When You’re Tired Of “Surviving,” Let Jesus Teach You How To Live
Karin Hadadan, best-selling author of Beauty in the Stillness, showcases that despite the many thieves we have in our lives (work, negative people, limiting mentalities, etc.), Jesus provides us with a lifetime of abundance that outlives all thievery.
There is a stark contrast between destruction and abundant life, with Jesus presenting himself as the source of true vitality—a clear divergence from the ‘thieves’ that roam around us.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10
These thieves can be negative people, false spiritual leaders, ungodly influences, or even our own destructive patterns that rob us of life. Their purpose is three-fold: to steal our joy, to kill our hope, and to destroy our sense of purpose. To knock us down and hide us from the light.
But Jesus’s purpose is singular and powerful: to give abundant life to each of us—a life that is lived to the fullest, overflowing with love, peace, and divine purpose. This isn’t merely about surviving but thriving in God’s intended design for our lives. Recognizing these ‘thieves’ may be challenging, but ultimately it’s noticing anything that drains, diminishes, or defeats us. This could be unfulfilling work, toxic relationships, shame-inducing habits, or limiting beliefs that keep us small.
By being aware of what’s robbing us, we can redirect our attention to Jesus—the Good Shepherd who protects, provides, and restores. Rather than simply existing in survival mode, we can embrace abundant living—transforming our daily experience to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
When we follow Jesus instead of the thief, we discover that abundant life isn’t about having more things, but experiencing the fullness of God’s presence, purpose, and power in every area of our lives. This is the promise of Jesus—that despite the thieves that try to steal from us, His gift of abundant life always outlasts and overcomes every attempt to destroy us.
