abundance in the life of the believer
Abundance in the life of the believer can be obtained through the many wonderful benefits God has promised in His Word. Within the course of daily Christian living these benefits may include tangible as well as intangible things, such as: all the spiritual gifts that are mentioned in the scriptures, as well as God's divine protection and provision He so freely gives us.
Wherever you live in this world, and whether or not your country of origin is a rich one with much prosperity, vast wealth, and/or natural resources, you can be sure that God will take care of you and give you all that you need as you live for Him.
What are these benefits I speak of, and what does God give to those who believe, love, obey, and follow Him? Here are just a few of them:
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According to the passage of Galatians 5:22-23 the fruits of the Spirit are mentioned, which are also some of the benefits given to the believer, such as: |
Other wonderful benefits God gives His people as believers are gifts such as:
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The massive abundance of God and the results that come from the many benefits of being a child of God reach far and beyond anything we as humans could ever think or know of. Psalm 103 explains it so beautifully for us. Here is the passage:
"Bless the Lord, O my soul: And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed. He made His way known unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewardeth us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Like a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all..."
abundance carries great responsibility
Perhaps, in reading this, you were thinking here only about the aspect of success, money, or the accumulation of possessions, but as Jesus warns us in Luke 12:15, ..."Take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth."
Of course it is of great blessing when the Lord gives us these things or allows us to gain wealth, or amass a few of the creature comforts of life, but God gives it so that in turn, you can give to others who are also in need. Those things He gives you, you are indeed responsible and accountable for.
The gospel message of salvation is such a great example of this in that God has given us this free gift not to only keep to ourselves but to tell others, witnessing and testifying of His love and salvation so that they too can believe and share their faith with others. From this, we benefit from the abundant life in Him while on this earth, as well as looking forward to eternal life with Him in heaven.
accounting for abundance
Our Lord requires every Christian to live in accordance to His word, and to follow His teachings in every aspect of living, and this is one of them. He expects you to give and help others when you have more than enough to sustain yourself and your family. The abundance the Lord gives you or allows you to have on this earth will be accounted for at the end of your life.
It is so easy to live only for self, but as followers of Christ, He blesses us with more out of His grace and mercy. So therefore, when we help those who are less fortunate than we, or with those who are struggling in one way or the other, we are bringing about blessings to ourselves as well.
In the end, we will all give an account to God for everything, as well as what we do with our money, treasures, and possessions.This is spoken of in:
- Romans 14:11-12, which says, "For it is written, 'As I live', saith the Lord, 'every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.' So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Furthermore, in
- Luke 16:10-12 it says, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?" Also in,
- Matthew 12:36-37 it tells us, "But I say unto you,'That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
Our God is a God of plenty. His treasury is bountiful and His abundance flows everywhere! Just look at these verses which demonstrate this:
- Psalm 104:24 tells us, "O Lord, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of your possessions." Furthermore, in
- Psalm 50:10, it reminds us, "For every beast in the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." And then, in
- James 1:17 it tells us, "Every good and perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Also,
- Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Moreover Jesus warns us in,
- John 10:10, where it says, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." And finally,
- Jeremiah 29:11 says to us, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
As you can see, abundance is not all about prosperity, amassing wealth, or obtaining great success here on earth as some would think. It is more about how to share that abundance with others through God's love from which He demonstrates His divine richness of character, infinite mercy, and saving grace upon those whom He would call His own.
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