Are you filled with the peace of God? Overflowing with joy? Abounding in love? When we abide in Christ, He lives through us and we bear His fruit. I believe abiding in Christ is how we find the abundant life Jesus mentions in John 10:10.
The Christian life is more than adequate. Living for God brings blessings—He blesses us, and we are to bless others. When we allow Him to lead us, He will work through us. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20a). We should strive for a deeper, personal relationship with Him.
To abide in Christ means we surrender ourselves to Him and walk in obedience. This daily walk should be one of getting to know Christ better through prayer and Bible study. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (John 15:8). When we bear fruit, such as peace, joy, and love, we honor the Lord and gladness fills our hearts.
Peace abides in us if we know Jesus as our Savior and Lord. In John 14:27a Jesus said, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Jesus gave us this gift; He is our peace. Peace is a special place of knowing He is always present, along with trusting that He is working all things together for our good.
In an abundant life, joy overflows. When others see this joy in us, they long for it too. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Phil. 4:4). This verse declares joyfulness. The joy of the Lord gives us strength (Neh. 8:10). Joy abounds through loving others.
In 1 John 4:11-12 we read, Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
Philippians 2:3-4 says, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
The two verses above portray a beautiful picture of love.
An abundant life is dedicated to prayer and gaining knowledge through God’s Word. Through this walk of surrender, trust, and obedience, Christ fills us with His peace, and we experience overflowing joy and abounding love.
Are you satisfied with adequate, or are you seeking abundance?
Adapted from my blog post at www.beyondfirst.org. Used by permission.