Day 61 - Life in all its fullness

John 10:1-10 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

I have to say that in some ways I don’t feel my life is one that has been lived to the full in the past couple of years. I have not had the usual appointments, meetings, visits, trips out, holidays and so on, that normally occupy my time. Yet in other ways I feel my life has certainly been lived to the full emotionally and spiritually during this difficult time! I wonder what you have felt as you have read these words of Jesus today.

John 10:10 is one of my favourite verses in the Bible as Jesus tells those listening that he has come to bring them a life that can be lived to the full because of him. He tells them that he doesn’t want them to hide away and steal their freedom and personality from them but instead help them to use that to live and serve for him.

Living life to the full doesn’t of course mean filling it with “stuff” and “busy-ness” – it means filling it with Jesus’ love and listening to his directions – just as the sheep in the Middle East listen to the shepherd. They are not driven forward with the shepherd herding them from behind but are led forward as they follow the shepherd at the front. That is what Jesus wants us to do – to listen to his direction and follow where he leads, not because he is making us but because we choose that it is the right thing for us to do.

So, living life to the full may have taken on a different meaning in the last couple of years and may still be taking time to get back to normal (whatever that means!) but do not despair. However you are able to live your life in the current circumstances we need to do so knowing that it is Jesus’ voice we should listen to and that he is the gate that will always be open for us to journey through. He is the good shepherd and the one who wants good things for us and wants us to do good things for him as we serve each day. For in doing that, surely, each one of us will be able to experience the rich and satisfying life in Jesus for ourselves!

Catherine Booton