The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10
We are coming off a season that was very full. Jam packed with celebrations, preparations, and holiday to-do’s. Hopefully, since we focused on “Filling Up Christmas” over Advent, you were able to let go of some of the Christmas trappings and invite a sense of peace as you pondered the wonderful gift of Jesus. But if that wasn’t the case for you and you are still feeling overwhelmed and tired out from all the festivities, that’s okay too. Jesus sees that. He sees your exhaustion and your desire for a slower but fuller life. Not filled with activities and commitments and to do’s, but filled with joy and peace and enjoyment and margin.
If your desire today is to have abundant life, the one Jesus gives freely and graciously, let me remind you: it can be yours. You have to want it and seek it and step into it. He offers it to you. Every single day. Even in the busy. Even in the discouragement. Even in the doubt. His abundant life is for you. A life where you enjoy others around you, where you drink of his presence as you get out in nature, where you guiltlessly prioritize rest and self-care, where you live in the freedom Jesus’ blood bought for you.
May I encourage you this first week of the New Year if you haven’t made or stuck with those resolutions, if you don’t have a plan looking ahead at your future, if you’re still recovering from the Christmas hustle and bustle, this you can know is true: Jesus has abundant life for you. And that life is for today.
Take a moment and think back on 2018. Allow your mind to land on seasons and situations where you experienced abundant life. Praise Jesus for those times. Now as you move into 2019 ask your savior, your friend to direct you into abundant life. Ask him to help you not miss it.
By Ellen Rosenberger
