MORE AND BETTER
Jesus makes this incredible but somewhat hard to define statement in John 10:10. " I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full." (NIV) Another version translates it "abundant life" (NAS), and yet another "real, more, and better life" (MSG). You can pick your favorite version - but if you look up the Greek term (perrisos) - the real flavor of this is more and better. Jesus said he came to offer more and better LIFE.
Many of us went into the New Year with expectations of a life full of "more and better"--more and better friends, more and better time, more and better health, etc. We all want more and better.
As a church we are called to encourage and help one another live the more and better life Jesus offers. In order to accomplish this, the leadership team (of which I am a part) has been thinking, praying, surveying and planning for the past few months and would like to share with you some of our strategic planning efforts thus far.
First, I'd like to ask you to take a look at your life. Take it off the shelf, hold it up to the bright light by the window, turn it from side to side and upside down and shake it. Examine every crevice and chink. Feel its edges and curves. What do you think? Is it turning out to be all you thought it would be or could be? How do you feel about it--this life you are living?
DEFINING MORE AND BETTER
If Jesus is the one who is bringing this kind of life to us, then he must himself possess it. So, getting a glimpse of the central organizing principles of his life might give us a clue. I think the passage in John 4 is instructive. It is the famous passage where Jesus is passing through Samaria with his disciples and it's been a long, hot day. They are all very tired and thirsty (including Jesus), and Peter, despite his assurances that he'd "take care of it", forgot to pack the lunches and extra drinks. Jesus sits down by a well and sends the rest to the deli for some bagels and cream cheese and other "fixins". It is in this context that he strikes up a conversation with a Samaritan woman of some questionable reputation. It starts with Jesus' request for a drink of water, but ends with a request from the woman for "living water" and an entire town of eager people as an audience for Jesus. He spends two whole days there.
But here's the interesting thing. The disciples come back with food for their leader, who they are sure by now is ravenously hungry. Peter even remembered that Jesus loved chocolate cupcakes and he had two of them in his bag with Jesus' name on them. They break out the food and Jesus dives in for a well-deserved tasty lunch with his friends, right? Well, no that's not what happened. The disciples it says, (obviously concerned for Jesus' physical health) .. "were urging Jesus to eat". They are concerned and are pleading with him to eat and he replies, "No, I have food you don't know about." and Jesus goes on to explain..."My nourishment comes from doing the will of God (the Father), who sent me, and from finishing his work." He talks further about joy for the planters and harvesters ready to see the fruit of their labor.
THE MORE AND BETTER RESULTS
What happened here? Well, did you ever get caught up in something that you enjoyed so much that time just flew by? You lose all track of time, maybe even work through lunch without even thinking about it. Well, that's what I think happened here. Jesus could overlook his growling stomach because he was connecting to his Father's will, living out his unique purpose within it, bringing recognition (glory) to his Father who he loved, and serving pitchers of "living water" to a whole village of thirsty people. This was not a duty for him - he enjoyed it. It energized him! He was in the groove and I think he experienced the kind of satisfaction that made even chocolate cupcakes seem rather lame. To me, this is a picture of the more and better life. This kind of life Jesus offers us is wrapped up in doing God's will, thereby bringing glory to his name and knowing that the smile of the Father rests upon you. You feel God's pleasure in your life and you enjoy your time with him. You hear "well done" (affirmation), you see important results (fruit) being planted or harvested and that feels great! It's enjoyable. Fulfillment, purpose, joy, overflow, all encompassed in a "more and better" or abundant life.
CONNECTING TO THE MORE AND BETTER SOURCE
The components of this "more and better" you can see in Jesus' life could be conceptualized like this:
Strong Connection to God - Knowledge about him (what he's like, his will, etc.) and knowing him (relationship). These are two very different things!
Strong Connection to Others - A recognition of how to live out your life in light of connection to God, which would include serving others, spreading the good news (living water), and doing this in a way that is utilizes your God-given talents, abilities, interests, and personality.
Do you want to live life in flow, in the zone, in the sweet spot, in the groove? It's here where maximum satisfaction and enjoyment can be found - more and better life!
The leadership team at Lakeway Community Church knows Christ has called us to experience more and have better lives, so the strategic plan consists of goals and objectives that we think God can use to get us there.
You can review the main ideas of the strategic plan in the columns at the end of this article. There's still some work to do on the plan. Action steps need to be further detailed and we want to get others involved in the development and implementation of it. What excites you about the plan? Tell us what you think so far.
We will be rolling out many more details to you using various forums over the next weeks through small groups, special meetings and Sunday morning times. Stay tuned - for more and better life is what God offers!
Author: Mark Snyder
