Living Beyond Sunday – Are you Thirsty? Week 3 – Experiencing the “fresh, bubbling spring” of live that Jesus has for each of us.

In John 10:10 Jesus says

“ The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

Do you think Jesus was talking about money here?  

Let’s explore this together.

What is a rich and satisfying life?  In American culture, we tend to think that Jesus is saying that riches(money) bring us a satisfying life. However, the reality is that the majority of Christ followers in the world live in poverty.  So, if Jesus was talking about money, then the billion plus Christ followers outside the U.S. don’t have the opportunity for a rich and satisfying life.  Let’s think this through.

It’s about perspective.  As sinful human beings, it is our natural tendency to see riches and power on earth as something valuable to obtain.  However, we know these things to be certain:

Everyone dies

Everyone dies and don’t take their riches with them (reference Egyptian Pharaoh’s Pyramids for perspective)

On their deathbed, the wealthy often express deep regret for valuing treasures over people

The more we have, the more we want. The more we want, the less satisfied we are with what we have

Jesus wasn’t referring to money and possessions. The rich and satisfying life that he was offering can only come from one place:  a deep intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father, Creator God.   He knew the answer that billions are searching for right now. An intimate and personal relationship with God satisfies our thirstiness.

Several years ago I went on a missions trip to The Dominican Republic.  I had the privilege of meeting many Christ followers that did not own much but they lived in contentment.  They taught me that they had all they needed:  Jesus.  The evangelist we traveled with taught locals who Jesus was and what He came to do on earth.  The crowd was silent and in awe as they heard about the hope in Jesus.  They arrived at the gathering with deep needs and left with knowledge of a satisfying life that comes from simply following Jesus.  They now had the ability to live a rich and satisfying life, while inhabiting tin huts with mud floors.

The enemy(thief) comes to steal, kill and destroy. He does that by distracting us with power and worldly things that leave us empty.   Are the things of this world stealing from you?  If your life isn’t rich and satisfying and you are a Christ Follower, then something is stealing from you.

Rid yourself of those things and live in victory that you may thirst no more!