An Abundant Life | Liz La Voie
Last year on New Year’s Day, I sat across from my husband at an IHOP restaurant with my hopes, dreams, and questions ready to discuss our goals. I wanted us to dream big about where we envisioned ourselves in the future - maybe 5 years or even 10 years from now. I tend to romanticize often. His response was practical and kind. He simply mentioned that he wanted to eat his pancakes before thinking about the next five years of life. Then I cried… Right there inside an IHOP. I’m pretty sure the waitress noticed too. Ever experienced this? Maybe not necessarily the part about having a slight meltdown at an IHOP. (Don’t worry. We laugh about it now.) Without a doubt, you have at some point experienced disappointment too. Friend, you’re not alone. If I’m honest, my disappointment was because I felt stuck. I didn’t feel excited or motivated because I felt like I had nothing to “win” or achieve. Classic Enneagram 3 right?! The busiest season of my life was back in 2018 when I was planning my wedding, working two part-time jobs, and pursuing my master’s degree.
Then in 2019, I got married, finished grad school, and moved across the country with my husband. Eventually, I started my first full-time job and was adjusting to this slower pace of life. I felt like a retired person trying to find some sort of newfound purpose or at least a new hobby to keep me busy as usual. Here’s why I shared that story. The Lord spoke to me through his Word. Psalm 23 starts off with the well-known statement: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” Another translation says, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I have what I need.” In John 10, Jesus says that he is the Good Shepherd. He continues by saying that the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
Sometimes we struggle to discern God’s will and plans for our lives because we’re not really well-acquainted with Jesus’s voice. We can’t really follow if we don’t know how to hear him. But in order to listen, we have to be willing to slow down, quiet all the noise in our lives, and open up the Bible.
Let’s be real. I don’t think I know anyone who truly loves waiting. Most of us don’t really like silence either. And we tend to fill our time with long to-do lists to stay busy and distracted.
We like the sound of abundance right? I like to picture more clothes, more trips to Target, more coffee, more vacations, and more friends. But here’s the truth: Jesus didn’t say that a full schedule or closet is evidence of an abundant life. An excess of anything isn’t really the biblical definition of an “abundant life.”
An abundant life is all about the fullness of Christ himself. As a follower of Jesus, I am not guaranteed a life without struggles but I am promised a life filled with hope and strength in the midst of the trials. This is living life to the fullest, trusting that Jesus knows best for us so we follow his lead.
Even if you’re feeling stuck in this season, please know that Jesus loves and cares for us. Maybe the invitation this year is all about surrender, slow growth, more dependence, or more obedience. Yet again, my only resolution for 2022 will be to pursue a life of wholeness over hustling. Will we listen and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd? Friend, I hope you’ll join me.
Note from Jeanette- Isn’t Liz’s story amazing! God wants to meet us at our needs, and Liz demonstrates what it means to be patient. To hear more from Liz click here!!
