One of the great gifts of Jesus Christ is life. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). That means life overflowing.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that our lives will be free of physical difficulty and trouble. In John 16:33 Jesus warns us–and encourages us–with these words: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
It is evident that the gift of Almighty God to us is life, and lots of it. We are designed by God to be alive to our fingertips. How could it be otherwise when “in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28)? We are so constructed that we should be enthusiastic, vital, dynamic, eager. These assertions do not mean that we can be delivered from pain, sorrow, suffering and the difficulties of human existence. These are a part of our humanity.
We have to live with them and deal with them. Life was never made to be easy, but, by the same token, we were never made to be defeated by life. We were designed to rise above it and to live with delight and vigor.
We all have marvelous capacities, every one of us. We have a physical body and it is a precious thing, a tremendous instrument. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).
If you take care of your body, treat it right, use it as the temple of God, it will last for long years, serving your purposes with power and effectiveness. Every day of your life you ought to dedicate your physical body to Almighty God–never desecrate it, never do anything with it that will undermine its vitality.
Then there is the mind. When it is in tune with the creative mind of God, it will serve you well. The Apostle Paul assures us that, if we have surrendered our lives to Him, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). How exciting that is! The One who created the universe dwells in us, infusing our minds with wholesome thought and Godly wisdom.
And, finally, imbedded deep in your nature is this thing called the soul, the psyche, the personality which is you. It can motivate and move you toward the important things in life. “You will find the Lord your God if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29). And it is with all your soul–as well as your strength–that you are called to love God (Deuteronomy 6:5). When your spirit is in tune with God and God’s power flows through it, you have vitality; bubbling, effervescent waves of life flow through you.
Almighty God never meant us to go crawling through life on our hands and knees. He meant us to be alive. Right now we can be in tune with the life-flowing power of the universe. Regardless of your age or physical condition, if you will yield to it, right now yield to it, let it flow through you…
- you can be remade
- you can be refreshed
- you can be revitalized
- you can live with power
“I have come that they may have life.” And when you have life, then deep, effervescent happiness bubbles within you.
How alive are you?
