A Life of Abundance

What we need is a life of abundance. We are a blessing only from the moment we receive this life of abundance.

1. What is a life of abundance? Not overwhelming joy, not exuberant emotions, not an abundance of words. It is a life lived for others. To live and to give belong as closely together as breathing in and out. When we want to understand what a life of abundance is, we must consider the life of the Lamb. When He gave His life on the cross, His life was in the highest degree a life of abundance. From birth His life brought blessing, but it brought life and salvation only when He committed it into death. Pentecost marks the beginning of the apostles’ life of abundance. And from then on, they lived the life of the Lamb. They had experienced power before; they had healed the sick, cast out demons and preached the word of God, but there was one power they did not possess, namely the strength and power to give their life. (John 10:17, 18) They did not receive this power until the day of Pentecost. From then on, they no longer regarded their own lives. Therein lies the Spirit’s endowment we all require. That is the life in abundance. Consider the men who were a blessing to the world. Did they achieve this by any other means than by self-denial? Abraham had an abundant life, when he said to the king of Sodom: “I will not take.” (Genesis 14:22-24). Moses had an abundant life when he cried out to the Lord for his sister who had sinned against him: “Oh God, please heal her!”

Luther had an abundant life when he proclaimed, bound by the truth: “Here I stand, I can do no other.” Wesley had abundant life when he chose that motto for himself and his persecuted brethren: “When only God is with us.”

2. How do we achieve a life of abundance? When Christ lives in us. When Christ lives in us, He continues to live His life in us, just as He lived it on earth: In service, in love, under burdens. The apostle Paul’s life was so close to the Master’s because he could say in truth: “Christ lives in me.” How else can we otherwise continue His life? For Christ “lives in me” means, practically speaking, nothing less than: “Christ continues His life through me.” Peter says that God has chosen us to proclaim His virtues. 1 Pet. 2:9. Wonderful calling! Just as each leaf of our Bible portrays a part of God’s glory, a part of God’s revelation, so also is your life and mine. Do we proclaim the virtues of the Lamb in our day-to-day activities? O, we have all forsaken the way of the Lamb. Like the bride, we have let our Lord walk in the valley of humility and poverty and have rushed ahead in our own greatness and pride. We have praised Him as the Lamb to the slaughter, but have remained stuck in self-seeking and self-indulgence. Song of Solomon 4:8. But the groom must have the bride by his side, so he shouts: “Come down!” He does not come up to us. We must go down to him. We read about Him: “He emptied Himself.” And when you devote yourself to Him, He will do the same with you. That’s when you start living the life of abundance. A watering-can may be full of water, but it is of no use to a neglected flower bed unless the gardener picks it up and pours it on the soil. This is what Jesus does with us when we surrender to him. He says in John 6: “I give My life for the world,” and when we commit our lives to Him, He does with ours as with His. Don’t wait for extraordinary experiences! Let our Christianity be practical. Show those around you your obedience to God, and your life will begin to overflow. Love the one who doesn’t love you! When you are reviled, do not revile in return! Rather suffer wrongfully with patience and your life will start to overflow.