Secrets of the Abundant Life – Goodness

Ephesians 6: 11 – 18 (NIV): Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Can we live the abundant life and be good? The people on television who seem to be having the most fun don't seem to be acting very righteously. It looks like you either have fun or you are good. After all, good people are boring and who wants that?
Here's a reality check: most people fail to live the abundant life because they are defeated day after day by spiritual warfare. Paul says in today's scripture that there are unseen forces fighting against us. The devil and his forces are warring against us every day and we must stand against them or we will never experience the abundant life. Remember, Jesus said the devil wants to kill, steal and destroy us, but it is he, Jesus, who offers the abundant life. The devil is not our friend; he has nothing to offer but heart-ache, disappointment and ruin.
You will choose today to believe either the writers of movies and television shows or the God who created you. Paul says to put on a breastplate of righteousness. This means we determine to live righteously each and every day. Can we have fun? You bet we can – we can have more fun than anyone when we stay within God's boundaries.
The abundant life is not found running after what God has forbidden, it is found taking a stand for our beliefs, standing on our faith, and living in a God-pleasing righteousness that draws us closer to him. Anyone who tells you any differently is lying to you.

Secrets of the Abundant Life – Kindness

Matthew 8: 1-3 (NIV): When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.

There is a direct correlation between living the abundant life and how we treat each other. Don't miss what Jesus did in this story: he touched a man with leprosy. In that culture, you simply did not do this. They knew leprosy was contagious, but they had no cure or treatment for it. A person who contracted leprosy was sent to a leper colony where he could never touch or even get close to his loved ones again. It was a terrible and sad fate. The man in this story needed human contact. He needed to be touched and Jesus gave him not only compassion, but healing as well. Jesus knew that ministering to people would at times make him unclean. It's a messy business, but that's what kindness is all about: sacrifice.
Being kind to each other means we sacrifice our own agenda – and perhaps even safety – to give others what they need. That is what Jesus did and that's what we are called to do. Kindness means we forgive one another, we show mercy, speak softly, encourage each other, and treat others as we want to be treated. Jesus said since we have been forgiven of a debt we cannot pay, we must forgive others as well. This may well be the first step toward being kind to one another.
There is no room in the abundant life for being mean, selfish or narcissistic, being a bully or an abuser. None of these traits take us toward the abundant life. Being a person like Jesus is the key. He was forgiving, merciful, kind, and he put others' needs ahead of his own. That's the secret: to live our lives selflessly, seeking to please and minister to others. There is no higher calling for us than to be an answer to someone else's prayer. When we live our lives this way, we not only make life better for those around us, but we are on our way to experiencing the abundant life ourselves.

Secrets of the Abundant Life – Patience

Psalm 84: 1 – 12 (NIV): How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-- a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. "Selah" Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. "Selah" Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

The abundant life is found in waiting on God, trusting in him for all things, and basking in his presence. There is no higher life on earth. If you never spend time in God's presence, you probably wonder why you are not living the abundant life. If you don't enjoy going to church and being with other Christians, you are probably not living the abundant life.
The writer of this psalm said he would rather spend one day in God's courts than a thousand days anywhere else. The best part of his life was his time spent with God's people and in God's presence.
Further, those going through the “Valley of Baca” will find springs of water. Baca means “weeping” and the image is of people traveling through trials and sorrows – but finding joy even there because they know they are heading toward God's presence. They go from strength to strength and we know that trials form perseverance which strengthens our faith.
So this next secret of the abundant life is having patience. To me this means, first of all, we patiently wait on the Lord to answer our prayers, needs, concerns and desires. We love his church and we love his people; we trust in him and are determined to wait for him.
But it also means we are patient with each other. This seems to be what Paul had in mind when he listed patience in his list of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). We realize we are not perfect and no one else is either. We are like Christ when we are patient with each other. It's a simple matter of treating others as we want to be treated. Patience takes us a long way on the road to the abundant life.

Secrets of the Abundant Life - Peace

Philippians 4: 6 – 8 (The Living Bible): Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

There are plenty of things to worry about these days, but the good news is we don't have to waste one moment doing it. Paul says we will have God's peace if we will pray about everything instead of worrying about anything. God's peace will keep our thoughts and hearts quiet and at rest. It is a supernatural peace that is beyond understanding or explanation.
The Bible doesn't promise that nothing bad will ever happen to us, but it promises that God will walk with us through everything that does happen – and that nothing will happen to us outside of God's permission. Everything that happens in history passes through the filter of God's sovereignty.
So, our attitude can be, “No matter what happens, I can go through it because God is with me,” which sounds a lot like, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me.”
Paul encourages us to tell God our needs, anxieties, concerns and worries, and to be thankful for his answers. This will strengthen our prayer life.
We are looking at secrets of the abundant life in this column series, and today we find how to have peace: pray about everything. Pray or worry – what will you choose to do today? You can sit around and worry about all sorts of evil, or you can place your worries in God's hands instead. You can sit back in quiet rest, knowing that God is in control and you are determined to trust him no matter what. You know that trials will come, but your life is built on a strong foundation and you are devoted to prayer instead of worry. Even when things happen that you cannot explain and do not understand, your faith is strong and peace is ever-present. Of course there are bumps and curves in the road, but you are moving forward. You realize that living the abundant life means having peace and you know how to get it.