by Robert Fudge

John 10:7-10
7 Jesus therefore said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 "All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.

I mean, how do you really feel about serving God? For many it is just a ritual that we go through on Sunday (and for some that includes Wednesday night). For others it is a chore that must be endured for conscience sake. For some it is a charade so family and/or friends will not think badly about us. Some feel that it is just something that keeps us from doing the things we want to do or being what we really want to be. For others it is an exciting way of life.

Jesus said He came to give life and give it abundantly. This means that He intends that serving Him be joyful, rewarding, fulfilling, exciting and full of pleasure! Satan wants us to believe that this is not really possible, that real pleasure only comes by doing what we want to do. The problem comes when we only half way serve God. When we try to live for self and then “do” enough religion to salve our conscience. Serving Him is a way of life that comes only by total commitment. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:24:

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. "

When we totally give our heart and our life to God, we then free ourselves from the constraints and the guilt of this world. The more we commit to Him, the more fulfilling our lives become. Paul explains this by saying that he was crucified with Christ so it was no longer he that lived but Christ lived in him. Now, I will admit that it is scary to think about giving up control of my life (as if I really had control in the first place). However, when we let go of this world’s ties and really embark on the new life, it brings such joy and peace that we wonder why we did not do it sooner. This does not mean that we won’t have any more problems. It means that God will take care of them for us. It does not mean that we won’t have any more pain or sorrow. It means that God will be there to shoulder these burdens and wrap His loving arms around us to console us and hold us in His love. We can know that everything will work out because He is there with me and for us. It means that we will be filled with contentment, joy, and peace in the midst of our problems because we know that God is, not just “there” but with us and in us.

We are not just talking about “church.” We are talking about a way of life that includes every minute of every day. We are talking about the way we live, the way we talk, the way we act toward others, how we handle the daily frustrations, the attitude we have when things don’t go “our” way. Instead of being “me,” I can now allow God to control me so that people see Jesus living in me. As I said before, the more we commit to Him the more fulfilling our lives become. He is able to change me and give me this abundant life. Paul said in Eph. 3:20 "He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us." (That power is His Holy Sprit working in us.)

Please join me today in praying for each of you and for me that that we might allow God to live in us today. Remember, we can pray for tomorrow when it gets here so let’s just do today for now. May God bless you in His love and give you His peace.