Monday 8 June 2015

31 Days to Abundant Life: Day 1

Happy Monday Morning! 

Mondays are hard sometimes, aren’t they? Before we went to bed last night I told my husband “I really need a good sleep tonight.” Last week was crazy. We had to have exterminators in our home (another story for another day, eek!) and it was just one of those busy weeks in general so we were pretty much feeling done for by Sunday night. Well, the good sleep didn’t exactly happen. Our baby woke up several times last night not feeling very well. But… His mercies are new every morning and and I’m choosing to abide in Him today.

On the blog, I’m going to be starting a series!

31 Days to Abundant Life 

I got this idea from a blog I’ve mentioned before (Emily P. Freeman’s). I have always loved her ’31 days to’ blog series. I’m pretty excited about it! I’ll give you some background as to why I chose this specific topic…

The other morning I was sitting on our porch, staring up at the light blue sky, admiring the full, bright green trees in our yard, and I realized something. I often live as if “abundant life” is a future feeling rather than a present reality. I felt God stirring something in me. I was reminded that abundant life is here and now. But the question that remained for me was this: What is abundant life and how do I live abundantly?

There’s this verse in John 10:10 that gives us this idea, this God given word, about abundant life. It says this:

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10, ESV)

I’m starting to realize that God’s promises to us, His Word, is really real. When he says I may come that they may have abundant life… He means it. 

So…what does “Abundant” even mean?

Abundant: 
  • existing or available in: large quantities, overflowing quantities, abounding quantities
  • having plenty of something…plentiful, lavish, generous, bountiful, teeming, rich
(Antonyms for Abundant: scarce/ sparse)

Here’s a few different translations of this verse in John:

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (NIV)

My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (NLT)

I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. (MSG)

Here’s what we learn from these definitions and verses...
Abundant life is:
-existing and available in overflowing quantities
-lavish, teeming, generous, plenty
-to the full
-rich and satisfying
-real and eternal
-more and better than we ever dreamed

Now that we understand the technical definition of abundant life, the question remains… How do I live abundantly?

Here’s my very deep and theological answer to that question: I’m not sure.

Which is why I want to take the next 31 days to explore it. 

I want you to hear something important though. This is not going to be a to-do list or a how-to guide. Not at all. Jesus says we already have abundant life in Him. He came to give us this. There’s nothing we can do to get or deserve it. It’s only by His grace.

I’m not sure where these 31 days will take us. I do know that God’s Word is alive and active and that He reveals wisdom to us in order that we might live in truth and freedom. 

Jesus, please reveal to us what abundant life looks like in you. You came into this world and died on a cross and rose again so that we could have life abundant. Not just eternal life which is in the future, but life abundant now, here on earth. Reveal what this might look like in our real, messy, every day lives. We love you and we look to you for all wisdom and insight. Amen.


Join me for 31 Days to Abundant Life?! I’m so excited to see what He will reveal to us.

No comments:

Post a Comment