Photo by Kier in Sight Archives
By Mike Chaffin
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10
There are a set of morals built into the human psyche. We are born with an innate knowledge of right and wrong. When that safeguard is missing, we call that person a sociopath. To them stealing, killing, and destroying another person’s life is no different than ordering their favorite meal at a restaurant. While a sociopath is always looking for the thrill of instant gratification, a psychopath will plan and premeditate their destructive behavior.
While the devil can’t really be described as a psychopath, he does meet the criteria. He is the one Jesus is talking about who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Not only do we have to fight temptations thrust on us by the devil and his demons, but we must also fight our own internally generated temptations of selfishness, fleshly desires, and greed, to name a few.
Jesus came to give us a way off the path leading to death. He came to give us abundant life. Some people might misconstrue Jesus’ comment as a promise of affluence, but that is far from the message here. Jesus is talking about the spirit filled, joy filled, life in relationship with God while walking on the narrow path that goes to Heaven. He is talking about eternal life and not the value of our bank account.
Abundant life is a satisfied life. The Bible calls that contentment, and as Paul says, it has nothing to do with material possessions. It is a life filled with joy in your possessor. Bottom line we are either a child of God, or a slave to sin and shame as a child of the devil. To choose life, choose to follow Jesus. Seek Him and you will find Him.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to have abundant life in you. Fill me with joy, the peace that passes all understanding, faith to resist temptation, and a direct line to you in time of need. I am always in need. Forgive me when I forget that. In Jesus’ name, amen.
* There is a website that conducted a search for Bible verses. They compiled a list of the verses in order of the magnitude of hits they got in their search. Some of these verses qualify as ‘people’s favorites’, while others might be on the list because they are some of the most important and most teachable words of God.
