Start Loving the Life You’ve Been Given

 

John 10:10

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Sometimes in life, circumstances happen that turn our lives on their heads and all our plans are thrown into disarray. We hit a bump in the road that sends us off the course we had planned. Our dreams are shattered. Unexpected things happen and before we know it, we wake up one day, realizing that this is not the life we planned and not the life we wanted.

And suddenly, our joy is gone. Our happiness has been stolen away and we are left feeling discontent, disgruntled, joyless, and downright miserable.

But did you know that this is NOT God’s plan? It’s not in God’s plan for you to live a defeated life. It’s not in his plan to see you joyless, going through the motions, day after day, with no spring in your step, no song in your heart and no praise on your lips.

Maybe you’ve experienced something recently that has thrown you off kilter, through heartbreak, illness or loss. Maybe a life-threatening diagnosis has you paralysed with fear. Or maybe it’s just the normal day-to-day humdrum life you lead, where every day is the same and you just feel like a hamster going round and round on his little wheel, doing a lot of walking, but not really getting anywhere.

Whatever the case, you may be thinking, there has to be more to life than this.

I’m here to tell you there is more!

The Devil wants to steal your joy and loves nothing better than to see you discouraged. The Bible tells us that he has come to steal, to kill and to destroy. He may not physically attack you, but he loves to mess with you emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

He wants to leave you doubting God. He wants you to live defeated. He wants to have you thinking wrong thoughts about God’s goodness and incorrect thoughts about yourself.

He wants you so beaten down that you are discontented with your life and feel that your happiness depends on your circumstances and living your life just how you want to live it, having your plans pan out just like you arranged them.

Of course, it’s a lie to think that if our plans go just like we want, we’ll be happy. The Devil is the Father of lies and he wants to plant that seed in your mind.

The last thing he wants is you to surrender your will and your plans to your Heavenly Father, wanting only what God has for you.  

John 10:10

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

In our verse in John 10:10, we see a big difference between the destroyer of life, the Devil, and the giver of life and joy, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our verse tells us that God has come to give us life and not only life, but life more abundant! Abundant life! Over and above your expectations. Exceeding and immeasurable.  

With the new year ahead, maybe you’re feeling discouraged and fearful of yet another year full of disappointments.

I want to remind you that although you can’t choose the life circumstances you go through, you can choose HOW you go through them. You can choose to change your attitude towards them.

You have to make the choice whether to allow people and circumstances to hold the power over your happiness, or whether you’ll choose to embrace God’s abundant life he has planned for you.

You only have one life to live and although it may not be the life you have planned and although there are twists and turns in the road that are unexpected, you have to choose to love the life you’ve been given and make the most of the God-given opportunities he brings across your path.

Loving life is a choice, and it should never be determined by your circumstances. The life you’re living today is the life God has given you, and maybe the reason it doesn’t feel like life more abundant is because of your attitude. Your life has potential to be great, but your peace, your joy, and your contentment depend on the choices you make.

Start today with a new mindset. Wake up to the reality that God’s plans are not always the same as yours, but they are always, and I mean ALWAYS, better.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God’s plans for you are good, and he has your best interests at heart. He loves you with an everlasting love. He knows your deepest longings, he hears your cries, he knows the dreams and desires of your heart and he longs for you to live an abundant, victorious life.

But we don’t get an abundant life without some effort on our part. It doesn’t just happen automatically. We have to make a choice.

 

Your happiness depends on you!

 

And maybe, because of shift in your attitude, maybe, just maybe, this could be your best year yet!

 

Start loving the life God has given you!

 

Philippians 4:11

Not that I speak in respect of want:

 for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.