Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
I once bought a Fitbit watch with all the bells and whistles: Heart rate tracking, sleep analysis, step counts, and a gentle vibration that politely informed me I had once again disappointed modern science.
After a week, I realized I did not need hourly reminders about all the areas of my life where I was falling short. Apparently, I sleep poorly, move too little, and recover like the Monday following a vacation.
Eventually, I took it off and placed it in a drawer for the sake of my emotional well-being. I decided I did not need that kind of negativity in my life.
We laugh at things like that, but most of us live surrounded by small promises of a better life. Productivity systems. Fitness routines. Five-step morning rituals that start at 4:15 a.m. for reasons no one can explain. Each one quietly says, “Do this, and you’ll finally feel full.”
Then Jesus says something strange in John 10:10. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Not survival. Not maintenance. Life.
The odd part is that Jesus says this in a chapter about sheep. Sheep are not known for thriving. They are known for wandering toward cliffs and needing supervision. So when He calls Himself the Good Shepherd, He is not complimenting our independence. He is describing our tendency to keep chasing substitutes.
A friend of mine once told me he finally achieved his career goal. The job title, the office, the salary. For about two weeks, he floated around like a motivational poster. Then one Tuesday afternoon, he realized nothing inside him had actually changed. Same anxiety. Same emptiness. Now it is just with a better chair.
That is the thief Jesus is talking about. Not always evil in appearance. Often respectable. Sometimes impressive. The thief does not only destroy through tragedy. He drains through distraction. Through constant comparison. Through the quiet belief that the next accomplishment will settle the soul.
Jesus contrasts that with abundance. Not more stuff. Not a permanent emotional high. Abundant life in John 10 is relational language. The sheep know the shepherd’s voice. They follow because they trust Him. Security comes from presence, not possessions.
Most of us spend our days listening to many voices. Notifications, expectations, fears about the future, regrets about the past. By evening, we feel like we have been mentally mugged.
Abundant life starts smaller than we expect. It begins when we learn to recognize the Shepherd’s voice over the noise. Scripture before scrolling. Prayer before planning. Not because these earn life, but because they reconnect us to the One who already gives it.
The difference between the thief stealing and the gift of life is not always dramatic. Sometimes it is the difference between living driven and living guided.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.
Reflection:
This week, choose one daily moment you normally fill with distraction and replace it with ten quiet minutes with God. No multitasking. Read a short passage from John 10, speak honestly to Him, and sit still long enough to notice the difference. Abundant life rarely arrives loudly, but it consistently arrives where the Shepherd is heard.