Giving Everything Abundantly to Life

“Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.”

— Jeremiah 1:6 (NRSV)

We have all had times, I’m thinking, where we have had God ask us to do things we didn’t think we were capable of doing. This is such a moment for Jeremiah. He is anointed by the Lord, but soon he learns the burden he must carry, as he is empowered to bring an unsavoury message to Israel.

If ever there was a despised prophet it was Jeremiah. We would cringe, any of us, to have to bring such a message to people—to be called to do something very unpopular.

But at times we are called to do these things. Notwithstanding that, God calls us to do things that are difficult; seemingly beyond us. Without faith we have not a chance in the world!

What Is Life Without Fervour?

When we are asked to do things that require much courage, the only thing we have going for us is the commitment of fervour.

Such passion, dedication, zeal, and commitment in the tasks of life are necessary if we are to do anything. It is a lesson of life: anything done half-heartedly generally fails.

If we are asked to speak up about something, for instance, sometimes the only way we can do it is if we throw our full selves into it. Much of the time we can only succeed with our fullest commitment. Half measures just won’t do.

Abundance for Abundance

The Lord, of course, has given us the abundant life—saved, if we believe and have surrendered, and continue to, into a new life in Jesus Christ. True discipleship is about the abundant life.

But this abundant life is limited to the extent that we enter into it with abundance.

When we throw ourselves into life, giving God everything we have, we meet his abundance with our abundance. Not that we can ever pay God back, but we give the Lord all we can give; all of ourselves; all of our effort in meeting the call he has placed on our lives.

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We have nothing to lose by giving everything we have for the tasks God has called us to do. Living the abundant life is just as much about living fully committed than it is about simply living ‘blessed’. The abundant life is giving everything we have to the Lord; our fullest effort in those things we are called to do.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.