New Focus

Lisa Wallace

LPC, NCC, CCMHC

12/23/2023

Every year, I pray for a word or phrase that I can focus on for the year. At the beginning of this year, I was listening to Joby Martin, the pastor of The Church at Eleven22 in Jacksonville, Florida. He started a two-year campaign on the 10:10 Life, about John 10:10. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” This scripture epitomizes the statement, “I’ve got good and bad news!” The fantastic beauty of knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord is that He is the Good News. The enemy wants to steal your joy and peace, kill your hopes and dreams, and destroy your life and testimony, among many other things. But Jesus has come to give life abundantly! Charles Spurgeon says the abundant life Jesus offers is the advantage of life. We have the advantage over the enemy through the power of the Holy Spirit living in every believer! Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).  We can be confident that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it! (Philippians 1:6) When depression comes, trust Him! When anxiety comes, worship Him! Look to the healer who can calm the storm within you. We have the advantage over all life’s difficulties because we have Jesus!