The More Abundant Life

"The thief does not come except to steal, kill and to destroy; I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Each year for the last seven years, as a part of our strategic action plan for the year, we develop a theme that serves as a spiritual compass for us. That theme directs us and keeps us aligned in the Lord's direction for the year. Identifying a theme keeps me personally focused and spiritually alert to make decisions throughout the year, to address challenges, and to embrace the opportunities of the year. Last year our theme was contentment. This theme enabled us to have a deeper appreciation for what the Lord had done for us, what we had, and who we were in Him.

This year, our theme is the more abundant life. For the next several weeks, the weekly devotional topics will amplify this theme. I pray you will be blessed as we journey together into how to walk in the more abundant life that Jesus promised all those who will believe in him. I also encourage you, if it is not a part of your practice already, to begin developing your own theme, based, of course, on your own plan for the year. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs, including kingdom entrepreneurs, do not make planning as a part of their business culture, which limits their ability to achieve God's best for their business. Whatever you have accomplished without proactive, consistent planning, I guarantee, with proactive planning, you will do at least fifty percent more.

I will be honest, when the Lord first gave me this theme last year, my first impression was that it had to do with bringing us as an organization into abundant prosperity. But with further study and prayer, I concluded that even though the more abundant life does not preclude material prosperity, it is deeper than that. Material prosperity is merely one of the benefits of the more abundant life, but not the goal. You can have a materially prosperous life without an abundant life, but you cannot have an abundant life without being materially prosperous. Material prosperity is not defined by a certain lifestyle or a certain income, but rather it is defined by the quality of your lifestyle and income. Jesus was materially prosperous but had no income. Many of us today would not want to have the lifestyle he had since he did not live in a castle, did not drive a luxurious car, and did not wear fancy clothes and jewelry.

But he lacked nothing and was the most prosperous man who ever lived. Of course, there is nothing wrong with all those things I listed above. The problem is when you begin to use them to serve as a measurement of your spiritual well-being or worth. So what is an abundant life for the kingdom business steward and why is it so critical in today's uncertain business environment?

Notice that Jesus began His statement in John 10:10 by first contrasting with the work of the enemy. He stated that the thief, meaning the devil, comes for three reasons only: to steal, kill, and destroy. So where there is theft, killing, and destruction, it is either the direct work of Satan or the result of sin which is caused by cooperating with the work of Satan.

Yes, I realize that the economy is bad, and we continue to hear nothing but bad news. But you do not have to buy into the lie that suggests you have to be a victim of the recession. If you do so, you are cooperating with the works of darkness that are seeking to bring an end to the plans of God in your life by destroying you and your business. As someone stated, you can choose not to participate in this recession and the devil cannot force you.

Of course, not all bad things we go through are caused by the enemy; some of them are caused by our own bad choices and sin in the world, but whatever the cause, God does give us a way of escape. The more abundant life is an existence in Christ that is overflowing with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not say you will have life which is mere existence, and he did not say you will have an abundant life which is an existence that is above the norm; rather, he said you will have a more abundant life, a life that overflows with more than you need.

Do you have an overflowing experience right now? Do you want an overflowing experience? Join me next week as will discuss how to get that experience. This experience will not only bless your business but your personal and family life. It will cause you to have a bounty year in mist of a drought, a harvest in midst of a famine, and hope in mist of despair, but you have to want it and seek it.

In Everything Give Thanks

Patrice Tsague, RCE Partner

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you"I Thessalonians 5:18

I do not know about you, but as the year draws to a close and I reflect on God's goodness - all He has done on my behalf, who He is, all that He means to me, and where He has brought me from - I have a lot to be thankful for. I am thankful for life, His grace and mercy that kept me throughout the year and in spite of all that is going on in the world - economic crises, terrorist threats, sickness and even talks of global warming- He has protected me from premature death.

Moreover, I am thankful for my wife and children, the body of Christ, friends and finally, the fact that Jesus is Lord. We are always to be thankful to our Lord no matter what our circumstances, because He gave us the greatest gift, the gift of salvation; a gift that never wears out. We ought to be thankful every day, every hour, and every minute because without that gift we could not experience abundant life on earth and would be condemned to eternal punishment. Moreover, we ought to be thankful for our clients and employees; without whom we would not be in business; our family and friends, for the joy and support they bring into our lives; and angels; those we have no relationship with but God uses to be a special blessing to us.

What are you thankful for? You may be as thankful as I am, or you may not feel as thankful because of the way your business is going, the way this year has been for you, or the issues that you are currently facing. Remember the scriptures instruct us to be thankful in all things for such is the will of God concerning us. Thankfulness is a condition of the heart, which manifests itself in appreciation towards someone. We are usually thankful when someone does something kind to us but once that moment passes we forget his or her kindness. The reason we forget is because our thoughts of gratitude are conditional and our emotions fluctuate based on our circumstances. We recently received a generous contribution from one of our board members. This gift created a level of gratitude in my heart towards God for using them; as a result, I was moved to demonstrate my gratefulness in words and in deeds. The question is, how long will this feeling of gratitude last? In my pursuit to maintain a heart of gratitude my prayer is that the Holy Spirit continually brings them to my remembrance.

Many people have a hard time being thankful in times of need because they do not realize that in those times they should be most thankful. What need do you have? What circumstances are you facing in your business that you need God's supernatural intervention in? Just begin to thank Him for who He is, what He has done, His promises, and what He will do. As you thank Him, have total confidence that He knows your need, and at the appropriate time, He will bring it to pass if you do not give up.

Happy New Year!

Well, here we are, January 3rd and suddenly it's 2008! I've been going through emails and working at some projects to get a good start to the new year.

Over the break, one project at home was to clean out and organize my closet. Wow, it's amazing how I accumulate things when I'm not being careful! When I moved to Asia a few years ago, the freedom that came with moving with a couple of carry-ons and only 2 suitcases (even if they do weigh 70 pounds each!) was wonderful. Every successive year, though, I took two more suitcases and slowly built up quite a collection of books, clothes, and household items... moving back to the States was quite an adventure, since I could only bring those 2 pieces of luggage back with me. ;) (My favorite things for that world are still waiting for me to move back to the other side of the earth and put them back to use.)

All that said, the new year has me thinking about all the baggage I carry around: in life, in my mind, in my heart: isn't it wonderful that God gives us new chances to start again? New days, new weeks, new months, and now a new year to make a new beginning.

I know this isn't an original thought, but I still think it's a worthwhile exercise I want to think through: what can I clean out of my life, to make more wide open space to breathe freely and consider my priorities?

Another thing I treasure from my time in Asia is the deep relationships that were built up with my teammates, with whom I shared a strong sense of calling and vocation, even with many other differences in background, temperament and theology. Our team here at the Center is similar: we come from different nations and backgrounds, but we are called to work together at this time to see God's plan to reach the nations extended through kingdom business.

For myself, I want to renew my commitment to working and serving well this year; though not on the front lines myself, I know that my work in the RCE office is what the Lord has called me to for this time and He is the One I want to please.

May 2008 be a year of blessing for you!