This morning, John 10:10 popped up on my phone in the form of a text message. It was today’s “Daily Life Verse,” and read: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the fullest.”

Since I signed up to receive these verses, I tend to skim over and disregard them. It hasn’t been the most effective way for nourishing my soul, but every now and again a verse reaches out and grabs me, like today.

This one challenged my perspective. Yes, I know Jesus came to give us life, but this verse reminds us that He doesn’t stop there.

God wants us to lead a life to the fullest.

Sitting in my office, I thought about the people we, The Salvation Army, serve.

We offer a lot of services, and it’s because we believe in John 10:10. We want everyone to have life, and to have it to the fullest.

This means that we don’t want to help with just one struggle, one single time, but we want to provide even more to help lift and enlighten people from their burdens. In its most simplest form, we help to provide basics like a shower and hygiene products so a person can prepare for a job interview. Once they land that job, we might help them with travel so they can get to work and maintain the job, which ideally will help them earn enough money to live on their own. To help even further, we might assist them with money management, or even help them quit habits that will allow them to spend less.

Whatever the story, we have programs to come alongside each person and offer them the assistance they may need. It’s about enabling each person to self-sufficiency in a way that allows them to not only have life in this moment, but to have life in the fullest moving forward.

Originally posted on RochesterSA.org.