Settling is dangerous, and a wounded soul is often the root of the problem. There’s an example of the danger of settling in Genesis 11:31-32:
Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran (ESV).
Abraham is known as “the father of many nations” (Genesis 17), and he’s mentioned in Romans 4 and Hebrews 11 because of his unwavering faith in God. But it seems possible that Terah could have had this great honor if he wouldn’t have settled in Haran.
When Terah and his family left Ur, the plan was to go from there “into the land of Canaan.” What happened? He settled in Haran. And that’s where he died.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior…if you’ve given your heart to Him, then God has put a desire in you to be all you can be and to do something meaningful in this world. But it will take courage to live by faith and a determined decision to refuse to settle for anything less than what God has for you!
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. — John 10:10 (AMP)
Don’t rush by this verse. It’s actually very profound and reveals a powerful truth about what God wants for you. Meditate on this verse and consider these questions…
- What dreams or desires are in your heart? What do you long for or hope to experience one day? Be totally honest and don’t hold back even if it seems your ideas are too lofty or they are impossible to attain.
- What’s holding you back from pursuing your dreams and desires? Has anything been stolen or destroyed in your life, causing you to believe you can’t move forward or that it’s killed any possibility of ever reaching your goals for a better life?
- Now focus on the second half of this verse and the promise God gives us through our faith in Christ. What is it? How would things be different if you really embraced this promise? What would your life look like?
Spend some time journaling and praying about the things you’ve discovered about yourself and the truth about God’s heart for you. It may help to write out John 10:10 and post it somewhere you’ll see it each day.
No matter where you are today, what your past has been, or what you’ve believed about your life to this point, you can get out of “park” and stop settling for less than what God has created you to be and do!
