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.