Are You Living an Abundant Life?

If someone walked up to you and asked you if you have an abundant life, what would you tell them? Would you describe the house you live in, the car you drive or perhaps the trips you have taken or the places that you have seen? Maybe your life is centered on your children’s ball games or their school activities. Just what do you think living an abundant life means?

Abundance is one of those funny words that you seem to understand when you have it. It could mean plentiful or large amounts of something or ample and abounding. It is one of those words that is represented not only in fact but also in feelings. One man’s abundance is another man’s scarcity.

As always, we Christians can look to the Bible to understand how we should view the abundance or lack of it in our lives. In fact, in John 10:10, Jesus promises us that He came to us that we might have abundant life in Him. In this passage the Greek word for abundant means “exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate”. Jesus meant for us to have a “fullness of life”. Too often we try to make it mean “look at what God has done for me”. I am respected, I make lots of money, I have a big house, I have good children, I go to church and so on ……. all pointing to us and how blessed we are with our material things.

There are other passages about abundance in the Bible that perhaps can further clarify what Jesus was really saying. Jesus called His disciples not because they were wealthy, or had a high position or power, and they were not of the privileged class (1 Co 1:26-28). Sinning cost God’s chosen people the loss of an abundant harvest (Ne 9:37). God blessed His Chosen people with abundant provision as well as salvation and joy (Ps 132:15-16), He blesses those who work for their food but not those who chase fantasies (Prov 28:19). In the parable of the rich fool, Jesus tells us, (Lk 12:13-21) that if we concern ourselves with possessions and not with God it will not end well for us. If, however, we follow Christ, in heart, mind and deed we can receive God’s grace and justification through Christ (Ro 5:17-19). It is only through our sharing of our gifts and treasures that we can understand God’s gift of abundance in our lives (2Co 1:5-6 & 2 Co 9:6-8).

What is the abundant life? True abundance is spiritual abundance, not material abundance. It is our relationship with God all the way to our eternal life. Lastly it is us growing in the grace and knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ.