Fresh Start
12 Secrets for Abundant Living
This week we are continuing in our series for the New Year - 12 secrets for abundant living. Remember that this whole series is based on 3 very important principles.
1. God has a plan for your life - Jeremiah 29:11 says “I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
2. There is a battle engaged for your life - Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
3. Too many of God’s people are losing the battle - Marriages, children, finances, life.
Over the last 4 weeks we have looked together at our first eight secrets. If you need a refresher they are on the back of your notes sheet and tapes are available if you want to catch up.
This morning let’s get right to it and look together at secrets number 9 and 10.
1) Secret # 9 - Refuse to Quit - Genesis 21:14-19 - Hagar threw in the towel within sight of the well that would have saved her. Friend don’t quit. The old adage still holds true - winners never quit and quitters never win. Retool, rework, reinvest, change course, get Godly counsel- but don’t quit. Here are some hints for you today:
• Accept adversity as a given. Jesus says to us “In this world you will have tribulation, but take courage for I have overcome the world.” What I mean by this is rise up. Stop rolling over and playing dead when things get tough. Stop acting like life is supposed to be a bed of roses and yours is the only one that’s got thorns. Accept the adventure and learn to thrive in adversity not because you are strong but because Christ has overcome the world. When you’re weary stay with Jesus, “come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
• Stop running away from your problems.- Many of us have set up a pattern in our lives of quitting when the going gets tough. From an early age many of us set a pattern in our lives that leads to failure - we run from problems rather than confronting them. I’m telling you this morning if you want to thrive in life you cannot do it without confronting your problems. They will not magically go away. You need to face them, deal with them, and solve them in the power of God.
• Fight for your life. Ephesians 6:10-13 - Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm - don’t quit. The thief comes to kill steal and destroy. He wants to keep you from the abundant life that God wants for you. If you want to have abundance you have to fight for it. That means committing time, energy, and resources to get where you want to be. If you want an abundant marriage - you have to fight for it - it’s not going to happen by accident. If you want children to live in abundance you have to fight for it - commit your time, your energy, your love to them.
• Live with the Power of God to win - I John 4:2 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” You don’t have to give in or give up - God has given you the power to win and find this abundant life but you have to fight for it. You have to do what you can do.
