What is abundant life?

I have always argued with John 10:10, “…but I came so that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” My argument is quite short. It begins with a question, “Has this abundant life been delivered or is it something I should be checking my spiritual mailbox for daily?” A day before my friend’s son had his birthday he went to the mailbox several times because the little ‘old soul’ wanted birthday cards. Should I be like that or did I miss the delived to pick it up at the post office that, conveniently, is open from 0945-1150 and then from 1410-1555 on days beginning with T, closed on Wed and the first quarter shift and last half shift on Friday. In the absence of a satisfactory answer, my argument continues, “If THIS is abundant life, maybe you should have used a different word.” My concept of abundance should be a mite compared to the abundance promised by the God “who is able to do unimaginably more than we can ask or imagine according to his power in us.” I should not be able to even begin to match that, right? Then why so empty? Why so downcast? And does it help to put your hope in God, because honestly sometimes He does not deliver!

This is a periodic struggle for me. I never remember how I breech it, I do know that most times there was no actual breech, I got so frustrated I wallowed in sin and was distracted by repentance and rebuilding that I did not have to face this question. I have done a better job of refraining this time around…so here I am…three weeks of wanting to punch something and bite it’s head off because I should have abundant life but it’s experience is anemic at best. It’s sad when you think you are going all out and burning ‘it,’ but you find out you are lukewarm at best.

I do not remember much of my life before Christ and his abundance. I have always known I had hope, no situation was ever entirely hopeless. I have always known there was a help and way out of every mess, even if it included proverbial evisceration. I have always known an undeniable love I am short of words to explain. I have such a company of friends and people to call on - you know, I can go to most places in the world and find other Christians who will throw in with me at the drop of a hat because I confess Christ’s death and resurrection! David (Ps32:2) and Peter (Rom 4:7) both recognized the joy of being released from the judgment of sin, of being free from the sentence due to all sinners. No one outside of Christ has such riches!! I see abundance here, not the type I expected, but there are riches here beyond the horizon. 

Last but not least, I was reminded of a couple I know who were saved from drugs, alcohol and all round debauchery, the old ‘party life-style.’ Not long after salvation and marriage he had health problems that have persisted for over a decade. Every intervention has led to more and more issues. She is the breadwinner and barely hanging on financially, physically and emotionally. Yet I have seen him smile through the pain. I have seen them laugh as if all was well. I have heard them confess their love for the Lord in spite of all this. I thought to myself, “If the God you serve and you say loves you so much gives you such a raw deal – you were fine before you served him, now you do and here you are – how can you love him so much? It makes no sense!” The I was reminded, Luke7:47, “who is forgiven much loves much.” In their previous love which looked so fun and wonderful they knew no hope, little love, no peace, everything was transient and depended on the next fix and the next wild-out. In my experience the thrill of the next wild-out lasts a moment and is followed by such hollowness so you seek another…now though they struggle they know that undeniable love, though they hurt they know that hope, though their bodies are failing they know life – that is the abundance. Job 25, Hab 3 – both these guys saw it and knew it: my redeemer lives (and as long as he lives I will be saved, this will not consume me!); though there is nothing to show for all my effort, though I should cry and wail I will not, because there is more here than meets the eye. Paul’s discourse on treasures in clay pots comes to mind. The pots are fragile, cracked and under pressure, yet the treasure in them is so noble it causes them to endure intact. So while my friends suffer, they rejoice because in light of all that they have in Christ their present sufferings are minor. That is abundant life - yes it involves the present age, but it is so focused on eternity the current affairs are not important.

It is not the answer I want, it is never the answer we want. We want it all now! Often we are like children, near-sighted almost to blindness. Abundant life is living for eternity now, rolling in the foretaste of your reward now; that way when you get the rest it is already part of who you are, you know what all the bits and bobs do. Abundant life is the kid who is promised a car so starts working on his 10-and-2 hand positioning, he starts shifting his gears, balancing his brake and clutch so that when he gets the car he has the movements down. While the rest are doing orientation he is doing donuts. Abundant life is realizing eternity has already begun for those in Christ!