DON’T JUST SURVIVE-THRIVE!
(LIVE UP TO YOUR POTENTIAL IN CHRIST)
INTRODUCTION: I get discouraged sometimes when I’m out and about and I see so many people just doing nothing. Just sitting on the steps, sometimes drinking. Sometimes it might just be someone chilling out after a hard day. But when you see many of the same people doing this at any given time of the day, you tend to wonder, ‘is this what your day consists of? And then the question comes, ‘why’. Are you thinking that this is the best it’s ever going to be? Is this all you have to live for? Some people are like this because of laziness. They could do something, but they won’t. But there are others who are this way because of discouragement. But what about spiritually? Are we just going through the motions? Are we just methodically going through our everyday routine without taking advantage of opportunities? Are we just surviving or are we thriving?
1) FTT: FAILURE TO THRIVE. Article (part one) highlights. What keeps us in that FTT mode?
a) Chaos. Chaos distracts us from the structured elements that will cause us to thrive. When we’re going in a hundred different directions, how can we be making any headway? Instead of trying to keep up, we need to calm down. Then we will be able to start making differences in important areas.
b) Confusion. This can go hand in hand with chaos. When we’re confused about who we are, what we’re doing and where we’re going, how can we thrive? We might always have some questions regarding specifics, but if we’re going to be thriving Christians then we need to step out of the confusion that keeps us ineffective and unproductive.
c) Conflict. Satan is in constant conflict with us. He tempts us to draw us away from being about the things that will cause us to thrive. Satan will be about setting up roadblocks and obstacles that will be meant to keep us from thriving. When we allow sin to enter in we are failing to thrive.
d) Constriction. When we feel constricted, it’s hard to see any way out. When we can’t see the ray of light, it can be difficult to believe it’s still there. So when we feel constricted we settle for just existing, just surviving. When we don’t see or take the way out from beyond the walls that are closing in on us we fail to thrive.
2) STRIVE TO THRIVE. Article (part two) highlights. Dictionary, strive: ‘to exert strenuous efforts’. Striving isn’t made up of half-hearted devotion. When I strive I’m giving it 100%. What can help us to thrive spiritually?
a) Persecution. What? Persecution can help me to thrive? John MacArthur- ‘Persecution is wonderful. It brings maturity, blessing, glory and joy. There is nothing negative about persecution. It is a positive thing. Persecution forces us to lean on Jesus. It we didn’t receive persecution then we would not bother to depend on the Lord for strength. We should pray that God would bring us persecution and trails so that in our weakness His strength may be made perfect. Because persecution makes us lean on the Lord, it is good for us.’ Romans 8:35-37. ‘More than conquerors’. We don’t just endure; we grow. By striving to gain the most from our trials and hardships we are more than survivors-we are thrivers.
b) Purpose. William Durant-‘To give life meaning, one must have a purpose larger than one’s self’. I talked to a guy this week that is in his 50’s. He’s lived a hard life littered with abuse and drug and alcohol addiction. But he’s hoping to be able to go back to school and finish his degree. He said, ‘If God will open the doors, I’ll go through them and do things right this time; and I’ll give him the glory. I know God has a purpose for my life.” If we’re going to be thrivers, we need to have a sense of godly purpose.
c) Plan. Quote-“Failing to plan is but planning to fail.” In Atlanta an 84-year-old widow became quite bored with watching TV and reading the paper. She decided that she wanted to minister to others. She took out a small add in the paper which read, “Pianist will play hymns over the phone to shut-ins”. Within 3 days of issuing the add, she had received 300 phone calls. She played favorite hymns and listened to those who were alone. She eventually ministered to over 12,000 people. When asked why she did it she replied, “Church taught me to love hymns and to love people.” Even though she was 84, she realized she still had a purpose. But having a purpose isn’t beneficial unless there’s a plan to carry it out. So she enacted a plan to carry out her God-given purpose. And many benefited through it.
d) Prosperity. What will help us strive to thrive is grasping the truth that God wishes to prosper us. Prov. 21:21, “He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” When we strive for righteousness and love, we will prosper. Our pursuit, however, shouldn’t be toward material prosperity. Prov. 28:25, “A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper.” Life isn’t found in the abundance of our possessions, it’s found in possessing an abundant life.
3) THRIVING. Diction. Def. Thrive: ‘to be healthy or do well; flourish. To be successful; prosper’. What will be some of the evidences that I am in a thriving relationship with Jesus?
a) Attachment to Prayer. ‘A Guide to Spiritual Success’ pg. 125/126. When we don’t attach ourselves to prayer, we settle for just surviving and we fail to thrive. If we are going to thrive then we need to keep that contact with our Heavenly Father open and active. There are spiritual blessings waiting for us through prayer. We need to strive to keep it alive.
b) Attachment to the Word. I gave a guy a ride home from Wednesday night bible study and he accidentally left his bible in my car. We talked the next morning and I told him I could drop it off to him on my way in to church. It wasn’t going to work that way so I told him I could drop it off on my way home around 9:00 pm. His response was, ‘No, I’ll come to the church and pick it up. I don’t want to be without my bible that long’. That sounds to me like he has an attachment to the Word. When we commit to study and meditate on God’s wonderful scripture, when we have the word rooted in our hearts and minds then we will be thriving throughout the day. We will have God’s word to get us through a difficult situation. We will have the Word to encourage us when we’re feeling down or defeated. We will have the Word to bring us joy when we’re feeling blah. We will have the Word to minister to someone else in our conversations. Psalm 1:1-3. When we attach ourselves to God’s word rather than attaching ourselves to ungodly people, we thrive.
c) Attachment to the fellowship. When we attach ourselves to the fellowship we get outside of ourselves. We begin to build relationships. We begin to learn what it means to carry one another’s burdens. We learn what it means to sharpen one another. We learn what it means to bless one another. And the great thing is, is that when we encourage, we get encouraged. When we bless others, we are blessed ourselves. When we hold others accountable, we are held accountable. Where is accountability without attachment to the fellowship? Where are our burdens shared without an attachment to the fellowship? Where is there mutual encouragement without an attachment to the fellowship? In ‘A Guide to Spiritual Success’, there was a chapter devoted to the importance of the local church. In it, Tony Evans said this, “Our relationship to the corporate body of Christians is crucial to the progress of the growth of our personal relationship with God.” If we are going to thrive, we need to be attached to the body of believers in our local church.
d) Attachment to service. Two hikers were walking through the woods when they suddenly confronted a giant bear. Immediately, one of the men took off his boots, pulled out a pair of track shoes and began putting them on. “What are you doing?” cried his companion. “We can’t outrun that bear, even with jogging shoes. “Who cares about the bear?” the first hiker replied. “All I have to worry about is outrunning you.” If we’re going to thrive, we have to get away from the ‘it’s all about me’ attitude. We have to start caring about someone else’s welfare, someone else’s needs. We will become attached to service when we see the value of it. The value it holds in the lives of others. The value in knowing that my service could draw someone closer to Christ. With many people it’s not what you know, it’s what you show. Another value service holds can be found in how our own life is enriched through it. The joy we possess knowing we’ve helped further the cause of Christ. Jesus said in Matt. 20:28, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Christians that are attached to service are thriving Christians.
CONCLUSION: One of the synonyms for thrive is ‘blossom’. That’s what God wants from every follower of Jesus Christ. He wants us to blossom into the man or woman he has called us to be. Let’s stop merely existing and start living life to the fullest (John 10:10). There’s a line from the movie, Shawshank Redemption, that says, “Get busy living or get busy dying”. Satan’s purpose is to steal from us, kill us and destroy us. Jesus’ purpose is to see us blossom; flourish; prosper; succeed¾thrive. We need to strive to thrive. Don’t miss out; don’t sell yourself short. Don’t just survive-thrive.
