Fulfilling Your PurposeSample

An abundant life

In John 10:10, Jesus says that He has come so that people should have life, and have it abundantly. In the preceding chapter, we see Jesus healing of the man born blind. One of the ways in which Jesus gives abundant life is to open the eyes of people to understand the truth. In the following chapter, we see Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Here Jesus says, “I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25).” So Jesus came not only to give us abundant life after death, when we die physically but also to give us abundant life in the present.

Both situations, the blind man in John 9 and Lazarus in John 11, were impossible situations with little hope. Since we have been sent like Jesus, we too need to bring abundant life to people in impossible situations. We can do this in several ways. 

One way would be to be involved with projects that are already doing this. When the FMPB missionaries noticed that the population of the Malto tribe people in the hills of Jharkhand (then Bihar) was dwindling rapidly due to high maternal death rates and infantile death rates, they teamed with EHA and EFICOR to open a hospital for them which has reversed the declining population trend and they are now increasing. The situation was impossible, but life was made available. We can identify such organizations that are giving abundant life to people and volunteer with them or become donors. We can visit with them and encourage them in their work.

We can also keep our eyes open to identify people caught in hopeless situations. For instance, the educational divide between the rich and the poor in India is vast. They are caught in a hopeless situation where they just cannot get the education to make it in today’s world. Can we as individuals and churches get involved and see how these children can get into good quality schools as we provide scholarships for them not to be just educated but to be educated in a good school?

Can we identify people who are trapped in debt and give them the financial advice and assistance they need to get out of it? Can we give an ear to those who are trapped in loneliness and suffering that they may have a moment of relief in their lives?

Many have realized that their worldview leads them nowhere and they have dropped out of society often into dependency as they have given up the battle for life. Can we extend the word of the gospel to them and raise them out of their despair? 

One couple, not associated with any organization, began educating the maids in their homes. The result was that one became a nurse and another a software back-office personnel. To achieve this, they spent time coaching their maids and they also financed their education as their parents were unwilling to do the same. These kinds of interventions can be done by anyone.

Be the candle of hope in the darkness of despair.