Living Abundantly

“I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10

I have always loved this bible verse, my heart always skips a beat when I hear it. I desire deeply this abundant life Jesus talks about. However, I don’t always feel that I’m living abundantly though, can you relate?

Part of my struggle has been in failing to understand what Jesus really meant by saying this. Freedom, defined by the world, is true abundance. In this sense, freedom means not being tied down, not having too many commitments. It means doing what you want to do when you want to do it. And being able to pursue a career and a big paycheck, among other things. But does it make sense that these are the things Jesus had in mind when he promised us abundant life? I mean, he died for us!  

I looked to the Ignatian Study Bible for answers. John 3:16 and 1 John 5:13 both reference this “life” of which Jesus speaks. And the writer refers specifically to eternal (divine) life. John 10:10 might take on a slightly different meaning this way. “I came that they might have [eternal] life in abundance.” Jesus, fully human and fully divine, came that we might have eternal life in abundance here on Earth so that we might attain it forever in heaven, and he showed us how to do it.

How do we do it?

We can’t attain divine life on our own, so how do we? We absolutely need Jesus, and so in the person of Jesus we find our answer. He sought the will of his Father, always moving toward Jerusalem where he would suffer, die, and rise. He prayed always and remained connected with his Father. We must do likewise by remaining with him (John 15:1-11). We must strive always to live within his will for us, seeking to become who we were created to be. Finally, we must allow him to be our source, our nourishment, our savior. This is where we will find abundant life.

Living within the will of God will allow us a life of joy, peace, fullness. Doing what we were set upon this earth to do will light within us a fire that allows us to love more deeply, experience life more fully, to appreciate and accept that which has been given to us.

Seeking His Will

I know that in my own life, the way my life has shifted and changed so drastically in the past couple of years has sometimes made it hard to feel as though I’m living abundantly. I can’t travel like I did, I don’t have the flexibility to go and do what I want. I can’t even spend the amount of time in prayer and attend daily mass as often I used to. One of my recent ventures to daily mass with my one year old ended in a tantrum and a snack cup to my eye and a lot of frustration. It doesn’t always feel abundant, but I am also guilty of believing the definition of abundance the world gives.

The reality is that I am in the stage in life where I am called to be the wife of Jon and mom of Lucy, in all of its joyful moments and all of its difficult moments. But it’s precisely in this moment that I am living abundantly because I am seeking to do the very things that I have been called to do and no one else on this earth can do it in the way I am being called to do it. God’s will for me will continue to unfold in new and surprising ways, I have no doubt. As the story unfolds, I continue to strive to live joyfully this present moment as I keep seeking to remain with him in prayer and in the sacraments.

Below you will find two different ways you can reflect and pray with this topic. Use one or both or neither!

For Reflection:

I attended a leadership seminar when I was in college. The theme was “God’s will: nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.” As I continue to reflect on what it means to live abundantly, my mind keeps wandering back to this quote. I’m going to use it to give you reflection questions to consider how you are doing as you seek to live God’s will in your life.

“God’s will: nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.”

• Nothing more: in what areas are you doing more than what God has asked you to do? Where do you feel stressed, overwhelmed, burdened, or burnt out?
• Nothing less: in what areas are you avoiding God and saying no to him when you feel him calling you?  Where do you feel called to sacrifice but are afraid to take the leap?
• Nothing else: take some time to ask Jesus to show you where he desires you to be right now. Where is he calling you to a deeper abundance in your life?

Praying with Scriptures:

Using John 10:1-10, follow these steps to pray Lectio Divina, an ancient way of meditating upon the scriptures.

• Read the passage – identify a word or phrase that sticks out
• Read the passage again – ask God why this word or phrase is sticking out, listen for an answer, write down what you hear
• Read the passage again – speak to God about this, have a conversation, and don’t forget to listen
• Read the passage one final time – spend this time in silence, abiding with God, allowing him to love you and speak to your heart