My Searching and Finding the Abundant Life

“… I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b

One statement of Jesus that profoundly and significantly impacts me is, “…I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

I read and memorised this verse as a small kid attending summertime Daily Vacation Bible School, or DVBS.

What started then as rote memorisation became a gradual journey in my search for the ‘abundant life.’

I was born to parents who are both theology graduates and have served as pastors in several churches. I grew up with them, working from church to church.

Because we lived from parsonage to parsonage, I would often say jokingly, “No permanent address,” when asked where we lived.

As the son of a rural pastor, I experienced the economic and psychological hardships and challenges that come with this vocation. I would often wonder about the abundant life that the Great Teacher said He came to give us.

How can I affirm my confidence in the abundant life promised by Jesus Christ when I have experienced injustice, dishonesty, corruption, jealousy, envy, and various kinds of strife among his faithful followers?

Where is the abundance when God’s people experience hunger and poverty because opportunities have become scarce after standing for what is right?

Of course, it is easy to understand what abundant life is in the context of the material world.

I grew up with the carnal understanding that to live a life of plenty, you always have more than enough food to eat. You also have lots of money to experience an affluent lifestyle, which includes a good house, cars, travel, parties, and anything a person or family could wish for.

Thus, keeping my heart and mind on the questions, I chartered my course toward prosperity.

My goals were to study diligently in high school to secure a university scholarship, graduate from a course that would lead to high-paying jobs, excel in my chosen career, and live comfortably in affluence.

Then, I was on my way to fulfilling my goals, sailing smoothly and successfully achieving victories left and right.

After nearly a decade of searching and pursuing my goals, I took some time to reflect on my efforts and the struggles I faced. I had used all the gifts that I believed God had given me in my quest for prosperity. Yet, despite my hard work, I found myself living a life that felt meaningless.

I exhausted all means to achieve my goals. Yet, I realised that I cannot find true peace and happiness when life is reduced to financial gain at the cost of fundamental values such as truth and justice.

So, where could I find true abundant life if it is not present in having material affluence alone?

In late 1995, after I spent almost two years working in Manila, I resigned from my job at an international NGO, which I found to be corrupt. I prayed and reflected on the Lord’s direction for my life.

After many years of a tiring journey, I finally discovered that abundant life means using my fullest potential for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, I discovered that living life to the fullest means using all my faculties, availability, and resources for the glory of God.

From the list of my work experiences, I noticed that there were productivity, development, and positive, memorable moments in the workplaces where I’ve been, where my full potential is acknowledged and used fully.

Life has never been so fulfilling when you are doing something that uses all your God-given gifts, regardless of whether or not you have money in your pocket. This statement might sound fatalistic to some of you, but I call it faith in God’s provision.

Surprisingly, the more I focused on using my fullest potential for Jesus Christ, the more provisions kept coming – I discovered abundant life.

He will provide sincere, well-meaning people to join you in your quest for an abundant life.

I penned this reflection in 2011, a time when I could only reference a handful of testimonies to God’s goodness.

Yet, in the face of uncertainty, I held steadfast to my faith, driven by the compelling pursuit of an abundant life. I embraced the profound truth I had uncovered: “to use my fullest potential for the Lord Jesus Christ.”

When trials and challenges start to overwhelm me, I always look back to remember God’s abundance and name them “one by one.”

Remember that God’s abundant blessings aren’t counted or defined according to the world’s materialistic standards.

Blessings include trials of various kinds, which have built my family and me in steadfast faith over the years.

² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4

Indeed, Jesus Christ has come to give life and have it abundantly.

PHOTO CREDIT: AI-generated photo of a man sailing.