The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

                                                                                                            John 10:10

Our passage today expresses God’s desire to not only give us life, but for us to live life abundantly. We have a spiritual enemy who wants nothing less than to rob us of the abundant life that Jesus has purchased for us. This spiritual enemy steals…in all sorts of ways. He wants to steal your assurance. He desires to steal your peace. And he will attempt to convince you that an abundant life in God is unachievable. Stealing, by definition, is taking something that does not belong to you. Your assurance, peace, and abundance in Jesus belong to you. The only way the enemy can take from you spiritually is if you allow him to do so. Just like locking our houses when we are away, we have to guard our minds and hearts against anything that might give the enemy a foothold. He desires to kill and destroy anyone that he can. I believe that is why we are reminded to be on guard with all diligence in our spiritual lives (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Unlike the enemy, Jesus came to give us life and for us to have it abundantly. Abundance in this passage means over and above, more than is necessary, superior, extraordinary, and uncommon. This type of life is not only rewarding for us, but also allows us to testify to the goodness of God. Our life in Christ manifests itself in a number of ways. As Christians, we are able to reject the ways of the world (1 John 2:15-17) and live by faith in Jesus, trusting His purposes for our lives (Galatians 2:20). We set our minds on things above rather than on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). We seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, knowing that as we make God the priority, He supplies everything else we need (Matthew 6:33). These attitudes reflect a changed life and I believe this is why we should pray and ask, “to be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

We need to jettison sin, guilt, doubt, dead religion, bad doctrine, and anything else that might stand in the way of realizing the fullness of God and truly living an uncommon life. As you leave January, I hope that you find yourself spiritually stronger than when you entered. Continue to pray and seek God’s forgiveness, grace, and abundance as you carry on in your walk with Christ!