"A Sad Life"

"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." John 10:10

The other night I had a dream that I want to share with you.  I won't go into all the details of the dream but in a nutshell it was about a man who was old.  He lived his adult life in sadness.  He wouldn't allow himself to be happy.  He did not enjoy life.  The reason was because he was grieved over things he had done in his past.  He couldn't live his life with any pleasure and enjoyment because of the guilt and condemnation that ate him up had robbed it from him.  The man died in my dream having never truly lived.

I was so hurt for him, but of course it was only a dream.  I don't have a clue who he was other than just a character in my dream.  Even sadder than the dream is the fact that this dream is more than a dream, it's a true-life story for so many people. There are so many who are walking around on earth but are not living.  They have no pleasure, no joy, no happiness.  Every time something remotely good starts happening to them, they withdraw from it believing they don't deserve any happiness.  They feel the need to live their lives in self-punishment based on past mistakes and failures.  

Jesus said that He came to give us abundant life.  This is not abundant life.  The Bible tells us that when Jesus came, He did not come into the world to condemn us, but to give us everlasting life.  The Bible also tells us that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ.  Jesus wants you to live a full, peaceful, joyous, free, happy, contented life.  The devil (who is the enemy of your soul) wants you to have a miserable, quilt-ridden, sad, existence. 

If you are the "man" (person) in my dream, it is time that you get out of that place.  Look to Jesus.  He will take your past, your failures, your mistakes, your sins, the things that you did that you aren't proud of and forgive you and give you a brand-new life-- one filled with joy and peace. It is not His will that you live under the weight of guilt, condemnation and shame.  Let Him free you from it today so that you can start living and enjoy life.

Have a great day.  Don't live a miserable life because of your past, give it to Jesus and let Him give you a new joyous life.