Who is the Author of life? This was one of the many questions I found answers to in The Way Ministry’s Foundational Class on the Bible. The Creator of the heavens and earth, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the Author of life. And He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could be born again, have God as our Father, and live a life that is more than abundant (John 10:10). How can we live this life to the fullest? Our heavenly Father knows best, so we will go to His Word to glean some practical L.I.F.E. lessons to help us live the more abundant life more dynamically and help others do the same. Let’s consider the acronym L.I.F.E.
L is for Love: Live the love of God.
As we love more abundantly, we can live more dynamically. As born-again believers, we have the unlimited potential of God’s love shed abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5). Like Jesus Christ, we can live and show God’s love to others.
Ephesians 5:2:
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Jesus Christ set the standard for living God’s love. Jesus Christ loved us and gave himself for us. All love involves giving. We too can love and give to the extent that this love of God will overflow and touch others’ lives. And there is no fear in love (I John 4:18). When we live the love of God and walk in love, we can overcome fear and help others do the same.
I is for Invest: Invest your life in others.
Be willing to do your best to bring God’s best to others. Jesus Christ invested his time, his heart, and his knowledge of the Word as he involved himself in people’s lives. He used the resources God gave him and went about doing good, bringing deliverance to individuals (Acts 10:38). We can live according to this standard.
Galatians 6:10:
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
We can “do good” in a variety of ways. We can spend time with others, be good listeners, pray with people, and share God’s Word. We want to stay observant so we can recognize needs and respond with our help. When we decide to invest in others’ lives and do good according to God’s Word, there will be profit to their lives and to ours.
F is for Fun: Have fun living the Word.
God wants us to enjoy living the more abundant life. The Word says it is available to have a merry heart.
Proverbs 17:22:
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine….
To have a merry heart is to be joyful, glad, rejoicing—and it is good for your health. When we keep a merry heart, we have a continual feast no matter the circumstances (Proverbs 15:15).
One of the ways my wife and I like to have fun living the Word is to seek out the fellowship of like-minded believers and do things together. We do a variety of activities such as exercising, attending community events, visiting points of interest in the area, having a game night, or preparing a nice meal and breaking bread together. The point is to keep some variety in our lives and have fun living the Word.
E is for Edify: Look for ways to edify, or build up, others.
People need to be built up. That is why edification is always welcome and needed.
Romans 14:19:
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
To edify means to build up. When we build up one another, we are helping one another grow strong in believing. God wants us to follow after, or pursue, things that edify. One powerful way to do this is by the words we speak. What we say matters. We can speak words that express thankfulness and appreciation for others. We can give specific praise for a job well done. Everyone wants to be recognized. We can speak words from God’s Word that build believing in the truth and dispel doubt, worry, and fear.
God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, that we may have a more abundant life. Here is a summary of our four L.I.F.E. lessons from God’s Word that we can apply to help us live the more abundant life more dynamically and help others do the same:
L ove: Live the love of God and show it to others.
I nvest: Invest your life in others, doing good in a variety of ways.
F un: Have fun living the Word with a merry heart.
E dify: Look for ways to edify one another and build believing.