“Live, Laugh, Love & Lead” became my mantra for life almost 3 years ago, after going through a very tough season. I found myself in a battle–one that was more internal than external. Beloved, I tell you, you truly have not fought a real battle until you war with those that are within the confines of your own mind and spirit. Those battles are hardest to fight because most of the time, you are warring within yourself. During that season of my life I felt like giving up on everything and everyone, including God and the ministry that God placed inside of me. It seemed that everywhere I turned, there were issues, problems and pain. I did not feel like going to church; I did not feel like praying; I did not feel like being around myself, much less people. It felt like everyone was against me and I felt like I wasn’t going to make it. At any given moment, I was ready to call it quits. To make matters worse, God spoke to me only once, and never said anything else during that timeframe. That season lasted 1,051,920 minutes, 17,532 hours, 730 days, yet God spoke only once!!! Through all of that, it wasn’t until 2010, after hanging out in my own “pigpen”, that I came to myself, and said, GET UP! God has not only promised life, but He promised an abundant life. It was at that very moment that I began to reevaluate my life.

I’ve discovered two ways I could live in abundance, knowing every day is a non-refundable, precious gift from God. The first way to live in abundance is to seize the day. One of the great patriarchs of the Old Testament, King David, sets an awesome example of how to seize the day. In Psalm 142:1- 4, we find King David held up in a cave, hiding from Saul, running for his life. He was frightened, battered, exasperated and defeated. But in verses 5 – 6 David starts to praise God. What happened? Saul didn’t concede. The cave didn’t turn into a luminous palace. The only thing that transformed was David’s attitude! If you’re waiting for all of your bills to be paid, everything in your life to be perfect, everyone who doesn’t like you to favor you, or a better job, YOU WON’T EVER BE HAPPY!!! David’s prayers didn’t modify his situation for him, his prayers revolutionized him for his situation. When you allow people and problems to determine your happiness, you are giving too much power to external forces that impact your internal peace.

The final way that I learned to live everyday in abundance is to serve the Lord. If Jesus is not your Lord, then who is? And how long are we supposed to serve Him? Every day until the last day! When are we supposed to start? NOW! It is never too late.

Beloved, today is the day that the Lord has made! I admonish you on this day to LIVE in abundance every second of this day! LAUGH all day long! LOVE every hour that you have left! This day will never come again, so let us not waste it. Beloved, LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE, and LEAD!

A soda bottle reads: “No Deposit, No Return.” If you don’t go to the trouble of bringing it back, you don’t get anything back. That’s life!!! The only way you get something out of life is when you bring your life back to where you got it from–to God! God is the giver of life, but not just life, ABUNDANT LIFE! Take what you have been given and give it back to the One who gave it. No deposit, no return! Put your life in God’s hands and “LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE & LEAD”!

bINpowered,
D.K.Kearney.
©2013