Abundant life seems to be the topic of many conversations these days, whether it is in a worldly sense, or in the lives of the Believers in Christ. But the problem is that most people consider abundance in a monetary sense only, while others add to it status and material possessions. Where riches and prosperity are mentioned in the Word of God, there are those who consider only the treasures which are accumulated upon the earth. But today, I want to look at abundance in a different light…the Light of God’s Word.
Jesus said in Luke 12-15, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” In this passage, He is purposely turning our eyes off the material and temporal things of this life and focusing our attention on the eternal. A great way to measure the value we place on things is to ask ourselves, “where does it stand in light of eternity? Will it last, or will it also come to nothing?”
As we read further, Jesus begins to tell the parable of a rich man who is successful in gaining a great deal of material wealth. He thinks to himself that he will tear down his meager storehouses (barns) and build bigger ones, thereby allowing him to live in greater luxury. But God said to him (vs.20) “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?”We are warned in 1 Timothy 6:5 of those that look toward gain as a sign of godliness, and he tells us to withdraw from them. But in verse 6, Paul says, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” And Paul shares the secret of abundance with the church in Philippi when he said, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” (Philippians 4:11)
When we stand before The Lord, how will our wealth be measured? By the amount of earthly things we accumulated, or maybe by the number of lives we used our wealth to reach in the name of Jesus? Abundance will take on a totally different meaning when we get to Heaven.
So what is this abundant life Jesus promises to all who will follow Him. In Ephesians 2:4 Paul wrote, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…” Praise God for His marvelous mercy by which he saved us and calls us His own. And in 1 Timothy1:14, he also wrote, “And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” We have the abundance of His grace, which produces faith and love within us. In 1 Corinthians 12:23, abundant honor; in Isiah 55:7, abundant pardon; in 2 Corinthians 8:2, abundant joy; in Philippians 4:7, abundant peace; in Psalm 16:11, the abundance of His presence, and the list goes on and on. We have the fullness of all that He is and all that He possesses at our disposal according to His great grace. Glory to God!!
So does this abundance also include our material and physical needs being met? ABSOLUTELY!! Philippians 4:19 promises us, “But my God shall supply all of your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Through Jesus, God has provided everything we need to live victoriously in this life. We don’t need to set our eyes on material gain, for Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) If there’s one thing we don’t need as Christians, it’s to let our material possessions possess us. The Word of God tells us that He WILL supply our needs, and I have seen Him do that for many years. But what He didn’t say is that He would supply our greed. God’s desire is NOT for you to put your sights on the things of the world.
So
how are we to determine our true needs according to the purpose of God for our
lives? What has He given you to do? We all have a task within the Kingdom of
God, we just need to find out where it is. Because, what God has called you to
do, THAT is what He will provide for. Trust Him to take care of everything you
and your family have need of as long as you are putting His priorities first in
your life. 2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us, “And God is able to make all grace
abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may
have an abundance for every good work.” We don’t give in order to get,
but when we do give to others in need out a heart of love toward one another,
He will make sure that we have what we need too. The key to having all that we
need is to first seek the Kingdom of God and put His priorities first in our
lives.
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