Abundant Life

The economy grew robustly recently and many sectors are trying to attract talents with high salary packages. This created a vibrant atmosphere in the job market and the newspapers published a series of reports on successful individuals, many of which are young people, who earned high salaries, led high luxurious life styles and lived in up market properties. As such, many people are led to think that success in that magnitude is not all that difficult. With the integrated resorts being set up in the near horizon and the media's high profile reporting, many people think it is a lucrative opportunity to ride on the IR wave. So much so, school conducted courses to cater to the IR business, and in fact many students signed up. The question is: can Christians hold fast?

Only in Christ

Our lives are precious to our Lord, for as much Christ died for our sins on the Cross. Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10). Some Christians are like babies with fragile spiritual lives. It takes just a little to hurt them. Therefore Peter exhorts the believers: "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." (1 Pet 2:1–2). So we see, spiritual growth is a gradual process that requires time. No baby grows into an adult overnight. Therefore, we need to seriously put in our time, effort, patience and conviction to read and ponder on the Word of God. Then we can put them into practice to stand the test of fire. "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Cor 3:14–15).

Loving the Word of God

Many jobs are attractive in terms of earthly remunerations and benefits. However, does the job honour God? Does the job prevent us from worship? Does the job require us to go against the moral of a Christian? Paul said: "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." (1 Cor 10:23). This is in line with what the psalmist exhorts in Psalms 1:1–2 : "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."

As a Christian, we would rather lose out than to do things against God. There was once a friend who invited me to dinner on a Saturday evening. I told him we have fellowship so was not able to make the dinner date. He was not impressed but remarked that while Christian activities are good, one should not be "too much into it". On the surface, it appears that we lose out some. But are those things important? Although we may seem to lose something now, we gain more in eternity. So dear friends, are we living a more abundant life? I pray that we all are!

Adapted form Calvary B-P Church Encouragement Page,
Elder Su Ching Chun. 19th August 07.