John 10:10 KJV
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
How can one possibly have life more abundantly while still living here in earth?
Through the peace and joy you experience once you have become born again.
John 14:27 KJV
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Philippians 4:7 KJV
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
As a follower of Jesus, your life doesn't become easier; in fact it becomes harder because the world hates Him and therefore hates you. There will be many days that you will be weak, tired, weary, frustrated, persecuted, mocked, in tears, and even tempted to give up. Even in the midst of this there is unexplainable peace and joy.
How is this even possible?
We have the peace and the joy of feeling Jesus' great love for us. We feel within ourselves how He changed us. We know what He did for us in His great, unfailing, selfless love when He was scourged and crucified in order to save us. He bore God's wrath for us, by His stripes we have been healed, and He bore our sins and died for them on the cross. Through Him we have been reconciled to God and are at peace with Him. Through Him we have a pathway to salvation and the promise of eternal life. So even when we suffer in this life for the sake of His name, we have peace and joy knowing that our future is in heaven and our sins have been forgiven. The weight of our sin has been lifted off of us and our brokenness has been healed.
We then become aware of how blessed we are and have been by God. We then begin to see beauty in places, events, people, and things we never saw before. We become grateful for things that others won't understand. And we are given access to go boldly before the throne of heaven and have a relationship with Jesus. We know and understand that whatever we endure, He is worth it.
THAT, my friends, is life more abundantly.
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