Pronking

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Jesus – John 10:10 NIV
Jesus came in order to give us life in all its fullness. He did not come to save us so that we would merely wait until heaven to start enjoying life. He wants us to enjoy life now, here, on earth. So often people have this perception of Christians as kind of dull, boring people who don’t know how to party, disapprove of all the fun stuff and just hang out in their little church huddles singing old hymns written hundreds of years ago. We need to challenge that misconception. We need to show people a life worth living, a life worth being a part of, a life full of joy – a life in all its fullness.
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We are alive in Christ and so should be the most joyful, passionate, excited people about. I don’t know if you have been watching David Attenborough’s Africa series. (If you haven’t, you really should! The cinematography is incredible, and is full of so many amazing animals. I don’t know how anyone could watch it without being taken aback in awe of the God who made it all. Seriously, get on BBC iPlayer or find out when it is being shown in your country if you live outside the TV.) Last week there was a great scene of springboks playfully bouncing about or as the scientific term for it is “pronking” {see video above}. David Attenborough remarked that no-one knows why they do that (I would disagree, I can think of One person who knows why…) but the best guess they could come up with is that they do it out of sheer joy. We should be like springboks, full of joy, bouncing all over the place with excitement that we have been made alive with Christ and our past has been forgiven. We have been given life to the full. Our debt has been paid. We are free.
God has filled the world with so many awesome things for us to enjoy during our time here. Seek them out. Explore His creation. Marvel at the landscapes He has formed. Appreciate the foods he has given us. Put the ears He has given you to use to listen to epic music that speaks of His majesty. Feel the thrill of an adrenaline rush as you go ziplining. Enjoy the smell of a freshly cooked steak (or if you are vegetarian, sniff a rose or something…). And as you do, be thankful that God has made us alive. Maybe one of the best ways we can show Him our gratitude for the life He has given us is by really living it to the full.
Question – how can we live life to the full this week?