“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 NIV)
An abundant life, huh?
What exactly does that look like?
I would define it as having everything you ever wanted, all at once. Family, friends, church, jobs, cars, home, pets, etc.
If you are blessed with such a life, be thankful. But it’s also important to be cautious.
Because of the first part of the verse from the book of John listed above.
The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy…
In a weird twist of irony, the more abundant our lives become, the more ways Satan has to try to steal our joy.
For those of us who have it all, has it ever been difficult to find joy in those moments?
You know the ones. Between temper tantrums and lost homework, dirty laundry and the stack of bills, grocery lists and car trouble, we spend most days just trying to survive.
Truth is, with a life of abundance comes a To-Do list a mile long, and as we move from task to task, it seems impossible to get it all done.
And if we aren’t careful, instead of enjoying this life of abundance we’ve been given, we end up feeling like failures. Because compared to the rest of the world, our houses aren’t clean enough, our waists aren’t trim enough, and our bank accounts aren’t fat enough.
But these are just lies from Satan, who is a master at using whatever and whoever we care most about to try to destroy us.
I really don’t think this is how it’s supposed to be. In fact, Jesus said so himself.
“I have come so that you may live life abundantly.”
In other words, He came to join us. We don’t have to do this alone, and Jesus is the sole reason our cups are overflowing with blessings.
Here are a few ways to guard against losing our joy:
- Start and end each day on your knees – thank God for choosing you for this journey. Ask Him to show you how to do this, and then always choose His ways over your own.
- Change your perspective. I read a study recently that you can rewire your brain toward happiness by naming three things to be thankful for every day for 21 days. This can work for your overwhelmed kids as well.
Rather than focusing on your impossible To-Do List, make it a reason to celebrate. Call it a Wa-Hoo List, because every item on that list is a result of a blessing you’ve been given.
For example:
3) Have you ever wondered why we’ve been blessed so richly? Why God chose us for such a life of abundance?
The answer can be found here:
“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion. and your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:11)
So, perhaps it’s never been about us at all, but a way to demonstrate and distribute God’s blessings to others.
No wonder Satan tries so hard to stop us.
Because others are watching, and they need to experience for themselves what this life of abundance is all about.
This is a great post, Janet. Love the translation of the to-do list into a wa-hoo list. Great perspective on the more we have being more targets for Satan, too. We do so often need to focus our attention on the blessing that is hidden in the struggle.