Are You Willing to Abound?

As a young man I was more than willing to endure tough times and live on very little resources. I just never required lots of stuff or lots of money. But this attitude became a road block to accomplishing God’s will for our ministry. Consequently, God helped me become willing to abound through his super human provision.

God always operates with long-term goals in mind. After all, he knows everything about the past and his plans for the eternal future! In the early 1980’s the church we pastored was doing very well. However, the salary which I had set for myself proved inadequate for meeting our needs. Our aging car needed replaced, but we couldn’t really afford a car payment. One day, as I was spending private time with the Lord, his Spirit plainly asked me a question: “Are you willing to abound?” That question got me to thinking about my attitude toward financial prosperity.

Soon after the Lord asked me if I was willing to abound, he motivated someone to buy Delores and me a brand new luxury car. I think the Lord was getting my attention and replacing my willingness to barely scrape by.

I really started believing God’s promises to bless us not just spiritually, but in every area of life. This new belief in God’s provision led to a new trust in his person. This trust in God’s person was soon to be thoroughly tested.

Dee and I left the church we had pastored 15 years, moved to Houston and somehow expected to move to Singapore, Southeast Asia and serve as missionaries. I did alright the first couple of weeks in Houston, but one night I woke up about 1 or 2 a.m. absolutely terrified. I thought I had lost my mind! “You can’t leave a church you pastored 15 years and somehow expect to raise enough funds to move to Southeast Asia! You better call that church and see if they will have you back as pastor.” I arose from bed, walked to our apartment living room and sat down on the couch trying to get myself together. Praying didn’t help, reading the Bible got me no place. I was a basket case. Suddenly, the same Holy Spirit who had rescued me before intervened. “Are you going to live by my promises or by your human explanations?” he asked me. After sitting there a while, I looked up and said to the Lord, “I am going to live by your promises.” Immediate and complete peace filled my emotions and my thoughts. We proceeded with our fund-raising and in about a year and a half we moved to Southeast Asia.

So, dear friends, “trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding,” Proverbs 3:5.