"Living At A Greater Level of Abundance…What It Takes - PART 2

"Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God.” Revelations 3:2

Part 2: The Practical Side

There’s a new buzz word in Christian vernacular and it’s called “activation”. There is no question that God is stirring things up in our spirits these days, and many Christians are taking advantage of it. No longer are we sitting by the side lines with our hands tucked beneath our bottoms. No sir! We’re meeting the dawn of each day with a sense of urgency and expectation. We know that there’s more and we’re not depending on any person to give it to us. We’re going directly to the Source, and this is what He intended us to do all along, for Jesus Christ said in John 14:14, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” This is particularly good news for us, especially when it comes to the spiritual realm.

There’s a new breed of dynamic Christian teachers coming on the scene, and they are far more willing to breach their comfort zones than many of us have ever been. God has appointed them for such a time as this, and they’re leading swarms of people into activating the gifts we’ve all received through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Folks are stirring up the gift and doing some amazing works in the name of our Lord. It’s an exciting time to be alive, and if you don’t feel this way, don’t underestimate the need to switch gears and make a few changes in your life. God has not left you out of the equation, quite the contrary. He’s waiting on you to muster up the gumption to step out of business as usual and embrace the extraordinary plan that He has for your life.

Stepping into the extraordinary is for many of us a progression that begins with baby steps. Some people have a habit of procrastination, others have a fear of failure, and there are those that are just plain shy; they have to test the waters several times before they actually believe that God has empowered them to jump in and become an agent for change. No matter how you slice it, each of us has a unique and specialized purpose within the plan and will of God, and at some point in our lives, we’ll hopefully wake up and get to it.

 

Many of us don’t wake up until one day, when we’re going on about our everyday business, and baam! Something hits us smack in the face. A lot of us will have this kind of experience when we’ve allowed ourselves to ingest a good deal of God’s Word, but we’ve not emptied ourselves of it so that we can be filled with even greater revelation and understanding. Extending the Word of God to others is the practical application of not just living an abundant life, but to fulfilling our responsibilities to God through Christ, our Lord.

 

This Christian walk is one of action. It’s not stagnant by any stretch of the imagination. So when we get a little stale and stop paying attention to our own spiritual development, sometimes a situation occurs that seems to turn our whole world topsy turvy—and we might think that God is punishing us, or that we’re destined to be the devil’s punching bag. Not so. Sometimes we ignore the call to move up the spiritual ladder. We let other things take priority when we should be spending more time in God’s Word and increasing our prayer life. The danger in putting our spiritual growth on the back-burner is that we won’t be able to hear the voice of God as clearly as we need to.

 

Revelation 3:2 encourages us to “Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God.”  It’s so important that we pay attention to what is happening in the spirit. Sometimes this slips by us because we don’t always think of ourselves as being effective, important pieces of God’s Master Plan. We keep on moseying down the road at a snail’s pace and become very comfortable with business as usual; but we have to remember that Jesus Christ is the most prolific and dynamic individual that ever lived; and He’s our example. The truth of it is that we are all called to make a difference. We are ambassadors for Christ and we’re charged by God with the responsibility of carrying forth the ministry of reconciliation. This isn’t just for pastors, preachers, and teachers; it’s an obligation that belongs to all of us who are born again and have become new creatures in Christ.

 

We’re in partnership with God to get some stuff done in the earth. He has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet. It’s a privilege to be called according to His purposes, and those whom He has called, He has also qualified. This means that through our precious and powerful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, God has instilled within you everything that is required to seal the deal. You’re equipped through Christ to walk in love, and to leave an indelible mark of God’s goodness on everyone that you meet. 

 

It should be no surprise to you that abundance is a trademark of spiritual maturity. The more of the Word that you put on in your mind and heart, the more abundance you’ll have in every aspect of your life. Your relationships will be fulfilling, your work…rewarding, your finances will increase, and your walk with God will be so tight that even a piece of paper can’t come between you. This isn’t fairytale stuff. It’s the kind of life that God wants for you and has made it clear in His Word that you can have.  

 

The nature of abundance is to teach us the principles of expansion and increase—to demonstrate to us that as we share with others, it’s a gift that keeps on giving. This is the very essence of love, isn’t it? Because love never fails, and the most poignant demonstration of love can be found in our giving and sharing. Luke 6:38 (NLT) tells us, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” This verse gives us one of the best snapshots of the principles of abundance. There’s no guesswork involved here, giving is the key.

 

Some of us are really down in the dumps, and we may think of ourselves as not having much to give. Granted that when you look at where you are, and then you look at where God wants you to go, it may seem a little daunting, but ask yourself, are you really using your talents for the spiritual benefit of others? A dear friend said to me once, “I don’t have any talents to speak of. I don’t have much to offer.” I was surprised that she felt this way, because she had left home at a very early age, and had managed to carve out quite a nice life for herself. She has more talent that she can use in a lifetime, we all do; we have plenty to offer or else we would not have made it this far.

 

The truth is that we underestimate what we can do and the impact that we are destined to make. 1 Peter 2:9 (MSG) tells us, “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.” So maybe we’re not eloquent speakers, singers, or entertainers, but we can sure open up our mouths and tell others about the difference Christ has made in our lives.

 

And guess what? As you take even the smallest step to anchor yourself in what God has called you to do, He’ll reward you. Soon, you’ll come to realize more and more that it’s not your power, but His. It’s not your strength, but His strength. He’s doing all the work, as your gratitude for the magnificence of His extraordinary gifts increases. He’ll never fail us as we lean on Him and walk out in the confidence from knowing that He loves us, and He cares about every detail of our lives.

 

God really wants us to understand the connection between our own level of abundance and our willingness to share what has been so freely given to us. Our lives are packed to capacity with opportunities to be a blessing, and if we’ll be diligent and committed to increasing our prayer time and the amount of time we spend with God and His Word, our spiritual eyes will be open. Our spiritual ears will perk up every time we get near a person or situation that has been strategically positioned for us to be a blessing, and to receive one. ■      

Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright ©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.