14 Ways to Live an Abundant Life (part 2)

What is an abundant life?  Check out part one by clicking here!

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:14-20)

This is our abundant life.

A life where we are strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit, from the inside out.  Where Christ dwells in our hearts…makes His residence and His purpose inside your very heart.

A life where you are rooted deep in the rich soil of Christ’s love, where that love nourishes you and is your source for every single need and that keeps every flaming arrow at bay because you know it and trust it.  His love is so strong and good and perfect, your faith is a result.

A life where we can be filled with the all the fullness of God, understanding more and more how amazingly good our Father is in every season.

And finally….a life where, even while comprehending His greatness and His love, we are still amazed and surprised because He is always bigger and better than we can possibly imagine.  And that greatness is at work inside of us, working through us to bring Him glory.

So how do we hold onto this?  It’s an amazing concept.  When God reveals it to your heart, it’s something you won’t forget.  And yet it is still very difficult to actually live this thing we are promised.  One day, I am in such a good place where I feel His presence and I love Him and I just get it, ya know?

But there are other days where I get confused by the multitude of voices, and I lose the voice of my Shepherd.

I have to stay in the place where I recognize His voice.

This list is a compass whose source is the Word of God to help keep us in line in the little, every day steps that sometimes take us off the path that leads to life abundant and all that God has planned for our lives.

Here are 14 ways to live an abundant life.

1. Start every day with God time.  Even if it’s spending a couple of minutes loving on Him before you wake up.  Start your day by praising Him and aligning your heart with His.  Sit for a minute in stillness and wait on Him.  Just wait on Him to reveal His heart to you, to pour out refreshment for your spirit. (Psalm 46:10, James 4:8)
2. Remember you are a temple, and that Holy Spirit lives in you.  Be encouraged!  You have the presence of God in you!  He is your source of peace, love, kindness, gentleness, joy, faithfulness, and more.  You don’t have to be those things, just call on His help.  (Gal. 5:22-23, 1 Cor. 6:19)
3. Make a running list of things you are thankful for.  Bring it with you.  I have this little moleskin notebook that fits inside my bag so I can take it everywhere.  A grateful heart remembers when God has shown up and is not easily shaken when the sea gets rough and storms roll in. (Phil. 4:6-7, 1 Thess. 5:18)
4.  Pray in the authority Christ has given you.  Remember that your prayers are powerful.  It’s okay to ask for things, but remember that you can also declare and proclaim.  You are the body of Christ, and you have the mind of Christ.  Keep your prayers in line with scripture, and pray with authority. (Luke 10:19, James 5:13-18 , 1 Cor. 2:16)
5. Read the Bible every day.  The Word is your bread, and you can’t go long without food.  Your life will quickly become less abundant and more about just surviving without God’s Word. (Matt. 4:4)
6. Get with other believers.  Find a church.  I know a lot of us have been hurt by the church, but Christ is all about reconciliation (2 Cor. 5).  If you want an abundant life, you need to find a way to get along with the rest of the body.  Unity takes work, but it is very valuable.  We need each other. (Heb. 10:24-25)
7. Choose joy.  Joy is available, but takes work to have because we have to let go of things to have it.  When you choose to be thankful, this opens the door to joy.  Joy isn’t always feeling happy.  It’s contentment, knowing God has your back and that He won’t let you down.  It’s grasping that God is worthy of praise and of our whole hearts.  Joy often comes during or after worship, it’s found in God’s presence, it is a fruit of the Spirit. (Psalm 16:11, Gal. 5:22, 1 Thess. 5:16)
8. Seek and find.  Ask God for the desires of your heart.  He wants an open conversation with you.  If you don’t ask, you won’t necessarily get it, because God is teaching us constantly to rely on Him and communicate with Him.  Ask Him. (Matt. 6:33, Luke 11:9-10)
9. Let go of fear.  Fear is believing more in what the enemy can do than what God can do.  It’s not knowing how good God is.  Choose to let go of fear and believe that God can and will take care of your every need.  He never fails. (1 Cor. 13)
10. Worship freely.  When King David finally was able to bring the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem, he was so overcome with the knowledge that the presence of God was near that he stripped off his heavy kingly robes and danced in front of everyone, in the middle of the street, before the ark.  He led the way by being totally undignified.  It says he “danced with all his might.”  He humbled himself completely in order to bring God glory.  His was overwhelmed with joy because God’s presence was near.  You have that presence living in you! (2 Samuel 6)
11. Tell God what you need.  Know that He will bless you beyond your needs.  He provides according to His goodness and riches, not just your needs, and He owns everything.  (Psalm 50:10-12, Phil. 4:19)
12. Be generous.  The Bible is full of the spiritual law of sowing and reaping.  Sow one seed, reap back a hundred more.  Give with a generous heart, and watch with expectancy as God blesses you abundantly.  It rarely plays out how you might hope or want, but God is always better than we hope and want.  Since I started tithing regularly a few years ago, I’ve seen God pour out favor and blessing on me in the most unexpected ways.  It correlates, always, to giving.  And so I do it with joy because I know God is my source, not my husband or myself.  (Luke 6:38, 2 Cor. 9)
13. Be bold.  Look at the people around you.  Pray for people in line at Starbucks.  Help the mother of 3 with screaming kids at Costco.  Be Christ to others, and if you feel embarrassed or afraid or silly, rebuke that.  The enemy doesn’t want them to see Christ’s love, and you carry it.  Carry it boldly and pour it out on EVERYONE around you.
14. Receive grace.  Abba lavishes grace upon grace on you.  There is no condemnation in Christ.  Seek Him knowing that there’s nothing He doesn’t know about you, and He still loves you completely, fully, and He chooses you to be His child. (Rom. 8, Eph. 1 , John 1:16)

This list is full of things to bring you hope.  These are things to try consistently in order to experience life more abundantly.  Jesus is the source of all life, and this is not a to-do list or a list or right and wrongs.  If you aren’t doing something, don’t think that means that you can’t have a full life.  These are suggestions to see God more visibly around you and experience Him more fully in you.  This list is intentionally full of things you can do for yourself, but one of the biggest things we can do to unleash more in our lives is to serve others.  Consider this the bonus #15!