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
“Jesus was contrasting what He offers with what the devil offers. The thief mentioned here speaks of the enemy of our soul, Satan. He comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. But Christ has come that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly. And there we have a choice. The same could be said of a lot of people today. They have the house, the car, the spouse, and the kids. They have the career. They have money in the bank. They have everything going the way that things ought to go to supposedly live life to its fullest. But there is that is something still lacking. They are still lacking life…
My role is to be a living testimony to people that Jesus Christ is the only one who satisfies my soul, my great joy, my delight, my treasure and more than enough for me to live in a day. And there is an abundant life in His presence and I can bear good fruit through abiding in Him. My responsibilities include becoming a good steward of the assets God has given me, having a commitment to biblical giving in missions, ministry and churches, and even to the poor, loving service and Christ-like living.”
Bryandel Nozares Dean in “Meditation Journal #2” for my online course, Faith and Finances, in the MBA in Biblical Stewardship and Christian Management program at Asian Theological Seminary in Quezon City, near Manila, in the Philippines.
As I shared yesterday, click to check out Faith and Finances: A Stewardship Curriculum for Schools and Churches or to order a copy for your church or school. Also check out the accompanying workbook I wrote for individuals or small groups, Good and Faithful: Ten Stewardship Lessons for Everyday Living. Both of these books are hot of the press from Seedbed!
Today is the second in a series of posts that feature meditations from my current cohort of students. Bryandel is a vibrant young lady from the Philippines who lives in Tuscany, Italy. She provides care to a couple in a villa where she has lived for the last few years. She’s doing her degree from a distance while serving as a “living testimony” where God has planted her.
Last night, Jenni and I flew to San Diego to see our daughter, Sophie, and her boyfriend, Peter, who are both studying at San Diego Christian College (which is a great school, pictured above). Sophie has the role of stage manager for the fall production, California Bonez, and we have not seen her in nearly two months, so we are excited to visit for the weekend.
Sophie is a junior. She serves as a resident assistant, helping a building full of her peers grasp abundant life in Christ, while also serving as a writing tutor assisting students with their papers. Peter is also a junior. He’s interning at a local church and enjoying that mentoring as he hopes to serve as a pastor in the future. We got to have dinner with them last night. It was great!
Why mention Sophie and Peter today? They exemplify the abundant life that Bryandel celebrates. Abundant life is not found by living in exotic places like Tuscany or San Diego. Many people think that. It’s only found in Jesus Christ, and one of our greatest acts of generosity is simply bearing fruit and abiding in Him wherever we are, so that others may find life in Him too.