We read in John 10:10 that Jesus came to give us life. But not only to give us life, but give it to the FULL.
What constitutes a full life?
How is it measured?
In my travels, and working with so many persons from different areas of both the United States and Canada, as well as different faiths, those with no faiths to those who have reached the heights of their careers and job positions at the heights of their companies – I’ve made the following observations:
- The next step is the one you want most
- The next title is one you seek
- While new career paths open doors to more income, income isn’t a long lasting driver in “life”
- There are always those who ascend not by their abilities and work ethic, but by chance and endearing support that bypasses hard work
- Many times, those who tow the line and do the work they are being paid to do, and not waver in the quality or completeness of that work, are the ones who are identified as the “negative” persons, not the slackers who’s work result should identify them differently
Many times this can become the issues in our Christian life as well. Let’s make a comparative lists of what those look like:
- The next blessing is the one I really need, the one that will make me happy
- Life surely has more to it than what I have now
- If only God would provide more, then I could do more
- Not understanding what God is calling us to today, or not understanding His will for us today, many times causes us to fall short of the full benefits He has provided us in the gifts He has provided
- If I find myself more consumed by pointing out the shortcomings of others, am I focused on the right things?
Solomon had it all, and as we read in Ecclesiastes 11 – he took 13yrs to complete his house. 13 years – wow, that is a long time. The size of the estate, and the quality of the estate must have been unmatched by any other at the time. But look at the house that Solomon built for God. It ended up being a lesser house than what Solomon built for himself. God’s house only took 7 years – almost 50% less time than Solomon spent on his own. 1Kings 6-7 provides account of these timelines.
As we look at that, what lessons can we learn? Is Solomon’s heart seen in his actions? Where did he concentrate? What did he want better, what was his, what was going to reflect who he is/was, or was he concerned about his Lord – what the house of the Lord revealed and the story it told?
In our lives we many times lose sight of the fact that we are not to be in control. We are not to be the “ones” who determine where we go, what we do, or what others should be doing. Many times we get fixated on “straightening” others out. By doing so we are derailed from what God may being working in us, what His desire for us is.
There are many accounts in the scripture where the works of God’s people were done without concern for the political correctness of the day. They were done out of Love and Concern for fellow human beings. Which begs the question we all must answer: In my daily walk in life, do I find that I look at others from a viewpoint of Love and concern for them? Do I recognize they are made in God’s image the same as I? Do I feel pain for the lives they have developed because the lack of self-control has gotten them to where they are?
When we look at Love – what comes to mind? Love isn’t always giving what is asked, or desired. Love can be withholding something that if given would enable the lack of self-controlled life to become even more entrenched, more destructive to the person asking.
With many thoughts in this article, I leave the following for each of us to answer:
- Am I living life to the full?
- Where is God in may daily walk?
- Where do I allow God in my daily walk?
- Who sets my direction…..no really…….who is it?
- When I look around me, are there those who are lacking self-control and making decisions that move them further from Jesus? Do I enable them?
We will never walk perfectly in this life, why would/do we expect others to be able to? Why do we condemn rather than build relationships that allow support for them to change?
Jesus said “Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone” John 8:7 – and I think I feel I have more stones in my hand at times than I do love.
What’s in your hand?
Larry Bryant is an Elder of the Tell City Church of Christ, Tell City, Indiana.