The Abundant Life: Riches or True Wealth?

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”  (Jn 10:10, NKJV).  A good question for our day and time might be, “What is an abundant life?”  See if you can find it among the following five criteria.  Is an abundant life:

• an abundance of things like clothes, cars, homes?
• a life with unlimited financial resources or perhaps a great education?
• chock full of exciting social activities and special events?
• filled with many friends and relatives?
• a busy schedule full of exciting travel and vacations?

No?  Well let’s try another set of five choices.  Is an abundant life:

• filled with love for and from God?
• filled with joy in the Lord?
• a life of integrity and a good reputation with God and man?
• a loving family life with Christ at its center?
• one full of fruitful service to Jesus and victory over sin?

The question isn’t so hard to answer when we look at it in this context.  It’s obvious that the second set of 5 is much more likely to be what Jesus meant by abundance.  What if we were to call the first five items “Riches” and the second six “True Wealth?”  Isn’t it interesting that, while not every Christian can obtain or necessarily maintain any of the first list, every Christian has eternal access to the second set!  Armed with this awareness, what will you pursue this summer?