An Abundant Life

“A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful ambassador brings health” (Proverbs 13:17 NKJV).

A faithful ambassador brings what? A faithful ambassador brings health!

How does somebody bring health? Does an unhealthy person bring health? Does a wounded heart or someone who has not dealt with his own heart condition bring healing to others? What about somebody who is battling with emotions that are out of control? Does that kind of missionary bring a healthy gospel to a foreign land? To a city like the one you live in?   

When we say, “We are missionaries…” my desire is that we are healthy missionaries. That we would bring health; that we would be faithful ambassadors.

Let’s consider what we are going to be faithful for. Yes, to bring the gospel to the world around us and, yes, to bring help to those in need. But the first thing we must faithful over is the condition of our own heart. We must come into having a strong and healthy heart before the Lord.

Don’t you long for that, my friend? Don’t you long just to be healed and holy and healthy and have a strong spiritual well-being on the inside? Don’t you wish you would wake up in the morning and have life and joy and peace and the abundance that Jesus has promised?

He said, “I’ve come to give you life and life mediocrity so that you can live life poorly and live life wounded . . . and angry . . . and troubled.” Wait! Is that what Jesus said? Or did he say, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10)?

An abundant life! Healthy! Full! Vigorous! Strong! Courageous! We should strive to become Christians who recognize that this power comes out of a heart that has been healed, that is being made healthy and whole in him, and in him alone.