The Full Life

John 10:9-10. “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Do you think you need to be saved from something? Many people would say no, using the rationale that they are leading a pretty good life in comparison to “bad” people. Jesus says that we do need saving, and he is the person to do it. He makes it clear that the standard for needing saving is not our behavior compared to the behavior of others. Rather, if we sin – and we all do to one extent or another – there is a negative consequence that requires someone to save us. We’ll explore this more at a later time.

The particular point I want to make today is that Jesus wants us to have a full (other translations say abundant) life. His love for us and plan for our lives is rich beyond measure. Living with a sense of purpose and peace along with wonderful relationships are what this full life is all about. Sometimes we think of following Jesus as a bunch of rules to follow, many of which sound like our fun is being taken away. But God knows what will truly make us happy, what will make our lives full. All it takes is saying to God, “Your way, not my way. I yield to you.” I know this to be true because I see it in my own life. My idea of the full life was but a pale comparison to what God has shown me, and I gladly follow him!