Learning How to be Abased and Abound – Part 2
Philippians 4:10 – 14, NLT
10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 14 Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.
In Part 1 of this topic, we focused on learning how to be abased with the life of Paul as an example. We learned that to be abased is to be content and thankful to God for what we have and that only Christ can give us the strength to be content. Now, let’s look at how to abound. In Philippians 4:12, Paul states that he did not only know how to live with nothing but also how to live when he had plenty. To abound means to be full, rich, wealthy, plentiful or overflowing.
We often assume that more money or resources will reduce our problems. More money might solve your pressing needs, but if you do not learn how to use your resources wisely, more problems and sometimes even more complicated problems might arise. When you lack discipline in using your resources (i.e. money), it can be a good servant but a terrible master.
Our natural tendency is towards foolishness when we have excess, and that is why we need to learn how to live when we have more than enough. We tend to be foolish when we have plenty. Look around you, and you’ll see people who make foolish decisions because they have more than enough resources than they need. Excess resources in the wrong hands can be dangerous and fatal. I have seen young adults from wealthy homes take out their parents’ supercars on the weekends to race recklessly with friends, only to end up crashing and becoming bedridden. As a young adult, I saw peers with excess pocket money make unwise choices, using it to indulge in vices that ultimately ruined their lives. Some of them would probably be better off today if they did not have the resources to afford living recklessly. It doesn’t mean people still can’t make unwise decisions when they lack resources; my point is that excess resources in the wrong hands hastens their destruction with little to no resistance.
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. – Proverbs 1:32, KJV (emphasis added).
A popular saying is, “If you want to ruin a fool, give him more money than he needs.” Both the wise and the foolish may be prosperous, but what separates them is that the wise do not let their wealth control them.
How To Abound
In learning to live with plenty, you must first acknowledge that whatever you have is given to you by God. Yes, I know you worked hard and toiled day and night for what you have, but God gave you the growth. He gave the harvest and gave you life to enjoy it.
17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. – Deuteronomy 8:17-18, NIV
In times of abundance or plenty, it is easy to forget God and forget that He gave you the strength to achieve what you have achieved. Deuteronomy 8 reminds us that we should stay humble in times of abundance. The ideas, ingenuity and brilliance you possess are all gifts from God.
In Learning to live with plenty, be on your guard against wealth.
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” -Luke 12:15, NIV
In Luke 12:13-21, as Jesus spoke, a person from the crowd asked Jesus to settle a family inheritance dispute. In response, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool, emphasising the dangers of greed and relying on wealth rather than on God. Being on guard against wealth doesn’t mean you should aim to be poor. This teaching is not advocating for poverty. Rather, it lets you know that your be-all and end-all should not be in your wealth or possession. If you study the scripture, you’ll see many warnings and cautions against wealth or excessive wealth. This is because God wants nothing to come between us and Him. He is more interested in our souls than our worldly possessions.
Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. -Psalm 62:10, NIV
As they increase, we are warned not to set our hearts on our riches and wealth. God needs your heart, and the devil also wants your heart. Setting your heart on your riches is handing over your heart to the devil to toil with. Riches and wealth are fickle; they can all be gone in a second (Proverbs 23:5). It doesn’t take much for you to lose all you have gathered; this is why you should not trust in your wealth or set your heart on them (Proverbs 11:28). Don’t hold onto your possessions as if your life depends on them. Your life needs God and God only; everything else He has blessed us with is to enable us to live for Him and for Him to bless others through us.
Another way to live in abundance is by giving to others. We are responsible for being good and faithful stewards of the gifts and blessings God has given us. By giving to others in need, we are being accountable to God with our blessings. Giving is beautiful, and we are all obliged to give in scripture. We all experience or live by the generosity of others. This is what makes the world a beautiful place. People give their time, ideas, strength, money, etc, and we are all better off. Poor or rich, you have something to give. If you have in excess, you must be generous. God loves generous people. Understand that God hasn’t blessed you for you alone but to bless the lives of others through you.
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. -2 Corinthians 9:6-8, NIV
Finally, learn to abound by being disciplined with your resources and avoiding waste. We can learn the principle of being prudent and avoiding waste from scripture. We see a good example when Jesus instructed His disciples to gather the leftover food after feeding the five thousand men so that nothing would be wasted. They collected twelve baskets of leftovers. (John 6:12-13).
We saw in Part 1 of this topic that in Exodus 16:16-21 when God provided manna to the Israelites, He commanded them to gather only what they needed each day to teach them trust, obedience and dependence on Him. Some ignored this instruction, gathering more than necessary, but any extra they hoarded spoiled overnight. This not only taught the Israelites to trust in God’s provision, but it also taught them to avoid waste by taking only what they needed. The lesson for us here is to be disciplined and avoid wasting resources. When serving food, for instance, serve what you can finish. If you go through the bins of some of our homes, you might find a waste of food that someone in need out there would be happy to have.
If God has blessed you abundantly, it is a huge responsibility, and you shouldn’t take it lightly. Do not set your heart on the blessings; instead, set your heart on God, remembering that he gave you the power to make wealth. Do not waste your resources or live frivolously. Give to those in need and bless the lives of others with your wealth. Give for the furtherance of the gospel and to missionaries, churches/people going through persecution. This is what God expects from us when we have plenty.
May the Lord help us remember that everything we have belongs to Him, and may we be ready to release it for His purpose. Amen.
