Go For The Big Life

Lets start with this verse: Jn 10:10 The thief cometh not but for to steal to kill and destroy, but I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly

1 Chron 4:9-10 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

*It doesn’t say he was richer or wealthier

*It doesn’t say he was stronger

*It doesn’t say he was more educated

What the scripture does say is: He was more honorable

Honorable: Not disposed to cheat or defraud, not deceptive or fraudulent

Showing character of honor and integrity

Adhering to ethical and moral principles

Deserving of esteem and respect

This means that Jabez was more honorable, which means of a higher character, of more excellent attitude and heart

He was more trust worthy, more dependable

He had proven himself and earned the respect of his peers

This makes it clear: The most important things in life are not material and external, they are spiritual and they are internal, (they are matters of the heart)

Life circumstances and problems and people and the economy all have impact on our natural lives and can have tremendous effect on us financially and materially and physically.

They might lift us up to great heights one day and knock us down to the ground the next.

But when it comes to my heart, I’m in charge (you’re in charge of your heart)

You decide whether it rides high on the mountain or wallows in the valley.

You decide whether you’re going to live in the lowlands of mediocrity or ride the high places of honor, integrity, excellence.

No matter what happens (to) you, you are in charge of what happens (in) you.

Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan, he was king Sauls grandson, (he was of royal blood and lineage) but when he was a very young child his nurse dropped him and he became a cripple (lame on his feet) but he was not only crippled physically, he became an emotional cripple.

(He chose to be a cripple on life)

He chose to let his physical condition define him

I’m going to say something right here: All of us have had bad things happen to us in life, we have all had bad breaks, we have all been dropped in someway in this life.

You may have been abused physically, lied on, betrayed

Maybe you have had your dreams smashed over and over again

Maybe you have invested in relationships that let you down time after time

Maybe you lost your job, or your home

Jabez was a man like that: Just like Mephibosheth he had been dropped in life.

His life story begins very sad: From his birth there was a heaviness that surrounded him (his very name was a curse laid on him by his mother) It’s one thing to be cursed by people in general, we have all had people that didn’t like us (and definitely as a Christian we know we have enemies) but his own mother laid a curse on him.

We don’t know why: Maybe it was the circumstances of her own life (there is no mention of Jabezs father) or maybe it was the pain she was experiencing while bearing the child, we don’t know but she named him Jabez (Jabez means One who afflicts, one who causes grief and misery and pain)

So Jabez began his life under a dark cloud, it was as though his destiny was prophesied: He would be a person that would bring misery and grief and pain to every life he touched.

Like Mephibosheth: Jabez had been dropped by life, life had not been good to him

But there was a difference between Mephibosheth and Jabez: One day something happened inside of Jabez.

We don’t know when, but one day Jabez gets this thought ( This is not the real me, I don’t care what my mother named me, and I don’t care what my circumstances have named me, and I don’t care what my peers have named me) That’s not me.

That’s not me:

I’m bigger than that

I’m better than that

I’m not a loser

I’m not one who afflicts, and one who causes grief and pain and one who afflicts

And Jabez broke out

I love this story because it shows us:

You can rise above your circumstances

You can get out

You may be in the ghetto, but the ghetto doesn’t have to be in you