life in abundance

'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 10v10

My first words as a child were ‘go’. I would sit in my car seat and eagerly wait for the lights to glow green so that the car would start moving again.

I think we all have a tendency to find ourselves in this ‘go, go, go’ mindset, always trying to get to the next stage, striving to be successful and keep up with the competition. We try hard at school to get to Uni, then we spend the next few years striving to prepare for our dream career. And alongside that, we balance socialising, exercise and attempting to get our five a day.

I used to get so caught up in trying to adult well, being future-focused and making sure I did everything I could to ensure I would be comfortable and secure as an adult.

But Jesus has radically changed my heart. He’s shown me that there’s more than just getting to the next stage of life, and if I always have my head down working tirelessly for the future I’ll miss everything He has for me now, in this season as a student. My faith has helped me understand that there is so much joy to be found every day and I don’t need to strive to feel like my life has a purpose.

Our worth isn’t found in grades. Our value cannot be determined by how employable we are.

My future is secure, not because of me but because of my God, who loves me faithfully and as I am, whatever my CV looks like, or whether I managed to get my laundry done this week.

For me, living a life to the full doesn’t mean a perfect life. Things don’t always go according to my plan. But it means that I trust there is a plan, and it’s far better than anything I could conceive for myself.

A different translation of John 10:10 speaks about the life of abundance that Jesus came to give us. Abundance is defined as ‘present in great quantity; more than adequate; oversufficient’ (Dictionary.com)

My ‘go’ attitude, wanting to keep up, feel productive and successful, probably would have resulted in an adequate life. But I don’t want an adequate life, I want the abundant, ‘over sufficient’ life which Jesus has for me, where my decisions are not based on fear of failure, but instead on my Saviour’s victory.