a life of abundance

What do you think of when you read the word abundance? Words that may come to mind are lots of food, plenty, living BIG, everything being awesome and great, or maybe it brings to mind words like too much of something, or I’ll never have an abundance of anything. What I’m SURE doesn’t come to mind is a 28-year-old woman being bathed by her mother in this sweet shower set up.

Forgive me for the mental image but hang with me. This is the season of life that I’m in. Having had an ulnar shortening osteotomy only 12 days ago (don’t Google it, you’ll get grossed out, in short, Doc shortened a bone in my forearm- pun intended and YES, ouch), I should feel very far from a life of abundance. ESPECIALLY compared to the last adventure filled 10 months: buying my first car, getting a new tattoo, graduating from Chick-fil-A training, hiking the Grand Canyon and so many lake weekends and work trips and visits and hang outs with friends and family in between.

I’ve been to California, Texas, Alabama, Oregon, New York, South Carolina, Florida, and Arizona…twice. It’s easy to see that as a life of abundance. But in this season of humility and brokenness (literally) God is teaching me about what this whole “abundance” thing really means.

The definition of abundance is the state or condition of having a copious quantity of something…plentifulness. Is it a far reach to say to be full, to be content, to be joy filled? To me, abundance means “enough”- to have enough and to BE enough. The opposite of abundance is scarcity. I didn’t much like the definition of scarcity but Google nailed it on the word “scarce”.

SCARCE: insufficient for the demand

Insufficient for the demand… BOOM, I LOVE THAT…for the point I’m trying to make at least. If I talk about living a life of abundance versus a life of scarcity- the life of scarcity means living like I have insufficiencies for the demand that is being put on me. In other words, what I HAVE (money, time, energy, patience, holiness, strength, talent, focus, health) is not enough to deal with the crap that’s being asked of me (work, family, IRS, grief, church, addiction, friends, bill collectors, gym).

If abundance is ENOUGH, scarcity is NOT ENOUGH.

If you’ve decided to sign up for this whole Jesus thing like I have, what we signed up for is an identity of being enough. All those things I listed above that I’m supposed to have and handle…when I picked Jesus, I picked a life where it is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me. It’s no longer Virginia’s resources handling things, it’s Jesus’ resources.

Can we just sit on that a second?

Because Galations 2:20 says so…I can trust that I have the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE IN ME and that means all the things He has, all His power and patience and resources and seriously, who needs money when you created money and created everything that you can buy with money? I don’t know about you but to me, what I have in me, because Galations 2 says so… I am enough.

Galations 2:20 continues with instructions. “…the life which I now live in flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Totally relevant since Easter was 3 days ago)

Here are the instructions: since it’s no longer I that lives, but Christ living in me, I live by faith. I live by faith that He is in me and I have what He has and I live like I have copious quantities of everything, I live plentifully, I live like I am enough, I live like I have an abundance…a life of abundance!!!

It’s easy to wear the “I am ENOUGH” name badge when I’m kicking ass at work and getting hundreds of Instagram likes because the life I’m living is wickedly adventure filled. But how do I wear the “I am ENOUGH” badge proudly when I’m being bathed by my mother? How do I FEEL like I am enough when I haven’t thought about Chick-fil-A in 12 days, haven’t seen any friends, haven’t been responding to texts for days (or not returning them at all)? I can’t even get the two measley goals I set for this season accomplished–practice Spanish every day and get caught up in my chronological Bible.

But today, in this season where I feel as if I have nothing and am no where near enough. I wear my “I am ENOUGH” badge because it actually has nothing to do with ME. It has nothing to do with my circumstances and it has nothing to do with my ability to be enough. It has nothing to do with me and everything to do with HIM.

When I wear my “I am ENOUGH” badge during a good or fun season it’s me relying on my own self to be enough. My own money, time, energy, patience, holiness, strength, talent, focus, health. When I wear it proudly in this not so fun season, when mom is the only one who sees it…it’s proof that I am choosing to live in abundance, not scarcity. I’m trusting and believing that my God will supply all my needs (Philippians 4:19) and that every thing will work out for good Because I love Him (Romans 8:28).

I close with the devotion sent every day to my email, this one is from March 29th, 2016…today…because, well, I just don’t believe in coincidences and this is just too cool of a “coincidence” not to share.

“For in Christ all the fullness [abundance] of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness [abundance] in Christ.” Colossians 2:9-10

Everlasting Father, sometimes we try to find meaning or fulfillment with things that are of this world, but You tell us that only You can give us “fullness” [abundance]. We were created by You and for You and when we come to You by faith You give us fullness [abundance]. When we have You we have everything that we will ever need. 

I don’t want to live a life of scarcity, I want to choose everyday to live a life of abundance. Where I am not striving to prove I am enough and just settle into the reality that I already am.

xoxo, va