Dr. V. Raymond Edman was the president of Wheaton College, a Christian school in Illinois. Before his death, God put a burden on Dr. V’s heart to study the abundant life, mentioned by Jesus in John 10:10. This quest led to the creation of a series of short biographies from godly men and women throughout history. In the end, this compellation was comprised into the book, They Found the Secret.
From my own personal experiences, I had to go on missionary trips in America to uncover the secret of abundant life. Whether it was inner city Philadelphia with City Team Ministries, South Carolina and Tennessee through Group Ministries or taking youth groups to North Carolina and Kentucky as a youth pastor, the only living examples of this joy for life were found in the most unlikely places. I have met widows, homeless and dirt poor individuals who were grateful for every thing they had, the clothes on their back and a place to lay their heads. Although I thought God wanted me to come and repair the homes, trailers and shacks of the needy, the Holy Spirit led me on these trips to restore my own life.
Maybe this is why Jesus includes Matthew 6:19-24 in his sermon on the mount. Unfortunately, money complicates things, often changing people for the worse. Like the words of Revelation 2:4, addressed to the Ephesians, money can tempt Christians to lose their first love, exchanging money for an intimate relationship with God. Personally, I don’t have an answer for the abundant life, but I do know where it lies. Somewhere between Leviticus 26:1-4, Psalm 119:9-11 and John 10, this abundant life is accessible by grace through faith in Christ, Ephesians 2:1-10. Like the apostle Paul’s words nearly 2000 years ago, “press on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me,” Philippians 3:12. May you and I each discover and experience this abundant life some day soon!
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 