We are very familiar in Unity with Jesus' statement in John 10:10 calling us to the abundant life: “I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.” This fits in well with our teaching of self worth and claiming our good.

We may be less familiar with the first part of that sentence which reads, “A thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy.” Here, Jesus is contrasting himself, the presence of the Christ, with his opposite–thief consciousness.

So we get, in the whole sentence, Jesus pointing out the two contrasting ways we can approach life: “A thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.”

The thief, for me, is any idea based on lack and limitation. We steal because we feel that life is unfair, that we are not worthy to claim our good and that there is only a finite amount of good to go around anyway.

I am not suggesting that you are a literal thief. I am stating that the consciousness of lack and divisiveness does act like a thief – an outsider trying to break in, only to hurt and destroy.

Meanwhile, the Christ consciousness is always present, offering us abundant life and a full awareness of our blessings.

The choice, as always, is ours. Do I hang out in thief consciousness; feeling left out, and hurt, killing and destroying the opportunities in my life with the weapons of hate, cynicism, and complacency. Or, do I remember that, in Truth, I am none of these things. God and God’s perfect Word of Truth, the Christ, are constantly telling me that I am acceptable and worthy to receive the limitless good that is my birthright.

This month choose who you will serve. When the challenges of life bring out that inner thief who seeks to rob you of your good, banish that illusion, deny its power over you, and instead embrace possibility.

In spite of evidence to the contrary we are connected to each other and to God. That being so we are inheritors of all that God is. Anything less would be a lie. And, we no longer deal in lies.

Thank you, Jesus for showing us a higher way. Thank you for leading us home to the abundant life!

 

Blessings,