Abundant Life: How do I live in abundance?
For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
- Matthew 12:34-35
In John 10, Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” But what exactly is abundant living?
“I have come that you might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10b
What is Abundant Living?
Living an abundant life means focusing on and giving thanks for the blessings in your life rather than focusing on what has been taken away or what is lacking.
Living in abundance does not mean an abundance of material things. Material possessions are fleeting, here today and gone tomorrow.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21
In Matthew 6:25-32 God assures us that we do not need to worry about what we will eat or what we will wear. While physical blessings can be gifts from God, neither wealth nor poverty are indications of a person’s status with God.
Living an Abundant Life
Living an abundant life begins with having faith in Jesus Christ (being born again). When you have faith in Jesus, you desire a personal relationship with God, your motives change, and in turn your relationship with worldly ideals change too.
Genuine abundant living comes from joy and gratitude toward what we have, not wishing for or pursing what the world claims we need.
For a Christian, fullness of life is not measured in terms of wealth, power, or prestige, but seeking after God and His goodness. We must grow in the grace and knowledge of our savior Jesus Christ.
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 3:18
Peter teaches us that an abundant life is a continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing. We must remember that failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming are parts of this continual learning process.
Abundant Living Mindset
In order to live an abundant life, we must first change our mindset. We must WORK to focus on the blessings in our life — yes, you must WORK at it, because it is not going to come naturally.
Our culture does not make it easy to live an abundant life. We’ve all caught ourselves scrolling through social media and saying to ourselves, “I wish I had a boat like that.” Or “Man, I wish I could take my family on a vacation like they did.” Or “I wish I had a job like that.” It is in our nature to desire material things and envy what others have.
In order to achieve an abundant living mindset, we must stop this habit of constantly wanting more.
Give it a try!
As quickly as you can list 10 things you are grateful for in your life right now.
How’d you do? Was it easy for you to name 10 things?
You may have thought of things such as:
- health
- the roof I have over my head
- my job
- family
- the food I have to eat
- the sun is shinning
- I am alive
- I know Jesus
I challenge you to keep a running list. Add to it over time. Whenever you find yourself wishing for something you don’t have, seek out the positive.
Example: I can’t believe I didn’t get the promotion I applied for! My family could have really used the extra money.
Find the positive: By not having more job responsibility I am able to spend more quality time with my family.
Sometimes you have to dig deep and look at the nitty, gritty. Sometimes you have to rise up and look at the situation from a different angle. But I promise you, the blessings are always there.
What does abundant life look like?
True abundant life consists of an abundance of love, joy, peace (and the rest of the fruits of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23), not an abundance of “stuff.”
Often, when you ask someone what it means to be a Christian, they focus on what happens when you leave this earth. You will hear things like, “When I became a Christian my sins were forgiven and now when I die, I can go to heaven.” Yes, that is true. If you are a Christian, you will go to heaven. But God also wants to play a part in your life right now, here on earth.
God wants the best for you
In 3 John 2 it says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” God WANTS you to succeed in life. He wants you to prosper in all things; your family, your relationships, your health, your finances. But if your soul does not prosper, neither will other areas of your life.
How do you prosper your soul?
- Be in God’s word.
God’s plan for success begins with the words we speak. We should realize that success and abundant life only come if the words we speak line up with the words of God. - Ask yourself, how are you feeding your soul?
The things you are holding as truth, where do they come from? Are they coming from TV? The news? Friends? Doctors? Teachers? Or are they coming from God’s word?For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
Matthew 12:34-35One way to find out what is really in your heart is to simply listen to yourself speak. Beware, this may be a truly eye-opening exercise.
Are you speaking words of doubt, fear, lack, dissatisfaction? If you are, maybe you to meditate on God’s word.
Meditating on God’s word is so much more than just reading it. It involves deep contemplation and applying its teaching to your own life. Dwell on the God’s word instead of that social media feed or the latest news report.
When you mediate on God’s word, your heart and mind are filled. You tend to have a sense of peace even in the middle of difficulties.
Abundant Living
By living an abundant life, we are saying we truly believe in God’s goodness and providence. Abundant living means believing God is working for your good, no matter what is taken away from you and not wavering in your faith.
Remember, anything we lack, God has in abundance. We have everything we need in Him. Our view of God will determine our view of abundance. Pray and ask God to help you see the riches we have in Christ that have nothing to do with material possessions.
Additional Bible Verses About Abundant Life:
- Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
– Colossians 3:2-3
- Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
– James 1:17 - Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
– Romans 15:13 - And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19
The Redeemed
The goal of The Redeemed is to provide men a supportive, communal environment where they can discuss their problems, worries, and feelings of “brokenness” without fear of being judged or censored. Please consider joining us for one of our online small groups. We would love to connect with you and hold each other accountable for living an abundant life.
In these challenging, uncertain times, many men feel broken and alone. The Redeemed aims to show them they’re not alone in their brokenness, and that God’s love and strength are available to them too—not in spite of their human failings, but because.
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