On Second Thought
“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” —1 Thessalonians 5:5
What does it mean to live life to the fullest? The phrase often brings to mind travel, adventure, financial security, good health, fulfilled ambitions, or finally having enough time to do what we enjoy. None of those things are necessarily wrong. God gives many earthly blessings for our grateful enjoyment. Yet if fullness of life depends upon favorable circumstances, then it remains vulnerable to every unexpected diagnosis, financial reversal, broken relationship, and closed door. A full life must be built upon something stronger than life going according to plan.
Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). The Greek word translated “abundantly,” perissos, carries the idea of something exceeding the usual measure. Christ was not promising that His followers would always possess more money, comfort, or opportunity than everyone else. He was promising a quality of life that flows from knowing Him—a life filled with reconciliation to God, freedom from condemnation, divine purpose, enduring hope, and love that circumstances cannot extinguish.
This is why Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5 are so important. He describes believers as “children of light” and “children of the day.” In biblical language, being a child of something means sharing its defining character. To be children of light means that the truth and character of Christ increasingly shape how we think, choose, speak, and treat others. We no longer belong to the darkness of spiritual ignorance and hopelessness. We live toward the sunrise of Christ’s return, carrying the light of His presence into the ordinary places of life.
Paul places this identity within a discussion of the Day of the Lord. Christ will return, although no human being knows the exact time. Some will be spiritually asleep and unprepared, but believers are called to remain awake, sober, and watchful. This does not mean staring anxiously at the sky or attempting to calculate dates. It means living every day in a manner we would not be ashamed for Christ to find when He comes. A full life is not merely busy or exciting; it is spiritually awake.
Paul then tells us what wakeful living looks like: “Let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8). Faith protects the heart by teaching us to trust God when circumstances are confusing. Love protects us from becoming self-centered and bitter. Hope guards the mind against despair by reminding us that our final future is secure in Christ. Faith looks to God, love reaches toward others, and hope faces the future without fear.
Charles Stanley wrote that if we truly want to live life to the fullest, we must begin with Jesus. That is because Christ does not merely add spiritual meaning to an otherwise complete life. He is the center around which life becomes properly ordered. Paul expressed this when he said, “For to me to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21). Without Christ, we may possess experiences without direction, pleasure without peace, and accomplishments without eternal significance. With Christ, even common duties can become holy service.
Living fully also requires us to move beyond constant concern with ourselves. First Thessalonians 5:11 commands, “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another.” The word translated “edify” means to build up, as someone would strengthen a house. Encouragement is therefore spiritual construction. A thoughtful word, a sincere prayer, an attentive conversation, or a timely expression of gratitude may strengthen something within another person that was close to collapsing.
People often carry burdens that are invisible to those around them. Someone may smile in worship while grieving deeply. Another may perform well at work while privately doubting his worth. A teenager may appear distant when she is actually frightened. An older adult may insist that everything is fine while quietly struggling with loneliness. We do not need to know every detail before offering encouragement. Sometimes the most helpful words are simply, “I see you,” “I am praying for you,” or “You do not have to carry this alone.”
Paul’s counsel becomes especially practical in 1 Thessalonians 5:14: “Warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.” Different people require different forms of love. The disorderly may need honest correction. The discouraged need comfort. The weak need someone to remain beside them. Everyone needs patience. Love is not one response mechanically applied to every situation; it seeks to understand what will genuinely help the person before us.
That kind of love cannot be sustained by willpower alone. We eventually become tired, disappointed, or irritated. Some people resist our help, misunderstand our motives, or repeatedly struggle with the same problem. To encourage others from unconditional love, we must first receive the love of Christ ourselves. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The heart filled by Christ has something to give even when appreciation is absent.
Prayer is one of the most important ways we support others. Prayer takes someone’s burden into the presence of God, where wisdom and strength are unlimited. It also changes the person who prays. Resentment becomes harder to maintain when we sincerely ask God to bless, correct, heal, and guide another person. Fear begins to loosen when we remember that the person we love is ultimately held by God rather than by our ability to solve everything.
Living life to the fullest, then, is not measured by how many experiences we collect but by how faithfully we receive and share the life of Christ. It is waking each morning knowing that we belong to the day. It is placing faith over the heart, hope over the mind, and love into action. It is remaining alert to God’s presence and attentive to people who need strengthening. The fullest life is not the life with the fewest burdens; it is the life most completely surrendered to Christ.
On Second Thought
Perhaps living life to the fullest begins when we stop trying to fill our lives. Our instinct is to add more—more activity, more possessions, more recognition, more memorable experiences. Jesus often works in the opposite direction. He invites us to release control, surrender self-importance, simplify our desires, and make room for others. The surprising paradox of discipleship is that emptiness offered to Christ becomes capacity for His fullness. As Jesus said, “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:24).
The life we protect for ourselves gradually becomes smaller, but the life we pour out in love becomes larger than we imagined. Encouraging someone else can awaken joy within us. Serving the lonely can heal our own isolation. Praying for another person can restore our hope. Waiting patiently with the weak can reveal strength we did not know God had placed within us. We do not live fully by escaping every demand upon us; we live fully by allowing Christ to turn those demands into opportunities for love. Start today by encouraging one person, supporting one weakness, or praying over one burden that is not your own. In giving your life away with Jesus, you may discover that you have finally begun to live it.
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