In Christ, we are called to thrive not survive. Surviving is maintaining, it is barely getting by. On the other side, thriving is growing, developing and prospering. God’s perfect will for us is to thrive but not all believers will do that. Some will survive. How do you thrive in the kingdom?
Acts 20:32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
There is an inheritance that we have in God that is given to us but only those who have commended themselves to God in Christ to be built up in the word of his grace enjoy this inheritance.
How do we thrive in Christ?
The principles in the bible are set. It is first commending to God (Acts 20:32). Let’s look at the children of Israel. The children of Israel is a type of the believer and the mediator who was Moses is also a type which is Christ. In like manner, we were translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son (Colossians 1:13).The intent of God for taking them out of Egypt was not for them to survive but to thrive.
Exodus 3:8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
The intent of God was to take them to a land flowing with milk and honey. However, the land was occupied with unbelievers. Milk and honey were in the hands of unbelievers.
What does it mean to thrive? Here were some of the things the Israelites enjoyed but it was not God’s best for them.
- They had capacity to carry a lot of wealth – Psalm 105:37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered. They had the capacity to carry the wealth out of Egypt but that wasn’t God’s best for them. He would still take them to a land flowing with milk and honey
- Their shoes and clothes never wore out – Deuteronomy 29:5 Yet the Lord says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. They were surviving in the wilderness yet thTheir clothes and footwear did not cut or wear off. Still it was not God’s best for them. God was able to and was looking to do exceedingly more Ephesians 3:20.
In spite of this, only two entered the promised land out of thousands and thousands. The same thing goes today. How many people actually enjoy God’s abundance. Why?
1 Corinthians 10:1-7 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
They were baptised, ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink which was Christ. Their shadow is our reality which is Christ. Why did they not thrive and enter into the promised land?
- They left having a relationship with God – The beginning of their problem was they did not want to have a relationship with God. In the kingdom, the start was to have a deeper relationship with God and the children of Israel did not choose that. Exodus 20:18 -21 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. The children of Israel rejected God’s counsel. They went on living without God. Direct relationship not relationship with a medium is the requirement. Pastors and teachers cannot replace a relationship with God. Every time man withdraws from God, problems follow. They lacked capacity to enter into the promised land.
- They believed an evil report – Numbers 13:32-14:1-2 Discouraging reports, evil reports spread quickly and are believed easily. The children of Israel believed the evil report and spread it around. You must cast down arguments and resist imaginations. Because they didn’t have a relationship with God, they believed. They did not have capacity. The thriving is set from God for you but there are some things that may come that you need to conquer. When you meet challenges, do not shy away. Don’t assume things will go smoothly. There will be obstacles and giants you need to conquer. You need to stay with God. Every height you climb involves slaying giants. Relationship with God will give you a strong mind. Only Joshua and Caleb knew this out of 12 spies. 2 out of 10. They knew God. They understood God was with them. The children of Israel believed an evil report and it determined where they ended up. On your journey to thrive, you must believe in God and only one report. Don’t listen to any report contrary to God’s report. We all have a sound mind but we need courage to take things.
- They spoke out what they wanted – To thrive, you must be careful what you say. Numbers 14:28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: Power of life and death is in the power of the tongue. Never say anything negative on your journey to Canaan. 1 Peter 3:10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. Those that thrive have a relationship with God. Keeping God in your heart keeps your tongue from speaking negatively. Relationship with God would have steered them on the right path. It would have taken them off the wrong path to stop them from unbelief. Everything you need is in Christ. Investing in God is the biggest way to thrive. Your life will be right. You will pray the right prayers. There is only one formula in scriptures and it is the word of His grace. Acts 20:32.
When the disciples got born again, the message was still Christ and relationship with God. They continued in the doctrine. Acts 2:41- 42 Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. This is the formula in the kingdom. It is devotion to teaching, to fellowship, to breaking of bread and prayer. It is wrapped around a relationship with God. From there, every other thing springs up.
Psalm 1: 1-4 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Whoever constantly desires to know the Lord day and night prospers. They are planted in Christ and bring forth fruit in season. The solution to thriving is relationship. Psalm 92:12-14The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, We are planted in Christ and we will flourish in Him, we will bring forth fruit in Him, fresh and green. This is thriving in all seasons; in old age; yielding fruit because we are planted in Him. Thrive. Don’t survive and the solution is to stay in God.
