Jesus said he is the good shepherd. He said he came that we might have “life abundantly”. If you turn those two words around and say “abundant life”, you start to focus on the word “abundant”, and that is the wrong focus. Because you start to have visions of winning the lottery, a new house, a new pickup, a new shop, easy street, and giving the rest of the money to kids in Africa. (sounds like visions a man would have….doesn’t it!) Not that those things are bad, it’s just that Jesus never said it.
Time to pause, because wealth properly used is a good thing. Jesus relied on people with wealth and good hearts for his ministry. The church still relies on them today. They are the quiet ones who give anonymously so that the widows, the orphans, and the poor might be in “the Family of God” and partake of the fellowship of life, and not be ashamed. You see “shame” is a killer, because it works on the mind, it results in loneliness, and leads to poor health, suicide, and death. God bless those anonymous givers. Through Jesus, they are givers of “life”.
Back to winning the lottery…… Jesus did warn us about that, because it can lead to covetousness which is another word for greed. Full blown greed will change your focus in life, and the thing(s) you are focused on will possess you. Here is what he said in Luke 12:15:
“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (NIV)
“Beware, keep yourselves from all covetousness, for not in the abundance to anyone, the life to him is of that which possesses him.” (Greek)
“Life to him is of that which possesses him”…..I like that phrase. Because it asks the question, where do you spend your time and where do you spend your money. What is your focus. I could run off a list of things that society is focused on today. But I won’t, because you already know what they are….and they are ruining us. In the end, there is only one answer that will help and gives “life abundantly”. They are the words of Jesus in John 10:10:
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (NIV)
“I came that Zoe they may have, and abundantly may have it” (Greek)
Jesus came to give us life. The Greek word for life is “Zoe”, and it denotes both a physical life and a spiritual life. Life now, and the life to come. Our English doesn’t convey that. It also contains the understanding that it is an animated life filled with vitality and devoted to God. Which in turn is a life filled with love, hope, joy, and peace. It is a life that imparts “Zoe” to others. It is a life filled with the Holy Spirit and the presence of Jesus. It is a life of soaring above the mundane and the things of this world.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
Whoever has the Son has life ….(they have “Zoe”). (1John 5:12)
SELAH
SCRIPTURES:
John 10:10
Luke 12:15
Romans 15:13
1 John 5:12
Isaiah 40:31
PRAYER FOCUS: Repentance and new life….Zoe.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: “Zoe” is a life of soaring in the “light”……above the mundane….. like eagles.
~ Written by Gene Bennett