“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
Our weekly Christian devotional
“If you loose a few more pounds, just imagine the attention you’d get…”
Crystal stared at her hollow reflection in mirror. She turned to the side, lifting up her shirt.
“What’s going on in there, honey?” A tap on the bathroom door startled Crystal out of her trance.
“Nothing, mom.” The teenager cracked the door open.
“Can’t I have any privacy?”
“You hungry? I was going to make us some grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner.” Mrs. Purcell ignored her daughter’s eye roll and peeked inside.
It took only a second for Crystal’s stomach to recall her favorite childhood meal; it rumbled in anticipation.
“Sure.” Crystal said the words she knew her mother wanted to hear and quickly closed the door.
She felt her brain buzz warmly as it went into overdrive. Anxiety and fear started to feel as if they were sitting on her chest, making it harder to breathe. Crystal steadied herself on the sink. She looked back at the mirror that seemed to be mocking her.
Mrs. Purcell would be sure to watch Crystal’s every move at the dinner table. Even if Crystal got up for a legitimate reason, it would be blown out of proportion.
“If you eat that dinner, you’ll never be able to fit in your favorite jeans again…” The echo in her head seemed to get louder.
Crystal lifted her wrinkled shirt. This nervous habit calmed her one moment and left her spinning in a terrible frenzy the next. Regardless, she felt powerless to stop.Every time Crystal passed a mirror, if no one else was in the room she felt compelled to do it…over… and over…and over again.
“If you don’t remind yourself how good it feels to be slim, you may get out of control again…”
This secret started to get in the way of Crystal’s busy social life. She started avoiding places, friends and activities where she might feel compelled to eat the kinds of things she’d only regret later.
Crystal wasn’t just your average girl; she was the captain of the cheerleading squad; a straight ‘A’ student. She had a life to live. In desperation to have the best of both worlds, she found her solution: This Sophomore discovered that she could eat whatever she wanted as long as she ‘got rid’ of it twenty minutes later. All she needed was a bathroom. Crystal had already honed a stellar gag reflex.
But, the more ‘in control’ Crystal told herself she was, the more ‘out of control she felt.
John 10:10 reminds us that there’s an enemy that seeks to destroy everything good that God desires for us to have. God wants every person to experience the full, abundant and blessed life.
If you feel like you’re being torn apart at the seams perhaps the enemy of your soul has been dining on you. Are you ready to stop him in his tracts? Today could be the beginning of a whole new kind of freedom. Grab it.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I hear that you want me to have a full life—an abundant and rich one. I close my eyes to imagine what that might look like, but I can’t. It has been so long since I have believed it is possible for me to enjoy that kind of happiness and freedom.
Lord, I drop my chains today. I drop all my former thoughts of the way things need to be. Things need to be different. Therefore, I must learn to trust that you are the only one that can make them better for me.
The enemy of my soul has been breathing lies in my ear for so long that I have mistaken those lies for truth, his voice for my own thoughts. In the name of Jesus I reject those lies. I accept the truth. I promise to search your scriptures to find out what the truth really is.
I want to know my worth and value. Show me how much you love me so I can keep standing on that love when life tries to knock me down with another lie.
I won’t believe it if I am grounded in your love and in your truth. Open my eyes to see it very clearly. As I search your word, lead me to the scriptures that will make the greatest impact on my heart.
I’m ready to move in the direction that you want to take me. I won’t hold myself back from you any longer. In Jesus’ precious name, I give you full and total control of my life. Amen.”
Thank you for reading our weekly Christian devotional on verse: John 10:10
Please check back and see what we have for you next week!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan