Abundant Life

John 10:10 (KJV) "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Abundant: marked by great plenty;  amply supplied; abounding 

God's desire for our lives is abundance. This is true for every area of our lives. However, we need to know God's priorities and align ours with his. 

Our first priority must be to seek first the kingdom. Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." When our focus is on the kingdom, all other things will fade in importance. 

Another priority we must have is to crucify our flesh. Galatians 2:20 "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  We need to daily die to self and live for Christ. We will not always succeed but we will learn new lessons and deeper truths along the way. We will gain a greater understanding of who God is and who we are in him. 

When we fail he forgives and sets us back on the right track. When a child is learning to walk and begins to take the first brave, halting steps alone, the parents don't get angry when he falls, they lovingly pick him up, comfort him, and set him in his feet again. That is how our Heavenly Father treats his children who are repentant. 

To continue, we must yield our (bodies) lives to the will and direction of the Father. Romans 12:1 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him."  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body."  

Yielding costs us something. We must give up running the show. That is not easy for people who have been taught all our lives, by the culture, that life is about "me" and if it feels good to us and makes us happy we should do it. I can tell you from personal experience that allowing God to run the show brings peace and joy. 

Further, we must become givers. We must yield our time, talents, and resources to God and obey him on how to use them.  Luke 6:38 "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” 

Jesus illustrated this in the temple. Luke 21:1-4 "While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. 'I tell you the truth,' Jesus said, 'this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.'"  It is not about how much we give but the attitude with which we do it. The wealthy made grand shows of putting their gifts in the box, this widow quietly came and gave out of a heart of gratitude and praise. She gave not to receive praise from men but to honor her God. 

Additionally, we must learn to be content with what God provides for us. Hebrews 13:5 "Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,'I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.'"   Philippians 4:11 "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have."  

Finally, we must put off worry. Worry comes from lack of trust (faith). If we trusted God to supply ALL our needs we would not worry. Matthew 6:25-33 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Abundant life is a life of peace and joy. A life free from fear and anxiety. When we make God's priorities ours by; seeking first the kingdom, crucifying our flesh, yielding our lives to God's control, becoming givers, learning to be content with what he provides, and putting off worry, we will have peace and joy. We will have abundant life.