11-13Dear, dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!
"I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." John 10:10 (The Message)
What do we settle for in life and why? It is a question that is ultimately not about things, positions, power, or prestige. The question is one that has to do with right now and the way we live in the midst of life. Paul was asking the Corinthians not why they weren't rich and healthy in the midst of want but rather why they were not filled with joy in the midst of persecution, pain, and poverty.
When ever we confuse abundant life with things we are going to find ourselves stuck. Because things are always temporary and someone else is going to have more things. We can not base our joy upon the stuff around us. We are going to have to look for meaning in our lives beyond health and wealth if we are to live the lives that Jesus promises.
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- How do you think the people of Corinth responded to Paul's question of why do you settle?
- What does abundant life mean to you?
- What determines how much joy you have in your life?
- Make a list of the changes that you could make in your life that might allow you to live life more open and expansively and share it with someone else.
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