Just a thought or two...
Have you ever felt like you wanted to stop time? I have. Not that I want to play God, it is simply that whatever is going on at the moment, I am enjoying it so much that I don’t want it to end.
I felt like this some days this spring. I enjoy seeing the leaves coming out. All of the various shades of green I find so appealing in the springtime. So, yes, sometimes, I just don’t want the moment to end. But then, I would never get to summer. So, when the urge is there to want time to stop-- it is a reminder to me to live in the present and take it all in.
I have a copy of the New Testament in the NLT (New Living Translation). Published by Tyndale it is actually titled Abundant Life New Testament.
This whole idea of living an abundant life has very little to do with how much money or goods we acquire. It has all to do with finding pleasure in the very moments that we live. Pleasures with our surroundings as they show new life in the spring. Summer days which provide rich sunlight and continued growth as flowers unfold almost before our eyes.
Look up John 10:10 in any translation and you will discover a key verse which tells us, in the words of Jesus, why he came.
There is, of course, a depth to reach in learning to live an abundant life to its fullest. That depth is to be found in a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, which will provide truth upon truth from God’s word. This depth is most often reached when the study of God’s Word is diligently embarked upon. This depth is most often reached when one becomes very serious about daily prayer. This depth is most often reached when one takes seriously the truths and promises found in the Scriptures and then acts toward others with these teachings in mind.
So, in these weeks ahead, which God is providing for us, try to think of your life of abundance. Think not of how much ‘stuff’ you have or don’t have, but think more in terms of your relationship to God and Christ. Take some moments- in time -to tell God through prayer that you are grateful for family and friends, for gardens growing, for potato fields coming into their beauty, for lakes and mountains. Think of how abundantly God has blessed you and take time to pass a blessing on to someone else.
Keep in mind that abundant living, as God provides, doesn’t mean challenges won’t invade our time. We will just be in a better frame of mind to meet whatever comes to us.
Finally, check out Colossians 3:23-24.
Be at peace and enjoy your blessings.
Pastor Ellen
Return to Top
