Monday, January 26, 2009

The More Abundant Life - Part 3

The thief does not come except to steal, kill and to destroy, I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Now that we understand the importance of having our existence in Christ, as we seek to achieve the more abundant life, let us discuss walking in the abundant life. Three attributes set apart the abundant life: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Today we will discuss righteousness.

As we stated before, the more abundant life is not about achieving material prosperity, though it does not preclude it. Jesus states in Matthew 6:32b that He knows that we have need of things. After stating this, Jesus says, "...but in order to acquire these things, you must seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness," and then the material things you need will follow.

What does it mean to be righteous? You are righteous when you live your life in line with God's will. None of us lives completely without sin while on this earth, but once saved, we can live by His power in such a way that He is pleased. His righteousness in us causes us to please God through our actions, thoughts, and behavior. This righteousness is a manifestation of having an existence in Christ. When we move in Him and have our being in Him, the fruit that we bear is a righteous lifestyle.

There are two types of righteousness: a righteousness which is of God and our own standard of righteousness. Unfortunately, many of us who have a zeal for the Lord and are serving Him in the marketplace fall prey to walking in our own standard of righteousness. The Apostle Paul states in Philippians 3:9 that he wants "to be found in Jesus, not having his own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ; a righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

He also states in Romans 10:2-3, speaking of the Israelites, that they had zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. In their zeal, they established their own righteousness because they were ignorant of the righteousness of God. What is this righteousness that is "of the law"?

It is actions and behaviors that are based on the letter of the law but ignorant of the spirit of the law. This zealous self-righteousness is using God's word to realize one's own will and desires without taking into account the effect on others. It is a stubborn pursuit of one's rights based on scripture at the expense of love. Without any regard to the spirit of the law, it is a defense of one's rights based on scripture. It is void of faith.

Those who have their own standard of righteousness may not be involved in immoral acts such as murder, adultery, and so forth, but their actions do not please God because they are based on their own sense of righteousness rather than God's.

How do I know if I am walking in my own righteousness?


1. I always justify my position.
2. I do not operate out of love.
3. I seek more to be understood than to understand.
4. I fight for my rights rather than for what is right.
5. I am not led by the Spirit.
6. I lack compassion.
7. I am presumptuous.

Unfortunately, some of us Christians have earned a reputation of self-righteousness. This means that we have fallen into our own standards of righteousness, not God's. As a result, our message of the Good News has at times been lost and often falls on deaf ears because we are perceived to be more concerned about our agenda than caring for people.

As a Kingdom Business steward, if you are not careful, you may fall into this trap. This trap of self-righteousness will impact the success of your business. Or even if your business succeeds financially, you will lose your ability to transform the marketplace because of your self-righteousness.

How then do I ensure that I operate in God's righteousness?
1. I should not always justify myself.
2. I should operate in love.
3. I should seek to understand.
4. I should focus on what is right and not on who is right. (Ignore your rights; you have none.)
5. I should be led by the Spirit.
6. I should be compassionate.
7. I should not assume.

As Paul emphasizes in Philippians 3:9, to be found in Jesus is to operate in God's righteousness through faith. God's gift of faith enables us to lay aside worldly righteousness based on performance, self-sufficiency, maneuvering, and conniving. Instead, by faith we trust God and His goodness to justify and cover us. We rest in the love of Jesus Christ.

Walking and resting in God's righteousness demonstrates that your existence is in Christ. Once you have established the foundation of your existence in Christ, and add to that God's righteousness in your life, you are ready to build toward the subsequent steps of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In next week's devotional, we will discuss peace, the second attribute of the more abundant life.

Monday, January 12, 2009

The More Abundant Life - Part 2

The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and to destroy; I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10

In last's week devotional, we defined the more abundant life as an existence in Christ that is overflowing with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We asked the question, "Do you desire this overflowing experience?" Assuming the answer was, "Yes" we will now address how to have this experience.

Walking in the more abundant life begins with abiding in Christ. This means that you find your existence, your very survival, and your source, in being connected to Him, the Vine. Jesus explains this when He calls Himself the True Vine in John 15:1-8: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me."

"I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."

Jesus begins this statement by emphasizing that He is the True Vine, which means that there are other vines that are not true. Similarly, He states in John 10 that there are false shepherds who bring destruction, while He brings the more abundant life. These false shepherds include new age philosophers, psychics, the god of materialism, etc. These false shepherds lead entrepreneurs and other individuals to a material success that is void of a life of fulfillment and eternity.

The more abundant life is also a life that includes bearing much fruit. This "much fruit" is the overflowing experience, a life that provides you with more than enough in spiritual things and enhances your natural condition. This "much fruit", because of the power of the Holy Spirit, overflows into wise business practices and profitable, long-term decision making for your Kingdom Business. This, of course, cannot be achieved outside of Christ.

How do you achieve this?

1. You must be attached to the True Vine.
2. You must allow Him to prune you.
3. His Word must abide in you.

The Apostle Paul understood this because he walked in the more abundant life. Despite prison, persecution, shipwreck, and a thorn in the flesh, he was able to write more of the New Testament than any other person and touched more territory with the Gospel than any other person in His time. What was his secret? His existence was in Christ.

Here is what he said:
"But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:7-11).

Do you want to overflow in your life and business? Get lost in Jesus, immerse yourself in His Word, and allow Him to prune your life through the trials you are currently facing so that you may bear much fruit.

Next week we will discuss the attributes of the abundant life.

Monday, January 5, 2009

The More Abundant Life

"The thief does not come except to steal, kill and to destroy; I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Each year for the last seven years, as a part of our strategic action plan for the year, we develop a theme that serves as a spiritual compass for us. That theme directs us and keeps us aligned in the Lord's direction for the year. Identifying a theme keeps me personally focused and spiritually alert to make decisions throughout the year, to address challenges, and to embrace the opportunities of the year. Last year our theme was contentment. This theme enabled us to have a deeper appreciation for what the Lord had done for us, what we had, and who we were in Him.

This year, our theme is the more abundant life. For the next several weeks, the weekly devotional topics will amplify this theme. I pray you will be blessed as we journey together into how to walk in the more abundant life that Jesus promised all those who will believe in him. I also encourage you, if it is not a part of your practice already, to begin developing your own theme, based, of course, on your own plan for the year. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs, including kingdom entrepreneurs, do not make planning as a part of their business culture, which limits their ability to achieve God's best for their business. Whatever you have accomplished without proactive, consistent planning, I guarantee, with proactive planning, you will do at least fifty percent more.

I will be honest, when the Lord first gave me this theme last year, my first impression was that it had to do with bringing us as an organization into abundant prosperity. But with further study and prayer, I concluded that even though the more abundant life does not preclude material prosperity, it is deeper than that. Material prosperity is merely one of the benefits of the more abundant life, but not the goal. You can have a materially prosperous life without an abundant life, but you cannot have an abundant life without being materially prosperous. Material prosperity is not defined by a certain lifestyle or a certain income, but rather it is defined by the quality of your lifestyle and income. Jesus was materially prosperous but had no income. Many of us today would not want to have the lifestyle he had since he did not live in a castle, did not drive a luxurious car, and did not wear fancy clothes and jewelry.

But he lacked nothing and was the most prosperous man who ever lived. Of course, there is nothing wrong with all those things I listed above. The problem is when you begin to use them to serve as a measurement of your spiritual well-being or worth. So what is an abundant life for the kingdom business steward and why is it so critical in today's uncertain business environment?

Notice that Jesus began His statement in John 10:10 by first contrasting with the work of the enemy. He stated that the thief, meaning the devil, comes for three reasons only: to steal, kill, and destroy. So where there is theft, killing, and destruction, it is either the direct work of Satan or the result of sin which is caused by cooperating with the work of Satan.

Yes, I realize that the economy is bad, and we continue to hear nothing but bad news. But you do not have to buy into the lie that suggests you have to be a victim of the recession. If you do so, you are cooperating with the works of darkness that are seeking to bring an end to the plans of God in your life by destroying you and your business. As someone stated, you can choose not to participate in this recession and the devil cannot force you.

Of course, not all bad things we go through are caused by the enemy; some of them are caused by our own bad choices and sin in the world, but whatever the cause, God does give us a way of escape. The more abundant life is an existence in Christ that is overflowing with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not say you will have life which is mere existence, and he did not say you will have an abundant life which is an existence that is above the norm; rather, he said you will have a more abundant life, a life that overflows with more than you need.

Do you have an overflowing experience right now? Do you want an overflowing experience? Join me next week as will discuss how to get that experience. This experience will not only bless your business but your personal and family life. It will cause you to have a bounty year in mist of a drought, a harvest in midst of a famine, and hope in mist of despair, but you have to want it and seek it.