Staying clear on what a more abundant life really is can be very challenging because we are influenced by so many sources that are trying to define it for us. Serving according to God’s Word is a key to retaining an honest definition of a more abundant life so that I can live life to the fullest as only God could define it for me.
Moving to a new area after serving at The Way International Headquarters for fourteen years was both exciting and overwhelming. Where would we live? Where would I work? What would it be like not living so close to the many wonderful ministers and disciples at Headquarters? The verses that I consistently reminded myself of as we began our transition were Proverbs 3:1 and 2.
Proverbs 3:1,2 [The Amplified Bible]:
My son, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;
For length of days and years of a life [worth living] and tranquility [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death], these shall they add to you.
This was the promise of God that for me helped define the more abundant life. I knew that life worth living was grounded in service. And I knew that regardless of where we lived or what kind of work I did, coordinating a home fellowship and sharing God’s Word with others were the avenues of service to help me stay grounded in God’s Word and claim this promise.
We were blessed beyond measure to find a beautiful home that was perfect for carrying out the work of the ministry. The job scene was not as abundant. The best opportunity was a position selling goods and services to businesses in the local area. While the pay was just enough to handle the bills, the real payoff was the opportunity to share God’s Word with so many people throughout the local area. Some began attending our home fellowship on a regular basis, which was very rewarding. It certainly was a life worth living as we witnessed in the area and established a new fellowship, even though we were just covering our expenses financially.
The next year, a new job opportunity in sales came up that would be significantly more rewarding financially. I interviewed for the position and was subsequently hired. This was the kind of job that one could easily invest a lot of time in because the earning potential was wide open. Keeping the focus on our ministry service and continuing to witness were even more important to help me stay grounded in God’s Word and truly live the more abundant life. I did not want the potential for financial reward to crowd out the things that were most important to me. Proverbs 30:8 and 9 never rang so clearly in my mind.
Proverbs 30:8,9:
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
This job allowed me to have conversations with business owners that led to speaking the Word, praying with them, and even ministering to some! And keeping my priorities clear regarding our service to God allowed me to stay balanced in work, investing the time to earn an honest living while preserving the time I needed to serve. While everything around me was trying to define a more abundant life by the amount of money I earned, serving God allowed me to stay focused on what a more abundant life truly is!
It’s been several years since we moved, and God has provided for us every step of the way, as He promised He would. We are in the same beautiful home. The company I work for now employs other disciples around the country who are blessed to earn an honest living and have the time to serve God in their areas. The home fellowships in our area are filled with wonderful people, and we are so happy to be moving God’s Word with them.
When the picture of a more abundant life gets a little clouded by what others want me to believe it is, serving God and speaking His Word clarifies for me a life that’s truly worth living!