Abundant Life!

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” John 10:10.

“Jesus lived and died so that we can experience abundant life. Jesus did not come so that we can merely survive life. Pagans can survive life. God’s plan is for us to experience joy and peace – no matter what life holds” (Girlfriends in God).

Isn’t that great?  Jesus came to this earth, suffered beyond our comprehension, died for us and rose again so that WE can have a relationship with Him and live life abundantly!  Live life full of joy!  We do not deserve our salvation, an abundant life nor joy…but through God’s grace we are given those things if we just accept His gift!  And how much better is living life joyfully and abundantly than merely surviving?!?

Joy does not equal happiness.  There are a lot of things that we will go through in life that do not produce happiness…but joy?  Joy is available to us through every storm in life…through Jesus!  Praise the Lord for joy!!  :)

What does that mean to live life more abundantly and full of joy?  To me, it means believing that everything that I face in life has passed through God’s hands BEFORE it reaches me.  Even when I don’t understand it, HE does and has allowed the trials I face. Therefore, if He has allowed the trials to happen then He has a plan through them.  And if He has a plan, then what good is worrying and stressing going to do for me?  Nada. It also means not letting the devil steal my joy.  Yes, I have sad days, I have angry days, but JOY is deeper.  It isn’t conditional or situational.  Joy cannot be taken away from you because true joy comes from the Lord.  Joy is a deep seeded contentment and appreciation that we have a true reason to hope.  It is praising the Lord in the storms of life because He will never leave you, it is thanking the Lord for our salvation when it feels like everything else is falling apart around us, it is trusting that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” Romans 8:28, it is accepting and living in the peace God has given you, it is recognizing all of the many many blessings in your life and realizing they all come from Him...

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” Nehemiah 8:10.

Here’s to living an abundant life full of joy!  :)