(photo courtesy: google images)
“The thief comes only
to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it
abundantly.”- John 10:10 (NASB)
One of the greatest promises Christ gave to us is found in
the verse above. He came to give us life, not death. He came to give us hope,
not hopelessness. He made sure to reveal the trick of the evil one and let His
people know that the enemy wants to destroy their life. It was a wonderful promise
of hope and life that He wanted His followers to rest in.
The promise is wonderful, but what happens when we aren’t
experiencing a full life?
Mother’s Day was yesterday (I hope you didn’t forget). It
was a wonderful day for many as they opened gifts, reminisced about their
children’s lives, and ate a nice meal.
However, for many others, it was a day to be reminded of the
fact that they lost a child or have not been able to have a child of their own.
The fact that they deal with this pain is hard, but to have a day come at them
that highlights the struggle is possibly even more difficult.
How about those who are struggling to make ends meet, but
watch their friends living the high life and taking extravagant trips? These
people might be working their tails off waiting for their big break, but they
can’t seem to get there. What are they missing?
It’s also wedding season. What about those people watching their
best friends, exes, or even enemies getting married while they sit and wait for
the love of their life? This season is possibly a difficult one as they start
to post sad memes and posts of sad singleness. They watch the other person's life get a
little more full as they begin to feel a little more empty.
Life and life to the full is wonderful, but missing out on
key pieces could make you feel like you’re empty.
So, what do we do with this? How do we handle a life that feels
empty, but we are supposed to experience life in abundance?
This is an honest question we all ask ourselves. This is a
hard question to deal with as a follower of Jesus. Yet, it’s a question that
doesn’t go unanswered.
For right now, in this first part, I want us to rest in this
question. Even if the three scenarios mentioned don’t match up with anything
you’re facing, it doesn’t mean you haven’t felt the compulsion to look at your
life and think it’s empty, while others seem to be overflowing.
This first part is to honor the struggle. I want to say your
struggle is valid. However, the pain is not the finish line.
Life is not going to feel full all the time, but that doesn’t
mean you will be walking around empty forever, if at all.
If you know someone dealing with something like this right
now, please point them to this two part post. Share with them that there is
hope in the discomfort and the anguish they experience because of the very One
who came to give us the very life we are living.
May we all recognize the hurt, not only in ourselves, but in
others and may we be motivators to battle on and aid in filling the voids in
the lives of those around us.
There is hope…
QUESTION: When do you
feel like your life is empty and when do you feel like it is full?
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