Abundant Life

Jesus told us that not only did He come that we may have life, but that we could have it abundantly. This is a beautiful truth, but it can be something that is easily glanced over. So we have abundant life available to us. Right. We know that it comes from Jesus, from His sacrifice and His taking away the punishment for sin. But what does an abundant life look like? In what ways do our lives become abundant. I know that myself, and many other ministers would be quick to answer that question with “in every way!” response. And that is a truthful answer. But how do we walk that out? How do we enter in to that type of life? That is where things have an opportunity to become muddled.

I listen to lots of teaching. I take notes during sermons and conferences. I study the Word. I pray. I do all these things as I have heard mighty men and women of God describe. I listen to worship music, mostly songs that take scriptures and put them to music. Songs that sing of God’s goodness and His faithfulness. And it is in that place right there that we can very easily miss it. How? If we are doing those things, aren’t we doing the right thing after all? Aren’t we living according to God’s Word? Absolutely. When we sit under different teachings, different ministers who all have different giftings and anointings on their lives, we can be encouraged and enlightened to so much so fast. And we can grab hold of so many principles, godly principles, that will produce fruit in our lives and prove God’s Word true. And we can still feel empty. We can still understand in our spirit that something just isn’t what it should be. Or even worse, we can do all these things and see almost nothing. We can set out and do the things that God has told us to do, we can follow it, step out in faith, do as we’ve been instructed; and not see the results we thought we would see. We can even fail to see the things God told us we would see.

Then what? Is it God’s fault? It would be easy to blame Him, after all, He said to do it, so if I have done it and it isn’t looking like it should it’s obviously on Him. Sure, there are times things take longer than we want, but that’s not so much what I’m focusing in on. I’m speaking directly to the root of what is behind a lot of our frustrations; and like it or not, it’s not God. It is literally impossible for it to be His fault. Why? Simple answer: He’s perfect. His timing, His ways, His thoughts, and His plans. All of it and all of Him are perfect. So, what could possibly be behind this? Maybe it’s because we aren’t reading long enough, maybe

if we just pray more. Or I know, maybe if I serve more and try to be involved in every little thing that goes on at church. Maybe sow more seed, increase my tithe. That’ll surely bring it all about, right? Maybe. It might very well be a portion of some of those things. But at the root of every single one of those examples lies an issue that gets passed over all too often and ultimately leads to struggle and set backs. What is it? No foundation. Or maybe there was a foundation, but it has become weak and eroded with busyness. What is that foundation? Our relationship with the Lord. The time and energy we purposely pour into spending time with Him for one reason and one reason alone: to know Him. He has plans for us. But they are just that: HIS plans. And guess Who it is that wants to reveal those plans to you? Hint: it isn’t any human. The Living God, the Author of Creation, The Great I AM wants to reveal them to you.

And that’s why we can get off track so easily if we aren’t vigilant. How can we or will we ever know what those plans are if we don’t purpose to spend time with Him? How will we learn to hear His voice and know His heart if we don’t set aside time for and with Him? We won’t. Consider this: one of the most important keys to any healthy relationship is communication. When there is no communication between you and the other person in the relationship, what happens? Misunderstandings, assumptions, confusion, frustration, and inevitability, a drifting apart takes place. Why? Because there is no communication. There is no investment. No purposing to speak with and listen to the other person. That’s how we come to know people. As we spend time with them, listen to what they have to say and see their actions, it reveals what is in their heart. So how can we ever possibly hope to truly and intimately know our God, our Heavenly Father, if we never communicate with Him? If we never set out to get to know Him. He is the One we have covenant with now. As His children He has established His covenant with us. And that fact brings forth the single greatest truth we must learn to grab hold of: there is no relationship more important than our relationship with Him. None. Are you married? Great, you’ll need to understand that you will never truly gain the capacity to perfectly love your spouse without a relationship with our Father. He knows our spouses better than we do. And let’s ask ourselves this question before we go any further: would our marriages be possible without communication? No. They would fall apart. If I only told my wife “I love you” on our wedding day, and never spoke those words to her again, how could I expect her to show me love and speak those words to me? I can’t just assume she knows. It would be insane to think “well, I told her I loved her once. She should know. I meant what I said.” Relationship doesn’t work like that. But there are times when we treat our relationship with our Father that exact way. We come to Christ, give our lives to Him, we thank Him, we praise Him, but then what? Oh, the “honeymoon phase” wears off, and the new and shininess of my relationship with Him dulls a bit. And slowly but surely, we become more and more busy, more and more task driven, and turn spending time with Him into a checklist of spiritual and holy things I “need to get done” to fulfill my religious requirements. Wow. Talk about the fast track to lukewarm relationship. And that is not a very good place to be in. I can say that because I have been there. Heck, I was there and didn’t even realize it!! What happened?

I left my first love. I forgot the very thing that drew me to Him in the first place: His love. It became about doing things for Him instead of walking with Him. It turned into working for Him instead of Him working through me. I allowed my fire to slowly turn into embers, and it happened sitting in church, going to conferences, singing praise and worship songs. I gave my life to Him. I devoted the days I have left on this earth to do whatever He says to do. So how in the world is this possible? Because my heart became about the things of God and not God Himself. It became about doing certain things to bear certain fruit. It became about saying certain things because they were the right things to say. Doing things I knew I was supposed to do, but it was to try and impress God. Convince Him to love me more. He can’t. Can He be more pleased with me? Absolutely. But it doesn’t come from just doing and saying what I know I should. It has to come from my heart. It has to come out of the love I have for Him. Why? Because everything He says and does for me comes from the love He has for me. I have covenant with Him. That means I get ALL of Him, not just partial. I get ALL of His best. That compels me to give Him ALL of my best. Is it enough? Not in my power or strength. But when it comes from the love I have for Him, and the place of being in Christ Jesus, He is in fact well pleased. Jesus sacrifice wasn’t made as a “get out of Hell free” card. It isn’t fire insurance. Jesus took the penalty of sin, removed it from our lives, so we could once again come back into the presence of our Creator and live in relationship with Him. Right now. Not once we die. Yes, we will be with Him in eternity. But we have been made right in His sight through the blood of Christ. That is what has established the covenant. And in that place we are in right standing with Him right now, and in that have the ability to walk in constant communion with God RIGHT NOW!! No other generation has had the ability to do that since Adam and Eve. Yes, there are people God used all through out time to do His will. Yes, He set them aside and they had fellowship. But this is different. This covenant is better. Why? Because it’s for ANYONE who chooses to enter into it. It is for EVERYONE! That is the love of God on full display. You want relationship with Him? You can have it. Just know it comes at a cost. You get to lay down your life. And that is the other key to being able to remain in fellowship and communion with Him: He made me, He has plans for me, He has things for me, but to gain access to any of it, I MUST lay down my life. It is no longer about what I want. I can’t check off a list of do’s and don’ts to get what I want. It doesn’t work like that. But laying my life down realizing that what He has to offer is far greater than anything I could muster up on my best day.

This is the place we must return to as the church. As His people. His children. He gave us the right to become those things. It isn’t automatic. It is determined by the posture of our hearts. It is where the cliché saying came from “it isn’t about religion, it’s about a relationship.” It is well said. But it takes work. Not because what He’s done in us is incomplete, but because we still live in a world that is riddled with distractions and lies all aimed at keeping us separated from Him. All that said to say this: keep it simple. The main thing has to stay the main thing: we are made to be in relationship with our Father, and our lives are designed to flow from that place. So the most important and main thing has to be our relationship with Him. Apart from Him we can do nothing. Only God can reveal His plans for you, only God can lead you where He wants you to go. And the only way to hear and receive those things is to spend time with Him. Every other principle, every other promise in all of scripture will come to pass from that place. Every thing we are made for is built upon our relationship with Him. How strong that relationship is will depend on one person: me. No one else can do it for me. Jesus made the way. Now I must choose to walk it out. Christ is the Rock. His sacrifice is what gives me the right to come before God. That is what my life is built on. And my life is abundant, because my relationship with my Father is abundant. Choose now, go out and get all He has for you. Choose abundance. Choose life. Choose Him!