A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life—life in all its fullness. -John 10:10 (NCV)
This has long been a favorite verse of mine. Most translations use abundant life which is great. I discovered this one today and love it. It speaks of the life we have to look forward to, but I think it also speaks of the life we live now in Christ. It doesn’t say anything about life beginning when you get married, when you’ve been a church member for five years or when you have read the Bible through for the first time. In Christ we can have life in all its fullness.
I’ve known women who live their lives waiting to be married. I don’t discount the desire to be married, or even preparation. However, when you live life waiting to be married, you miss out on the life that God has for you NOW. You also end up putting that desire before God which is exactly what the thief would like to see happen.
One of the best pieces of advice I was given as a young single was from Margaret Becker. Maggie B, as she is known to fans, is a Christian singer/song writer and speaker. I had the privilege of hearing her speak to a group of young single women one time. She told us not to wait till we were married to do things we wanted to do in life like buy a house etc. Maggie B wanted to have children but she was not married. As she wrestled with God over it, she found that he provided children through her work with World Vision.
Living life rather than waiting is good advice wherever you may be in life. Do you have a desire to share the Gospel? You don’t have to be a missionary or go overseas to do so. Do you have a heart for ministry? You don’t have to wait until a certain age or even be a Seminary graduate to minister to people. God created each of us with unique passions and abilities and even life histories that work to accomplish His purpose for our lives. If God puts a desire in your heart to do something, pay attention. He will either provide opportunities or means to do that, or He may already have put things into place. There is certainly a time for waiting. However, even in times of waiting, when we live our lives in Christ, we can live it to the full. So what are you waiting for? Live life in all its fullness. Live it in Christ.