The Abundant Life

Everybody wants it, everyone strives for it – but are we ever satisfied? What exactly is it that we are looking for?

Is it more money? Is it a better house? Is it a better lifestyle? Is it a newer car? Is it lining up with our peers? Just what is The Abundant Life?

The Bible tells us in John 10:10 that Jesus came to give us life, and that we might have it more abundantly. Wow! That is His desire for us - that we might live an abundant life, a full life in all things. God doesn’t want us to be poor, He doesn’t want us to be destitute, He never planned for us to live in a dump, He wants us to live a good life – rich in all things.

However, I don’t believe God ever intended our society to be the way it is today. I believe He most certainly gives us the opportunities to live abundantly, but not in the manner that is prevalent in the western world.

I’d like to share with you my abundant life. This is the abundance I experience. Undoubtedly, others' experiences will differ from mine because God has a different plan for each of us. However, the goal is always the same - to prosper in Him, and to grow continually more like Jesus. When we look at the sacrifices that Jesus made throughout His life on this earth, we have a loooong way to go!

There have been times for our family where, like the Apostle Paul, we have prospered and other times when we have struggled not only on the money side of things, but in other areas as well. Yet at all times I have to remind myself that I am far better off, even in our lowest circumstances, than others in this world – and that God is using this time to help me grow in my Christian walk.

For a start, I have Jesus at my side. A super abundant blessing. I have a loving, caring husband – another abundant blessing. We have ten wonderful children, and one with Jesus – more abundant blessings. We have nine beautiful grandchildren, and another on the way. Our life hasn’t been an easy one at times – we’ve been through thick and thin in many areas. Let me share just a couple – and again let me stress that these are nothing compared to those living in an arena of persecution.

When my husband began as a young pastor of a home church, we struggled financially to meet our needs. At this time, we had six young children. The older ones were able to come home for lunch as their school was just across the road. On this particular day, I had six fish fingers in the freezer and that was all. All my baking ingredients had gone, we had no other food whatsoever – and no money whatsoever. I’m sure you can imagine my anguish as to what I was going to feed my family! They were due home at noon and I had nothing.

At 12:20 there was a knock on the door. A young man, the son of a very dear friend, came up the stairs with a baking tray full of Cornish pasties. His mother had been making them, and the Lord told her to send them around to us. Oh yes! we had an abundant God. I didn’t need to worry – He knew what we needed and He supplied it – abundantly. Oh yes, it was only one meal – but I don’t remember having any anguish over the next one so He must have organized that too.

We had no car but fortunately could walk to school and church, and the train station was nearby. We had to move from the house we were renting, and found a beautiful home out in the country. We knew a car would be necessary in this situation, and were trusting the Lord would provide in some way. Sadly just before we were to move, the owner of the house rang to say they had relatives who wanted to move east and live in their home. He felt he couldn’t refuse family, so we ended up living with some friends for a while before finding another temporary home nearby.

A few months later, around 6 in the evening, there was a knock on the door. It was a friend from out of town. He said, “See that car at the gate? It’s yours.” Wow! We were blown away. We were rejoicing abundantly! Then the phone rang. It was the owner of the house we originally wanted, telling us that his relatives had moved on, and asked if we would still like to rent it. Of course, we said yes! What timing! What an abundant God! He provided the car just half an hour before he provided the house. He provided the first gift so we could accept the second.

For many years now we have chosen to trust the Lord in such matters – we really want it to be the Lord who comes through for us, rather than letting others know our needs. On one occasion though, the Lord lead us to tell a friend of our need, and it was met so lovingly and willingly – but this is not something we would normally do.

You see, God is a super abundant God – He cares for our every detail. We may not think we have an abundant life – yet we do, simply because we have a Father who very much wants to take care of us. Philippians 4:19 says just that – "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." What a wonderful promise!

None of us are without trials and tribulations. "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love" (1 Peter 1:6-8).

The Christian’s life was never meant to be smooth. "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). Is this abundant joy? Why not! Scary – I agree, but it’s a good sign that our lives are godly in the Lord. It is through trials – small and large – that we grow in our faith and trust in God. It’s through perseverance, putting down the doubts and fears, taking those promises and standing on them through thick and thin, not allowing the enemy to sway you, that our faith and trust can grow – abundantly! We must take on board, and believe, God’s promises to be true, and that they are as applicable today as they were in New Testament times.

So when a trial comes your way, think of Job. Just as God put His trust in Job, He puts His trust in us. He knows what we are capable of, and wants to show us that we can stand and that we are able to walk through the test He has sent us. He never allows us to go through a trial that we aren’t capable of handling.

Trials are not only a test, but a blessing given by God to encourage us, and cause our faith and trust in Him to grow abundantly. Let us put our faith and trust in God’s promises – He is the only true source of ‘abundance in all things’.

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