"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)

This entry is going to be a little raw.  I'm struggling.  I'm buzzed.  I'm wishing life were different.  But it is what it is...and I've had my full of it!  I've even had my full of myself - in the most base sense of understanding my own flaws and limitations.

An angel sent me this verse tonight as a missing link to my thinking lately.  Jesus gives me life, but He is to return as a thief in the night.  What are we to do but live life to the fullest?

I've been challenged to come off my platitudes and piety prose down to raw emotions.  We have ideals that we hold dear, but it is through life experience that we embrace the heart of the matter.  Our hearts yearns for love.  And no greater love exists than the willingness to lay down life for friends (John 15:13).  That God was willing to do this while we were still defiant towards Him still baffles me. 

Our free will is bent towards rebellion.  I can only describe it as a feeling of control.  I'm a guy, so the need to be in control is paramount to our very identities.  We are the protectors of our families and the people we love.  Yet, God is active in our lives in a way that gives us the strength and wisdom to to actually choose Him were we have no control over things.  Go figure.

There are a few things I don't wish any different.  I've been sustained by God's grace and I wish for each of you to experience it for yourself.  He's been sooo good to me, especially when I've strayed from Him.  He's blessed me with two daughters who are the world to me.  They hold me in such high esteem and I'm going to have a hard time letting go when they venture out on their own.

I've already got the proverbial shotgun loaded for when they start dating.  I'm practicing my intimidation techniques.  A dad has to protect his family and hunt for food.  Let the boyfriends be the bait!

Yet, there is truth to the phrase, "What doesn't destroy us, makes us stronger."   The thief attempts to destroy us, but we fight back.  If we win, we are stronger.  If we lose, then the thief wins and we are powerless.

The power in living life to the fullest lies in knowing the source of all power and life itself.  We are prone to look to ourselves for this source, yet it is not of ourselves.  Platitudes and piety aside, we must look to something greater than ourselves.  As cliché as that sounds, it is much harder than it looks.  That is because beyond ourselves, it all appears fuzzy and black.

How does knowing the source of all life help one live to the fullest?  It is through faith that we can boldly live with confidence to seize the day.  Everyday is a leap of faith.  The first step is belief - our greatest and most difficult work.  The thief doesn't believe in anything outside themselves.  In the end, they end up robbing themselves of the fullness of life that comes from faith.

While faith is normally contrasted with works in religion thanks to Catholics and Protestants, they work together to accomplish salvation.  Faith is the act of believing in what we do not see, which then enables us to produce works as evidence of what we believe.  We cannot do anything without faith.  If we only have faith in ourselves, then we accomplish very little and our works show the evidence of self-serving idol worship.

Yet again, we ask ourselves questions about the meaning of life to get to the core of why we live and move and have our being.  I learned from a young age that man's purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q&A #1).  That all sounds dandy, but how do we do that?  Here's a few suggestions:

1. Marvel at His creation.  Enjoying time in nature gives me a connected feeling with the Creator.  Whether camping, star gazing, hiking, fishing, swimming at the beach, or even skydiving for you real adventurous types - the Lord of all speaks to us through what He has made (yes, even gravity).  I particularly feel a sense of God's presence when I'm near the ocean or on a mountain.

2. Thank Him for everything good He gives us.  See every blessing as from God.  Count it.  Appreciate all that you have.  Matthew 6:25-34 has a great message for seeing the things of this life as from God.  Faith in seeking God's kingdom and His righteousness enables us to count our blessings.

3. Pray.  There are things we must leave up to God.  Unfortunately, I tend to go to this only as a last resort.  It sounds so easy in Matthew 7:7-8, but too often we find ourselves with Matthew 7:9-10.  You mean I just have to ask God and He'll give it to me?  Well, it can't be that easy.  So much in life is not what we bargain for.  What's missing?

4. Have peace.  Philippians 4:6-7 holds the answer to our anxieties.  It is the peace of God which must guard our hearts.  This peace surpasses all understanding and human wisdom, but comes through Christ.  He penetrated the power of sin and death on the cross and rose again where He is preparing a place for us.  Our peace comes in knowing our final resting place.  Even when the storms are raging and the road ahead is black, there's light at the end of the tunnel.  That's where we'll meet Jesus face to face.  He is the one who gives life so that we may have it to the full.