This is one of my all time favorite quotes: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 quoting Jesus New King James
Society tells us that abundance is about having all the money, material things and time to live a self directed life. You know, the American Dream. While that is certainly a type of abundance and popular worldview, it is not what Jesus was speaking of.
True abundance is far more than time and money: It’s about having the peace of mind to enjoy your wealth without being defined, attached or controlled by it. It’s about having the kind of Faith that is sure of what you hope for and certain of what you can not see. It’s about having the kind of love that is unconditional, unwavering and everlasting.
So how do we get that?
True abundance is a result of being connected/aligned with your Creator. True alignment sets a person free from their posessions, to be who they really are apart from social, psychic and genetic conditioning. We all have a tendency to define our identity/worth based upon our roles, production and posessions. That’s a fools game and leads to significant collateral damage (disillusionment, mid life crisis, divorce, addictions, depression) and partially explains why nearly 30% of the US adults now use prescription medications. It’s a growing national epidemic!
Now for the Good News: From God’s perspective, your identity/value has nothing to do with your roles/productivity or even how good a person you think you are. That’s your false identity or Ego as I like to call it. Ego stands for Edging God Out!
“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 again Jesus is pointing toward the secret to living an abundant life. So what is the Truth He speaks of and how can we make sure we are aligned with it. The truth is we are all separated from God and need to be reconciled with Him to fulfill our potential/purpose on this earth. Jesus came 2010 years ago and paid the price by giving up his life to make atonement for our sin. When we accept this gift as a payment for how we’ve missed the mark we are reborn spiritually……and our true identity is established in Him. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. -John 14:6
While this may seem strange and exclusive, it was God’s plan from the beginning. Did you realize the Old Testament has well over 200 references to the coming of Jesus? These were written as much as1500 years before He came. So how do we ensure we are aligned with God?
Simply put, we must be in right relationship with God (through Christ) and live accordinging to His Ways: The Bible is inspired or “God breathed” and represents recorded history of God’s interaction with Man from creation to the end times. In it you will find all the principles and wisdom for living a life of true abundance. Bible stands for: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.
Recommended Action:
1. Request your Who I am in Christ daily devotional.
a. Simply read these promises for 30-days and transform your false identity from egotism to “Being a child of God.”
2. Invest in a One year bible and spend 30 minutes a day in quiet time reading, prayer and reflection.
Choose True Abundance!