Thoughts on the Abundant Life

When I was young, I remember riding with my Dad while he worked accounts on his pest control route. We would ride from Cowpens to Gaffney late in the evening toward some little mobile home sitting off in a field. On the way, he would teach me what he'd learned about succeeding in business. Often he would quote the words of Norman Vincent Peale encouraging me to "think positive," and remove those harmful words like "can't" from my vocabulary. I learned a lot of good things on those rides even if I'd rather been home watching Sanford and Son or the Rockford Files. These talks were different from our Bible discussions. Those talks often included Old Testament references, but ultimately came down to the salvation offered by Jesus Christ...not by works or positive thoughts, but by faith in Christ alone.

These days it seems the topics have been merged. There is so much literature out there now on how to apply Christianity as a formula for earthly success. The "abundant life" through Christ that Paul talked about is now understood to mean abundance in earthly terms...health, wealth and happiness. It all sounds great until you read what the scripture actually says. One passage I find particularly interesting is in The Acts 23-25. Paul and Silas were in Philippi and had stirred up the people in that town with a message that many today might say wasn't very "seeker friendly." Paul often found that the truth of Christ can be considered offensive; it cares nothing for political correctness and very, very seldom pleases the masses. As their reward for preaching the truth, here is what Paul and Silas received: The Acts 23 "And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. The Philippian Jailer Saved 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." So, to get the picture straight, these fervent believers and doers of the Word were beaten and imprisoned! True, God loosened their chains with a powerful earthquake, but they sang while yet they were still bound...now THAT is the abundant life of Christ. Bottom line is that earthly success is not a guaranteed outcome for the believer. In fact, when you look at the apostles' lives after Christ arose from the tomb, all but one were murdered for their obedience to the Lord. That's hardly success by earthly measure.

What can we conclude? To serve Christ is to be willing to sacrifice all, even unto death if need be, without any promise of earthly reward. To be willing to leave life behind for the sake of Christ means that health, wealth, happiness, and even our own perceived purpose to be has to mean nothing to me in light of Christ Who is to be everything or nothing. I want the abundant life that lets me sing even if chained and persecuted; abundance that leaves me with joy in the midst of sorrow--a joy that surpasses all understanding. To embrace the cross is to be scorned by a world that tells you that your personal health, wealth and happiness is paramount, but it is what we who would follow Christ must do.