The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. – John 10:10 NIV
When you think of an abundant life, what comes to mind? Financial stability, a thriving family, a successful career? Maybe you imagine a community of friends, fulfilling hobbies, the opportunity to travel to faraway places.
We all have different ideas of what constitutes an abundant life, because each of us measures success by different metrics. But one thing is for certain for us all: we’re meant to live the lives God has given us to the full.
Abundant Life
Another translation of Jesus’s words in John 10:10 reads, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (ESV, emphasis added). The word “abundantly” in the original Greek is perissos, which means superabundant (in quantity) or superior (in quality). It gives the implication of extraordinary excess.
Isn’t that remarkable? God wants our lives in Him to be characterized by extraordinary excess! Of course, God’s definition of excess may look a lot different than excess as defined by the world.
The full life Jesus is talking about in this verse doesn’t necessarily promise an abundance of money, success, or power. In fact, there are many things we have to lay down before we’re able to wholeheartedly follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24).
The promise that Jesus makes is that when we remain close to Him, rooting our identity in what He says about us, we will be protected by our Shepherd, and we will continuously grow in the fruit of the Spirit—“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23)—which leads to a life of fulfillment and deep contentment that ultimately brings glory to God.
True Contentment
Biblical contentment has little to do with how many material possessions we have, or our health, or any of our outward circumstances at all. As Paul says in Philippians 4:12-13, “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (NLT). True contentment comes when we are able to rest in Christ, trusting His strength to sustain us every step of the way.
Remembering Who We Are
But that is not to say we’ll never have moments of insecurity. Even the most sincere, devoted Christian will have days when they doubt themselves, question God’s plan for them, and wonder if they’ll ever truly be satisfied.
Jesus never promises that we won’t experience periods of hardship, pain, and loss. But He does promise to be with us in the midst of them.
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” – Isaiah 43:2-3 NLT
When you forget who you are and start finding yourself dissatisfied by your circumstances, lean on the ever-present truth of God’s Word (see chapter one for more anchoring identity verses). You can also lean on your friends and family to speak encouraging words over your life. The people closest to us often see us more clearly than we see ourselves and delight in pointing out all the good and the beauty that’s there even when we can’t see it.
The things God declares about your identity are always true, and His promises are always trustworthy. While some of those promises won’t be fulfilled on this side of eternity, God still wants you to live a full, abundant life here on this earth. And through His Word and the people He places around you, He’s given you all you need to do exactly that.
