Life Is Good - Pt 1

Sometimes I write so much about suffering and difficulty it may give the impression that I believe there is nothing in this world that the believer has to live for. That’s not the case. Jesus didn’t just come to give us a great “then and there;” he also came to secure a wonderful “here and now.” Our reading today simply states Jesus saying, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (v. 10). There is no hidden paradox in that statement. Jesus wants us to have know that life is good.

Tucked away in “The Village” at downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is one of Mary’s favorite shops. If we go to the Smoky Mountains, we will visit that shop and likely come away with a new t-shirt. It will have one of the latest prints depicting the goodness of life. It may recall memories camping, lounging at the seashore, hiking, golfing, cycling, or any one of the dozens of images they have in stock. As comfortable and useful as these shirts are, it takes more than wearing a shirt to make life good. So for the next few days I want to concentrate on some specific actions we can take to realize the abundant life Jesus has won for us. The first thing you can begin to do is to let go of the outcome. One of the biggest obstacles we all face is our stubborn refusal to accept that we simply cannot control the outcome of every situation. In fact, the truth is that the only thing we can control is our reaction to a situation. We may be able to have a part in determining our circumstance, but real control is way above our pay-grade! The need for control is rooted in fear, and if you're acting from a place of fear, you are not able to experience a good life. So, today, begin by asking yourself what you're afraid of if you relinquish the need to control the outcome of a given situation. I enjoy watching “Iron Chef” on the Food Channel. In each episode the competing chefs are given a specific ingredient that they must make the “star” of their meal. As they being to cook, they are given the “culinary curveball.” That’s always something very odd and very difficult to incorporate into heir menu. Listen, our lives are full of culinary curveballs; however, when we let go of our need to control those things, we now have freed to see the joy and happiness of life explode into our consciousness. Whatever challenge comes our way, Jesus is always enough! Life is good!