The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life abundantly.
John 10:10
Before moving to the Dominican Republic, I used to think that this passage meant that we would have a full and plentiful life, abounding in the things we need and even enjoy.
I have been learning so much over these past five years while living here. My eyes have been opened to so many things. Some things I wish I wouldn’t have seen or experienced. Or even watch others around me experience. The road has been very hard, but my God has been so, very good. Life here isn’t at all what I thought it would look like. I have been stretched in so many ways and had some real, raw, on my knees begging God to intervene moments.
Here is the truth, abundant life is not about having all our needs met and living richly. Nope, abundant life is in fact about being so whole in Christ that it doesn’t matter if all your needs or wants are met.
James 1:2-4 tells us to consider it pure joy when we face these trials because the testing of our faith produces perseverance that results in being mature, not lacking anything.
Abundant life isn’t about not having physical lack, but rather having no spiritual lack.
Paul is probably one of my favorite Bible characters. Okay, who am I kidding? I have so many Bible characters that I admire, but he is definitely up there on the list. In Philippians 4 Paul shares that he had lived with nothing, he had lived with plenty, and he found what it was to abound in every circumstance. It was Christ that gave him strength.
You see, the fullness of life that Jesus is talking about in John 10:10 is about being so anchored in Jesus that we aren’t even concerned about what we have or do not have. We know where our hope lies. We are confident that no matter what happens, we have eternal life through Christ Jesus. We lack nothing because we are complete in Jesus. He is our everything. Whether we are in need or in living plentifully, our spiritual cups are overflowing because we are in Christ. It is the kind of life that no one, no thing, not even the enemy can take away. We are secure in Christ. This is an abundant life.
Journey to Dominican 