I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10
Abundant life! What does that mean? Well, abundant life is a life that is not in need. You don't need to find food, you have it. You don't need to find water, you have it. You don't need to find a place to live, you live somewhere. You don't need to find a job, you have a job.
It doesn't mean you have millions of dollars. I think abundance is having enough, plus some for somebody else. And if you have enough, and you have extra, then you live in abundance.
An abundant life involves so much more than having a lot of consumer goods. You can get caught up in buying more stuff for yourself -- stuff you don't even need -- while there are people who will die if they don't get your help. That's the situation we're in. Consumerism can actually kill people! Living like Jesus is the answer to the problem. Jesus came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.
I know people are going to tell me, "Well, Jeremy, you have stuff." It's true! I have an iPad, an iPhone, and a laptop. I've got three things that get on the internet all at once. Maybe that's excessive! But I also give, because saving lives is so important.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't have anything. But what if you never even have a mindset to help someone in need? That's shallow. I'm not saying that you should never buy anything for yourself. I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that if our drive, our heart, our focus, is simply to make sure that we have what we need, then we have the wrong heart. If we're always saying, "I want this and I want that, and I know I could live without it but I'm going to get it and I'm going to get that too," and we don't have a thought for anybody else, then we have the wrong mindset.
We think "abundance" and we see dollar signs. I think that's our habit here in the U.S. But abundance can mean something really different, depending on where you are. There are so many places in the world where someone might say, "Abundance? That's when I've got a home. I don't care if it's a 600-square foot home. It's a home. Now my family doesn't have to live on the street. I've got a home, I've got a job, we've got food on the table, I've got a well to get clean water from, and my kids aren't dying of dysentery. In fact, they're going to school. That's abundance. I know what it's like to not have these things. Now that I have them? And my family's safe? That's abundance."
We need to help make that happen. We're ambassadors for Christ! He said He came so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly. He gave us the message. He gave us the example. And He gave us that quality of life when He was with us on earth. These things didn't leave when He did. He gave them to us, so that we'd live by them. If we are to represent Him, we need to follow His example. We need to spread His message. And we need to give that quality of life to others. Let's bring abundant life to others!
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Jeremy Affeldt, pitcher for the three time Baseball World Champion San Francisco Giants and Major League Pitcher for 14 years, retired from playing baseball last month. His streak of 22 consecutive scoreless appearances in the post season trails Mariano Rivera's mark by only one. He is an all-time leader in postseason ERA, with a minimum of 30 innings, with an 0.86.
He follows the belief that "No Man Shall Live For Himself" and "Love Your Neighbor as Yourself." Jeremy is a humanitarian, philanthropist and is co-founder of Generation Alive. He works to end human trafficking, feed the hungry and end poverty. He is the author of To Stir A Movement, Life, Justice, and Major League Baseball. His second book is expected to be released in 2016. He is available for appearances and speaking engagements. Follow him on twitter @JeremyAffeldt and @GenerationAlive.