my "mansion" and draw a picture of what I thought my home in Glory would look like.
As a child, I don't think I quite understood this, because I didn't understand death, and the pain of separation from those I loved. As an innocent child, I didn't need any hope for Glory, because my life on earth was so good. I remember being excited for Heaven, because it sounded so pretty, with all the gold streets and glimmering crystal lakes and of course, Jesus was there, but my heart didn't begin to understand this scripture until much later in life, when pain began to hit home.
Between the ages of 8 & 11, I lost a lot of people I loved, and watched as my parents mourned the loss of theirs, and other loved ones. Dad always did a lot of funerals in our small community church, and for the longest time, our high school senior class had a running "curse" of a senior dying every year. I said "goodbye" to a lot of people I loved in my youth, and it was through those losses that I began to understand just why we need hope for Heaven, just why I needed it.
I became to understand in a personal way that my loved ones were in Glory waiting for me, that they were happy, and healthy, and safe there. That they were with Jesus, and couldn't be in any more pain, and couldn't feel any more sadness. These thoughts comforted me, and as a child when I would pray at night, I would ask God: "Please say hello to Grandpa for me, tell Grandma I miss her too" convinced that my loved ones were right there next to Jesus' side as I was praying, waiting for my word for them.
Growing up only brought more losses, and when my Gram died on my 21st birthday, hope for eternity and seeing her again was all I held onto for months. I missed her so much, here on earth, and kept scripture all over my dorm room reminding me of Heaven, and God wiping away our tears. I clung to this promise, as pain broke my heart, and everything around me felt meaningless. I just longed for Heaven, and having my heart whole again.
.
Suffering loss is the hardest thing we do on this earth, and there's no real way to prepare for it. The only thing we can do is fill our hearts with God's promises, so that they fill us up, and hold our hearts together when they break.
God's promise for us today is this: "I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back to take you with me." This promise is the most significant in time of loss, because this is where our eternal hope lies: we all die, but God Himself has prepared us a new home with Him, and He's coming again to take us there. We will be safe, our loved ones will be safe, because God is prepared.
Our death, and the death of our loved ones, is no surprise to Almighty God. He knows our days, and prepared for them long ago. And in preparing for our life, He also prepared for our death, and we know that our eternity is secure in Him.
As we prepare to say goodbye, may this hope help heal our hearts: We have a God in Heaven Who is waiting for us, and waiting for those we love. We can say goodbye with assurance that we will see them again, and that they are going to the very best place, a place God prepared long ago.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Agape Love
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins." - 1 John 4:10
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Today is Valentine's Day, and millions around the world will celebrate one thing today: love.
But what I wonder is, what kind of love are they celebrating? Because the Bible tells us that without Christ in our heart, we are unable to understand love, unable to give love, and unable to receive love, because God is love, and without Him, there is none.
The truth of the matter is, many in our world will never understand love, because they don't have Christ in their hearts.
Our world's definition of true love is very different than scripture's definition. The world tells us that love is free and it's all you need. That as a free citizen, you are free to love whomever you desire, male or female, married or single. Liberal political correctness has made it so there are no standards for love any more, and everything goes. Worldly love is conditional, it changes with a feeling, and has no commitment level. Worldly love is lustful, and physically driven, self-seeking, and selfish. Worldly love is distorted, broken, hurtful, and sad.
This is not true love. Not love from God.
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Scripture speaks of real love: THIS is love, that God loved us and sent His Son to die for us! THIS is love, that while we were sinners, Christ died for us! THIS is love, that I have loved you with an undying love, unconditional love, everlasting love.
The Bible's definition of true love is Agape love, a Greek word translated "Unconditional Love" or "The Love of God." Agape love is pure, because it is from The LORD, it is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional, and according to scripture, the highest form of love known. This greek word agape is the 'love' word used in scripture to describe God's love for His people, illustrating His covenant love for mankind.
This agape love is what is extended to us, God's children, and once it is extended to us, we are able to love those around us, through the love we receive from Christ. Without having God's love in our hearts, we are unable to express real love to those around us, and this is, as I said, why worldly love is so broken and devastating.
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Giving pure love to those around us can be difficult, because we are humans and we sin. We all have moments of selfishness, moments of anger, and moments when we choose to be conditional, telling people to love us on our terms.
But as Christians, we have to understand that even though we are human, we are called to love better than the world.
We have agape love inside our hearts, and the love that flows from us should be reflective of God's love for us. We should be loving better, showing a better example, and illustrating for the lost world around us what true love looks like.
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On this Valentines Day, may we thank our Father in Heaven for showing us agape love, and for allowing love to be in our lives. Without Him, we would have nothing to celebrate today. And while we are living with a thankful heart, may we extend God's love to those around us, knowing that it is through our example, that God's light shines.
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Today is Valentine's Day, and millions around the world will celebrate one thing today: love.
But what I wonder is, what kind of love are they celebrating? Because the Bible tells us that without Christ in our heart, we are unable to understand love, unable to give love, and unable to receive love, because God is love, and without Him, there is none.
The truth of the matter is, many in our world will never understand love, because they don't have Christ in their hearts.
Our world's definition of true love is very different than scripture's definition. The world tells us that love is free and it's all you need. That as a free citizen, you are free to love whomever you desire, male or female, married or single. Liberal political correctness has made it so there are no standards for love any more, and everything goes. Worldly love is conditional, it changes with a feeling, and has no commitment level. Worldly love is lustful, and physically driven, self-seeking, and selfish. Worldly love is distorted, broken, hurtful, and sad.
This is not true love. Not love from God.
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Scripture speaks of real love: THIS is love, that God loved us and sent His Son to die for us! THIS is love, that while we were sinners, Christ died for us! THIS is love, that I have loved you with an undying love, unconditional love, everlasting love.
The Bible's definition of true love is Agape love, a Greek word translated "Unconditional Love" or "The Love of God." Agape love is pure, because it is from The LORD, it is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional, and according to scripture, the highest form of love known. This greek word agape is the 'love' word used in scripture to describe God's love for His people, illustrating His covenant love for mankind.
This agape love is what is extended to us, God's children, and once it is extended to us, we are able to love those around us, through the love we receive from Christ. Without having God's love in our hearts, we are unable to express real love to those around us, and this is, as I said, why worldly love is so broken and devastating.
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Giving pure love to those around us can be difficult, because we are humans and we sin. We all have moments of selfishness, moments of anger, and moments when we choose to be conditional, telling people to love us on our terms.
But as Christians, we have to understand that even though we are human, we are called to love better than the world.
We have agape love inside our hearts, and the love that flows from us should be reflective of God's love for us. We should be loving better, showing a better example, and illustrating for the lost world around us what true love looks like.
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On this Valentines Day, may we thank our Father in Heaven for showing us agape love, and for allowing love to be in our lives. Without Him, we would have nothing to celebrate today. And while we are living with a thankful heart, may we extend God's love to those around us, knowing that it is through our example, that God's light shines.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
All Who Are Weary
"...“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”…" - Matthew 11:28-30
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I've spent the last 3 hours trying to get Katelyn to sleep. She is normally a very calm, easy-going baby, but lately, when she gets tired in the evening, she fights and fights to go to sleep. Her body gets all red and sweaty, she becomes rigid and pushes away from whoever is holding her, and no matter how we try to calm her, she just needs to cry it out until she finally gives in to peaceful sleep.
This process is emotional and difficult for both of us. I get upset seeing her upset, and she gets more upset the longer time goes by that she's not asleep, and the slightest move or noise can set her off again if she hasn't been sleeping long enough to get into a deep sleep. I hate seeing her go through this every night, and I wish I could make it so that she would just relax and drift to sleep peacefully.
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As I was in the process of trying to get Katelyn to relax, the image of me fighting against God came to my mind.
Our God is a gentle God, Who always protects us, always helps us, always cares for us, always loves us, and promises to take care of us and give us rest any time we ask. But even though God has done all of those things for us, how often do we find ourselves fighting against Him, trying to fix the problem ourselves, instead of just settling into the perfect peace that He offers to us?
We kick and we scream, we complain and we demand our way, convinced we know what's best. But ultimately, don't we always come back to the same solution: "God, I am nothing, You are my all, I need You. Please help me."
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If Katelyn would just rest in my arms, and give in to the warmth and safety I am offering her, her evenings would go much smoother.
Isn't this a beautiful illustration for us today?
Don't you just want to crawl up into Jesus' lap, accept His warmth and safety, and just forget every problem in our world, and simply rest in Him?
He is our Father. He has loved us with an everlasting love, and known us before the beginning of time. He has never let us down, and we can always trust Him to take care of us.
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Just as we cling to our earthy Fathers for support and safety, God is here tonight, offering you peace.
Don't fight it. Run to Him, all you who are weary, and find rest in The Savior tonight.
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I've spent the last 3 hours trying to get Katelyn to sleep. She is normally a very calm, easy-going baby, but lately, when she gets tired in the evening, she fights and fights to go to sleep. Her body gets all red and sweaty, she becomes rigid and pushes away from whoever is holding her, and no matter how we try to calm her, she just needs to cry it out until she finally gives in to peaceful sleep.
This process is emotional and difficult for both of us. I get upset seeing her upset, and she gets more upset the longer time goes by that she's not asleep, and the slightest move or noise can set her off again if she hasn't been sleeping long enough to get into a deep sleep. I hate seeing her go through this every night, and I wish I could make it so that she would just relax and drift to sleep peacefully.
.
As I was in the process of trying to get Katelyn to relax, the image of me fighting against God came to my mind.
Our God is a gentle God, Who always protects us, always helps us, always cares for us, always loves us, and promises to take care of us and give us rest any time we ask. But even though God has done all of those things for us, how often do we find ourselves fighting against Him, trying to fix the problem ourselves, instead of just settling into the perfect peace that He offers to us?
We kick and we scream, we complain and we demand our way, convinced we know what's best. But ultimately, don't we always come back to the same solution: "God, I am nothing, You are my all, I need You. Please help me."
.
If Katelyn would just rest in my arms, and give in to the warmth and safety I am offering her, her evenings would go much smoother.
Isn't this a beautiful illustration for us today?
Don't you just want to crawl up into Jesus' lap, accept His warmth and safety, and just forget every problem in our world, and simply rest in Him?
He is our Father. He has loved us with an everlasting love, and known us before the beginning of time. He has never let us down, and we can always trust Him to take care of us.
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Just as we cling to our earthy Fathers for support and safety, God is here tonight, offering you peace.
Don't fight it. Run to Him, all you who are weary, and find rest in The Savior tonight.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Waiting For My Abundant Life
"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
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In my freshman year of college at Roberts Wesleyan, this verse was written on a banner that hung on our chapel stage for the entire year. It was the verse of the year, the theme for our chapel services, and over time, it became engrained in me that God had not only come to give me life, but to give me life abundant! And what was I going to do with it? We were challenged to take hold of our full life, and live it, doing something great.
I was taking my first baby steps into adulthood, had the whole world at my fingertips, and so I remember this verse really inspiring me, and I remember thinking: 'Surely God has something amazing waiting for me!' I was so excited to see what it was.
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I hate to admit this, but sometime after graduation, and entering the real world, I think this expectation began to fade. The monotony of normal living had set in: routines, bills, life problems, work stress, boredom. There wasn't anything wrong with my life, per say, but it certainly didn't feel anything as grand as 'abundant!' I was just living a normal life, like everyone else, and for some reason, the feelings I had about my 'full life' fell flat in comparison to my big dreams from college.
I remember thinking that I must have the word 'abundant' mixed up with 'mediocre', because that's what I felt.
So after taking a few paths to get me in the right direction of my promised life, I began to chase my dream of being a wedding photographer. I read wedding blogs all day, followed big time photographers, learned business techniques, practiced shooting, and began building a client base. I focused on my work, determined that my abundant life was still within reach, and I was going to claim it at last.
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I chased that dream for a while, until one day, God told me my life was going to look very different than anything I'd ever dreamed or imagined, and that my abundant life was going to come in a very different package than what I had originally been looking for.
My abundant life walked into my life in the form of a 31 year old widower with 2 daughters, ages 8 & 9. Very different than any of my dreams for sure, but exactly what my heart needed.
At first, I told God: "Are you sure? Are you sure this is what I've been waiting for? Are you sure I'm the one you want doing this? Are you sure about this, what if I can't handle this?" But God answered: "Yes, I'm sure", and 6 months later, I said: "I do", and started living out my new life with Andrew. My new abundant life.
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Looking back, I can see that my interpretation of having a full life was probably misinformed. My college chaplain had painted this picture in my mind of riches and glory, but that wasn't at all what God had promised.
When looking at the original meaning of the word "abundant", the Forerunner
Commentary says this:
"...The Greek word Jesus uses in John 10:10 to describe the kind of life He came to teach His disciples is perissón, meaning "superabundant," "superfluous," "overflowing," "over and above a certain quantity," "a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate." In short, He promises us a life far better than we could ever envision…"
But he takes it further by examining the word "life":
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In my freshman year of college at Roberts Wesleyan, this verse was written on a banner that hung on our chapel stage for the entire year. It was the verse of the year, the theme for our chapel services, and over time, it became engrained in me that God had not only come to give me life, but to give me life abundant! And what was I going to do with it? We were challenged to take hold of our full life, and live it, doing something great.
I was taking my first baby steps into adulthood, had the whole world at my fingertips, and so I remember this verse really inspiring me, and I remember thinking: 'Surely God has something amazing waiting for me!' I was so excited to see what it was.
.
I hate to admit this, but sometime after graduation, and entering the real world, I think this expectation began to fade. The monotony of normal living had set in: routines, bills, life problems, work stress, boredom. There wasn't anything wrong with my life, per say, but it certainly didn't feel anything as grand as 'abundant!' I was just living a normal life, like everyone else, and for some reason, the feelings I had about my 'full life' fell flat in comparison to my big dreams from college.
I remember thinking that I must have the word 'abundant' mixed up with 'mediocre', because that's what I felt.
So after taking a few paths to get me in the right direction of my promised life, I began to chase my dream of being a wedding photographer. I read wedding blogs all day, followed big time photographers, learned business techniques, practiced shooting, and began building a client base. I focused on my work, determined that my abundant life was still within reach, and I was going to claim it at last.
.
I chased that dream for a while, until one day, God told me my life was going to look very different than anything I'd ever dreamed or imagined, and that my abundant life was going to come in a very different package than what I had originally been looking for.
My abundant life walked into my life in the form of a 31 year old widower with 2 daughters, ages 8 & 9. Very different than any of my dreams for sure, but exactly what my heart needed.
At first, I told God: "Are you sure? Are you sure this is what I've been waiting for? Are you sure I'm the one you want doing this? Are you sure about this, what if I can't handle this?" But God answered: "Yes, I'm sure", and 6 months later, I said: "I do", and started living out my new life with Andrew. My new abundant life.
.
Looking back, I can see that my interpretation of having a full life was probably misinformed. My college chaplain had painted this picture in my mind of riches and glory, but that wasn't at all what God had promised.
When looking at the original meaning of the word "abundant", the Forerunner
Commentary says this:
"...The Greek word Jesus uses in John 10:10 to describe the kind of life He came to teach His disciples is perissón, meaning "superabundant," "superfluous," "overflowing," "over and above a certain quantity," "a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate." In short, He promises us a life far better than we could ever envision…"
But he takes it further by examining the word "life":
"…Before we begin to have visions of palatial homes, classic automobiles, around-the-world trips, and wads of pocket money, we need to step back and consider what God says comprises "life." Once we determine His view of living, we will have a better grasp of what kind of blessings we can expect as Christ's disciples. All we need to do is glance around at our and our brethren's situations to know that wealth, prestige, position, and power in this world are not high-priority items on God's list of blessings (I Corinthians 1:26-29). In terms of economic, academic, and social strata, most of us come from the lower and middle classes, and we tend to remain in a situation similar to the one in which we were called (compare I Corinthians 7:20-24). Perhaps the most telling biblical definition of life - particularlyeternal life - is uttered by Jesus Himself in John 17:3: "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." Note that this definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family, occupation - in fact, the only thing it does mention is knowing God!…"
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I now understand that living a full life doesn't have anything at all to do with having "stuff" or even money in the bank. But rather, life is about loving our God, and letting His love flow out of us, into the relationships around us: into our families, into our friendships, into our daily interactions.
Abundant life comes from knowing Jesus, and living happily in the life He's given you. It comes from being thankful for our Savior, and living in the freedom that knowing Christ allows.
All those years through college, and after, I spent chasing a promise I never even properly understood. All the while, I was missing my abundant life, surrounding me right where I was, in the very blessings that God had already placed in my life.
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Sometimes I think, as Christians we chase after something that we think God wants for us. We claim a verse as our own, and we run with it, convinced God has that in mind for us. But maybe like me, you need to give up your version of the life you think God wants for you, and accept the one you're living in. Perhaps your abundant life is surrounding you right now, and you don't even see it.
Take a moment to look around you today, and take note, because God's blessings are everywhere.
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