Life to the full

Jesus said, ‘the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come to give you life, life to the full.’   John 10,10.

Sometimes known as life more abundant – we may think of an abundance of good things, of material goods, of warm fuzzies, blessings and say ‘bring it on!’

Have you ever considered that ‘life to the full’ might also mean we will have our full measure of suffering, affliction, and hardship, for these are the things that develop the character of Christ in us. It may also mean that an abundance of misunderstandings, of sorrows, of heartaches come our way. These draw us close to the Father heart of God.

But turn the coin and see there God’s full measure of love for his children, of joy and peace. We will be loved to the fullest of our capacity to comprehend, and accepted by our wonderful Maker. We are the apple of his eye. All life gives us is carefully measured by his loving hand, and we can often express in words of the old chorus, ‘my cup’s full and running over’ when things are going well.

It takes courage to say the same when we’re feeling loaded with trials and challenges, but as we journey through these times, we will come to the full measure and stature of Christ.

By Coleen Marshall