Abundant life

While a great deal of this page may seem to apply more toward the family than the single folks, there's actually a great deal of information for both. The truths that lie within apply to all of God's kids, not just the married or single!
 

Also, please try to understand that while it deals with money and making a living, it's not about money or making a living at all...it's about the abundance of life!

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

The Bible states that if a man doesn't work, a man won't eat. (2 Thes. 3:10). We agree whole- heartedly! However, the Lord has provided some
interesting (to us, at least!) revelations on this subject that have actually played a big role in the creation of this website! He truly is amazing! Again, we emphasize that we (Christians, in particular) need to, not just work, but work harder and with a higher degree of integrity, than the secular world. At the same time, there is not much abundance to life when one is working 80 hours a week and neglecting everyone and everything else in order to make ends meet.

At the same time we're working, we're supposed to raise our children and be partners with our spouses. The book of Proverbs has quite a bit to say about teaching and training our children. If you look at society today, and the direction it's headed in, you might agree that a lot of our social problems stem from lack of teaching at home. The Bible tells us to raise our children. It says nothing about our babysitters raising our kids, or our daycares or schools raising our youth. We, the parents, are responsible for the upbringing of our children. One of the greatest and most important blessings the Lord has provided for us are the very same ones we so easily neglect!

And our spouses? Well, they're usually working just as hard as we are...which is why no one has time for the children. And when you both get home from work, if you're fortunate enough to work the same shift, you're likely too tired to enjoy each other's company before one or the other heads off to bed so you can do it all again tomorrow. The sad thing is, that unless the kids are grown, or unless you each have an exceptional job, you're probably not making any more money than you would from one income.

By the time you pay a babysitter or daycare for five days a week, buy two lunches every day, drive two cars in two different directions every day...there can't be too much left over at the end of the week.
 

And for that, we sacrifice our children.

For that, we sacrifice our abundance of life...

I know. We have bills to pay. We have to earn a living. Or do we? What can a man do to earn salvation? Nothing. It's a gift from God (Eph. 2:8,9).Can a man earn healing? Nope. How about all the other blessings God pours out? Can we earn those? Nope. But we think we have to earn a living!

"So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul- then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied." (Deut. 11:13-15)

"He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." (Ps 147:8-11)

"Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." (Acts 14:17)

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." (1 Tim 6:17)

"Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." (Luke 12:22-31)

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19)

Please don't misunderstand. The Bible says we must work to eat...but it doesn't say we have to earn a living. In fact, it tells us that God provides! The point we're trying to convey, is that we have given up the abundant life and raising our children in order to "earn" a living...and together we would like to teach you...and learn from you in order to reclaim the abundant life that we have allowed the enemy to slip in and steal.
 

We have allowed ourselves to believe that in order to achieve financial freedom, we must work hard, save money and try to spend less...and even then, it's usually an elusive creature! But in reality, financial freedom has nothing to do with money! It has to do with realizing that God will provide our needs. God instructs us to work...but He's never even hinted that we should become slaves to our work, or slaves to money. Yet, look what we've become!

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Gen 2:15)

"To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." (Gen 3:17-19)

Do you notice anything interesting about the above verses? In the first one, Gen. 2:15, God put Adam in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. In the second set of verses, God is telling Adam he must work to eat. What's the difference?

Before the fall of Adam, work was a pleasure...a gift, even. He worked and God provided. After the fall, work became a curse...he still worked, and God still provided, but now it was through painful toil. Man has always been expected to work. The difference is that it used to be a blessing, and now
the blessing has become a curse! But...

We know that Adam, at one point, had a perfect relationship with God. We also know that after the fall, that relationship was severed. God stilled loved
him and provided, but the relationship that Adam had once enjoyed with God had been greatly damaged. With the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus, that relationship was restored. We believe that at that point, man's relationship with work was restored as well. Once again, it can now be a pleasure, instead of a curse because of the work Jesus did on the cross!
 

The problem is that we humans have been so conditioned to "earning a living", that for the most part, we've come to fear working for pleasure. For
instance, Alan Jackson, the country music superstar, has stated that he has a hard time believing that he gets to play music and sing all the time and actually get paid for it! That's the way ALL of us should feel about our jobs! But how often do we feel "trapped" instead?
 

What are your gifts or talents? You do have one, you know. Chances are, you have more than one. Why do you suppose you have it? Because God gave it to you! Why do you suppose He gave it to you? So you could use it! Usually, it's a great "coincidence" that our gifts and talents happen to be wrapped around something we love to do! Alan Jackson loves singing. He's got a great gift for it. He's a very talented musician and singer. Do you enjoy singing? If so, the only difference between you and Alan Jackson is that he's chasing his dream, while you're thinking and wishing about yours. You can make a living singing, too! You may not achieve the same level of success, but if singing is what the Lord gave you a heart for, then He'll provide whatever success you need! There are an awful lot of people making a living in music that aren't great singers!

Do you like to draw? Then you should draw! Like to paint? Then paint! Find a way to offer your gifts to others, then offer them, and see what the Lord does with it! Don't waste your life trapped in slavery to your job or money. Try a little of the abundant life! If you enjoy the work you do now, that's great! But if you're trapped, trust God...and step out on faith. Live to work, instead of working to live!
 

Most of us work too many hours, for too little pay, at a job we don't like. Why??? We're supposed to be different from the secular world...set apart to do His work and to have life more abundantly! Instead, we're too often, just like everyone else. And we look like everyone else. And, sadly, we act like everyone else. Nobody can tell the Christians from the lost. THAT is a travesty of God's mercy and grace!
 

So what are we to do? Take our gifts and use them for God's glory...and let God provide for our needs. We depend on the company we work for to provide for us from the abundance of their riches. Wouldn't we be so much better off to let God provide from the abundance of His riches? Yet we hang on to the jobs we don't like, that don't pay enough (at least in our minds) and that require too much of our time...because we're afraid.
 

Afraid of failure. Afraid that the gifts we have won't be enough. Afraid that the income our gifts might generate might not be enough. We can depend on our company to take care of us to some degree...why can't we depend on our Father to do the same? With the unlimited abundance He promised us, instead of the limited "abundance" of man?

We're not trying to encourage anyone to leave their jobs today! Please, don't misunderstand! What we ARE saying is that if you're trapped by your job, maybe God has something else in store for you. Don't be afraid to step out with the gifts that He's given you. Talk to Him about it! Listen to what He's telling you. The devil can't stop you, only you can. But the devil CAN use your fear to his advantage.

What we're trying to encourage you to do, is not to rush out and quit your job, but to overcome that fear. (We've got some great resources coming on this, btw! A good many of them are completely free!) You don't have to leave your job to chase your dreams or to use your gifts. Jesus came to set us free, so BE FREE! Live free! Act free! Be different from the world, so the world can see the Jesus in you! Then, when it begins to pay off, maybe you can realize that God really can and really will provide for you. You'll no longer have to depend on man...

"So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot." (Eccles. 3:22)

"Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God."
(Eccles. 5:19)

"So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun." (Eccles. 8:15)

"However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many..." (Eccles. 11:8)

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." (1 Tim. 6:17)

God tells us to work. He expects us to work. But He doesn't tell us or expect us to do nothing BUT work. Enjoy your family. Enjoy the blessings He's given you. If you "don't have the time" to do that, then these pages are for you. As you draw your final earthly breath, will any one of us wish we had spent more time working?

What will you be wishing you had done? Why not do it now? Use the gifts God gave you and do it now! Before that final breath gets any closer. We have included a lot of great stuff (or it's coming soon) to help you achieve these goals.  As we come across other ideas, we'll be happy to post them.
Please feel free to browse through them...or feel free not to! They're not here to entice you (we don't gain or lose either way), but to offer you options if you're interested. If YOU have any ideas that you would like to share, please do! We'll be happy to post them! Live the abundant life God intended for you to live!
 

Our goal (in this section) is simply to set you free from being enslaved by money or your job...so you can spend time with your family. So you can enjoy a larger part of your earthly stay. So you can raise your own children...and so you can learn to depend on God to provide out of His unlimited riches, instead of depending on man to provide out of his. Work, yes! By all means work! But WORK instead of "earning a living". If we can help, drop us a line.

Be free, and then share your freedom with others!

And don't forget to worship the One who has given you that freedom!