Living the Abundant Life: Daily Steps with Christ
*Inspired by insights from Day by Day by Grace
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me"…be filled with the Spirit…"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
—Luke 9:23; Ephesians 5:18; John 10:10
The call to follow Jesus as His disciple is not reserved for a select few or cloaked in mystery. It is the invitation extended to every believer: to live as servants of the new covenant, walking in the fullness of life that Jesus came to provide. Whether we refer to it as discipleship, the Spirit-filled life, or the abundant life, the central truth remains the same—this life is not fueled by self-effort but by God's unlimited resources.
A Garden’s Transformation
Picture a gardener who finds a plot of land, overgrown with weeds and neglected for years. Instead of simply uprooting the weeds and leaving the soil bare, the gardener begins to plant flowers, fruit trees, and vegetables. Day by day, the once barren land begins to blossom into a thriving garden. The transformation is not the result of the land working hard to change itself but of the gardener’s care and the new life he cultivates within it.
This is what new covenant living looks like: God transforming the overgrown garden of our lives into a place of beauty and fruitfulness, as we yield to Him daily.
The Call to Follow
Jesus' words in Luke 9:23 make the path clear: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." To follow Christ, we renounce the self-life—our own sufficiency and efforts—and embrace the cross, acknowledging that the old way of living deserves judgment and separation. Instead, we pursue a growing relationship with Him, trusting Him to cultivate His life within us.
The Spirit’s Fullness
In Ephesians 5:18, we are urged to “be filled with the Spirit.” This is not a one-time experience but a continual surrender to the Spirit's leading. Just as the gardener waters the garden and nourishes it daily, so the Holy Spirit supplies us with God’s power and resources, enabling us to live in ways we never could on our own.
The Abundant Life
Jesus declared in John 10:10 that He came not only to rescue us from sin but to provide "life…and life more abundantly."This abundant life is not about material wealth or ease but about a spiritually enriched existence that only Christ can produce in us. It’s the life of joy, peace, and purpose that flows from walking in step with the Spirit and resting in Christ's sufficiency.
Living Out the New Covenant
Living the abundant life means embracing the daily work of the Gardener in the garden of our hearts. It means allowing Him to uproot the weeds of self-effort and plant the seeds of His Spirit. It means trusting Him to water and tend to the growth. It’s not about striving to grow but about yielding to His care, moment by moment.
A Prayer of Confidence
Father,
Thank You for inviting us into the abundant life You designed for us. Thank You for planting Your life within us and for tending to it with Your Spirit’s power. We trust You to continue transforming us as we yield to You daily. May we rest in the truth that Your resources are limitless, and Your care is constant. Teach us to walk in step with Your Spirit and to embrace the life You’ve already provided. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Final Thought
Just as a garden cannot grow without the care of the gardener, so we cannot thrive apart from the transforming work of Christ and the Spirit. The abundant life is ours, not by striving, but by surrendering daily to the One who gives life in all its fullness. Let us follow Him, take up our cross, and rejoice in the beauty He is cultivating within us.