His Last Command: Our First PrioritySample

Day 2: The Master Key to Abundant Living

Acts 20:35 TLB

And I was a constant example to you in helping the poor; for I remembered the words of the Lord Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Years ago, Ps. Jack Hanes was mid-week, working on his Sunday sermon. He asked his then-young family to describe, with one word, what the master key to abundant living is. Various words were offered, but none were what he had in mind. The guessing contest went on for days around the dinner table with no one giving the answer he was looking for.

Finally, he told them the story of General William Booth of the Salvation Army. Circumstances had prevented the general from attending an important meeting of his officers, so in his absence, he sent a telegram. The group gathered around to read his message. The telegram contained only one word: others.

“Living our life focused on others. This is the master key to the most abundant, God-like living we can do. Living to give. Living to serve. Living to bless. Living to share. This is the heart of God.”

“Now we know that Jesus is the key to abundant life, but living to help and serve and bless and share with ‘others’ is the key to abundant living.”

John 12:24 NKJV

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

If you have ever handled a raw grain of wheat, just off the stalk, you would have observed several things: it’s small, it’s hard, it’s bland, and it’s not enough to fill you up.

“But Jesus wasn’t really talking about wheat. A life focused on itself is just like this wheat: small, hard, bland and unfulfilled. Many Christians are like the grain of wheat that abides alone - they won’t give, they won’t share, they won’t bless … but others will find the purpose of their life. A seed is meant to be planted and be fruitful and multiply.”

Your life is a seed, and seeds are meant to be planted to reproduce new life. One seed planted could yield a hundred more. That hundred planted could produce a thousand, and so on until you have a farm that feeds a village, that feeds a city, that feeds a nation. All of that potential is in the power of one seed.

Mark 10:45 NKJV

For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.

Philippians 2:5 NKJV

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

Jesus did not come to be served but to serve others and to give His life for them. The mind of Christ is one of humility and self-sacrifice. Christ poured His life out for others.

“This is the mind of serving and giving. This is the mind that says, ‘How can I die for someone today? What can I give up or lay down for someone else today? Let this mind be in you. We must break free from selfishness.”

What is genuine prosperity?

“Prosperity has nothing to do with how much money you make. You can live broke at any level of income. The best definition I have ever heard of prosperity is ‘being secure in your source.’ If the bank is your source, your job, the government, or the share market, it is obvious you are not secure. If money is your source … it changes value every single day. If God is your source, you can live to bless … you can live to share.”

Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Then, according to Jesus’ definition, we do not measure our blessedness by what we possess (Luke 12:15), but by what we have given and released.

As we focus on the needs of others, God will attend to our needs. This is the context of the oft-quoted Philippians 4:19. The Macedonian Church gave to the needs of others above and beyond what was expected. Because of their selfless-hearted giving, Paul knew that God would see to it that their needs were met.

Philippians 4:19 NKJV

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” - Dr. Albert Schweitzer.

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Prayer

Lord, I pray that you will help me live my life more and more with the mind of Christ, Who loved us and gave Himself for us. I pray that I am less “me”-focused and that my focus is instead on others. Show me today, the people and the needs around me, and what you want me to do to help them. I want to live the “more blessed” kind of life, giving and blessing others.