Enjoy Life!

So when did we stop enjoying life? It seems so difficult to do. We go through our day, and there might be ups and downs, but at the end we hope that the "good" moments outweigh the bad. We have ceased to cherish life...cherish each day. Now, understand that I say this because I see it in my own life. It sounds cheesy, but really, do we enjoy this life that has been given to us? Even amidst hardship. Do we regret more than we treasure? Do we groan more than we laugh?

It's hard, I know. We live like we are trying to survive on a desert island, seeking out the bare essentials. But isn't there more?

Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

So often we only see the second half of that verse. But life comes with opposition. The thief(who is Satan of course) wants to steal our life. Now what could this mean? In this passage Jesus is talking about His sheep, which would be the believer..YOU and ME! So if we have eternal life, how can Satan "steal, kill and destroy?" Simple, he sucks us dry and leads us to believe that we are dead. In fact we are alive if we know Christ, but if the Enemy can tare us down, then we live a joyless, depressed existences here on earth. I believe this is one of his biggest tactics to render us ineffective. But it doesn't only cripple our witness, it hardens our hearts.

Matthew Henry said it this way, "Life is inclusive of all good, and stands in opposition to the death threatened." Life is not just salvation from death. It includes EVERYTHING good! We need to stop believing that we are here just to exist, but "live life to the full!" Believe what Jesus said. You are free my friend. Live life unshackled and unashamed. Run through the sprinklers, eat some pie, go for a walk, drive to the beach, write a song, dance, thank God for the good in your life.

We need to be living life more abundantly, TODAY! Stop focussing on all the negativity, and I know there is a lot of it in this world. Start looking to Jesus, because the truth is we can't "conjure up" joy. He has given it to us. So let Him bless you with a full life, even if today is your last.