How to live an abundant life
What does it mean to live an abundant life? And why do Christians keep saying it? Yes, God wants you to live an abundant life; right here on earth. We don’t have to wait until we reach heaven to enjoy the blessings of God. God has given you the tools to live a fulfilling life right here and make the most of the time we have while we wait for His coming.
A while ago I spoke about how Christians are citizens of God’s kingdom. As members of God’s kingdom, we have access to everything good that God has to offer. Everything belongs to God, therefore as His children, we live a more abundant life because God is taking care of us.
“….for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.”
Psalm 50:12
What does living an abundant life in Christ mean?
Well, it means living a life that is contented in Christ; living every day with a sense of purpose. According to the Oxford Online Dictionary, the word ‘abundantly’ means ‘existing or available in large quantities.’ And according to Strong’s Greek Dictionary the word abundantly used in our devotional text means ‘in the sense of beyond); superabundant (in quantity) or superior (in quality).’
God wants us to live a life of greatness, a life that has more to offer, a better quality of life. Does that mean every Christian is designated to be rich? I wish! But no, we are not all called to be wealthy but we are all called to live a life that is driven by the righteousness of Christ, wrapped in his mercy and protected by his grace.
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Let’s look at 5 keys from the Bible that can help us better understand what an abundant life in Christ looks like.
1. Seek God first
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 6:33
Of course, the first thing we must do to live an abundant life is to seek God first. This is a promise, that everything that we need will be provided for us once we seek His kingdom first. Holding onto this promise means that we don’t have to worry about tomorrow because we know that God is already taking care of it.
2. Trust in God
“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.“
Proverbs 3:6
When we give our plans over to God, we are saying “Here God, take my life and make it better.” Whether or not we are going through hard times when we put our trust in God, we can be sure that He will work things out for good in the end. Letting God direct your path also means, allowing him to fulfil His purpose in you.
3. Contentment
“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
Philippians 4:11
I absolutely love this verse! In all things, Paul learned to be content. Whether he was in someone’s home preaching to God’s people or he was writing to the church from a prison cell, he was content. When we ask God to be content, we are not asking him to let us settle for less than that, but we are asking him to give us peace of mind that he is in the background working things out in our favour.
4. Waiting on God
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31
Waiting on God may be difficult but it is an essential part of living an abundant life in Christ. I can’t tell you how many times I made poor choices because of my impatience. I believe that patience is a gift, some of us have it and some of us…well not so much. But when you wait on God’s guidance we will see him gracefully fitting the pieces of your life together.
5. Uplifting Others
“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Matthew 22:39
The Christian life is also a life lived to serve others. Ministry is an important part of living an abundant life. As followers of Christ we are called to serve others, it is our purpose to be obedient (Ecclesiastes 12:13) and to spread the gospel to the world (Matthew 28:20). It does not necessarily mean that you have to be a Pastor or go on multiple mission trips, but ask God what he would have you to do to serve others and to bring glory and honour to Him.
We have no idea of the amazing things God has planned for us if we just surrender our will to him.
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9
Exceedingly Abundantly
Living an abundant life in Christ allows us to show God’s love to others without saying one word. When others see that we are content and purpose-fulfilled they too will want to follow Christ. We must all, therefore, ask God for a life of abundance, not only so we can be blessed with more money but that we can be a blessing to others.
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”
Ephesians 3:20
Prayer for Today:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Great, be your name! Thank you for wanting me to have an abundant life. Help me to trust you more and to live a life that is pleasing in your sight.
Amen.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article today. If you have a question, query or story you’d like to share with me, please leave a comment or email me using the form below.
