Principles to Live an Abundant Life, Part 1

God invites us to accept His love and freedom through Christ, and as we do, we start living the abundant life God has planned for each of us.

Over the next few weeks, my series will explore biblical principles for living an abundant life. I’ll be examining Jesus as our great shepherd and our relationship as sheep under His care in His flock.

“Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3 NKJV

Jesus often called His followers “sheep,” not to belittle them, but to illustrate the beauty of the relationship between a shepherd and his flock. This metaphor emphasizes how deeply God cares for His people—providing, protecting, and guiding them.

A sheep’s worth comes from the Shepherd who owns it, not from itself. When the Lord is your Shepherd, you’re not vulnerable — you’re protected, guided, provided for, and loved beyond measure.

Jesus stated that He came to give His followers more than just an ordinary life — He offers a life of fullness, abundance, and prosperity.

Abundant life begins with a sincere relationship with God through Jesus. As we walk with Him, we realize He has created us with a purpose, primarily to love Him and others. Additionally, we learn that He invites us to join Him in His mission.

God supplies everything we need to fulfill our purpose. Jesus came to restore us fully to the Father—which includes receiving provision for our mission.

God intends for His people to be channels of His light, love, and blessings to those who do not know Him. The blessings and favor given to His people, His Church, are meant to draw those in darkness so they can experience God’s love and grace through Jesus.

1 God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah 2 That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations… 5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. 6 Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him. Psalm 67:1-2, 5-7 NKJV

Notice that God’s favor on His people not only blesses us but also benefits the nations of the world. The earth even responds!

But what does it mean to live abundantly, and what are the steps to attain it?

Read John 10:1-21 to see what Jesus said about this subject.

Jesus made a simple yet powerful statement in John’s gospel. After explaining to His audience that He is the door or gate for the sheep and how they can recognize His voice and trust Him, Jesus states:

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:9-10 NKJV

In biblical times, a shepherd and his sheep were often used as a metaphor for a king and his people. “But in the Bible, an ideal king is described as a shepherd (see Ezek. 34), perhaps modeled on the shepherd-boy David, who became the king after God’s own heart. In a world where they knew about the intimate contact and trust between shepherd and sheep, this was their preferred way of talking about kingship.” 1

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, or a good king, unlike those who sought power and control over the people. Further, “He is the gate, or door. In many Eastern sheepfolds, the shepherd lies down at night in the gateway to stop the sheep from getting out and to stop predators from getting in. Here Jesus seems to indicate the way in which the shepherd keeps the sheep safe, and, like God himself in Psalm 121:8, watches over their going out and their coming in. The emphasis is on the safety and the fulfilled life of the sheep.” 2

From this perspective, Jesus is saying (my paraphrase),

“I came to offer My sheep, My people, a secure, satisfying, and abundant life, like a good shepherd or king. I will guard them from going out when they shouldn’t and from enemies entering.”

Jesus said, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 NKJV).

Abundantly is derived from the Greek word Perissos. Here are a few biblical dictionary definitions of Perissos:

Exceeding (the usual number or the usual measure), in John 10:10 could be translated “have in superabundance.” 3

Pertaining to a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate—‘that which is more than, more than enough, beyond the norm, abundantly, superfluous. 4

Paul also uses Perissos in Eph. 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly …” (NKJV). Based on the above definitions, here is my paraphrase of Eph. 3:20,

“God wants to do considerably more, beyond the norm, in superabundance, than what one would expect or anticipate—according to His power at work in us!”

Consider the contrast in John 10:10. The enemy wants to rob and destroy—God wants you to overflow excessively with His love, grace, and provision!

The favor on your life draws upon the inheritance that is already yours in Christ! God releases favor to those who pursue His purpose and assignment.

Principles for Abundant Living

Principle #1: Allow Jesus to be your Shepherd!

When we surrender our hearts to Jesus and begin to follow Him, we start to learn His voice, and our trust in Him deepens. Those who don’t know Christ don’t understand this simple truth: sheep know the voice of their shepherd, and the shepherd knows His sheep and cares for them!

Paul describes how we cooperate with God’s grace and the working of the Holy Spirit to allow Christ to dwell in fullness in our inner person:

17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Eph. 3:17-19 NKJV

To truly understand the fullness of God’s love and experience the superabundance He promises His followers in Eph. 3:20, we must allow Christ to dwell in our hearts. It begins with surrender and is sustained through the daily pursuit of Jesus. A relationship with Christ is the foundation of abundant living. Knowing His love is the key to living a life of abundance.

If you’re feeling distant from God, learn to wait in His presence, like Mary did at His feet. When we’re disconnected from God, seek Him again! Draw close to God, and He will draw close to you!

Notice, the phrase may dwell in Eph. 3:17? Paul understood that true faith and relationship with Jesus depend on surrendering to Him. Fully give yourself to God and align your desires with His. This marks the start of abundant living.

Look at what Peter writes:

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls… 1 Pet. 1:8-9 NIV

Notice that believers experience an inexpressible joy because, both now and in eternity, we receive the reward of our faith: the salvation of our souls.

In other words, our salvation is both something we have now and something we are still waiting to fully experience in Christ.

An important part of living a fulfilled and abundant life is to understand that you and I are currently saved and being saved through Jesus! We love Him because He first loved us and sacrificed Himself for us. Ultimately, abundant life is about our union with Christ through faith!

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Pet. 1:13-16 NIV

However, when we act against God’s laws and character, we prevent ourselves from experiencing the fullness of life in Christ. On the other hand, as we draw closer to Jesus, we regularly encounter His love, peace, and joy—this is what constitutes an abundant life. In short, Jesus alone is enough; He is the source of abundant life.

I’ll continue this series next week by exploring God’s Promise of Abundant Life.

Footnotes

1 Tom Wright, John for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-10 (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 149.
2 Ibid., 150.
3 Horst Robert Balz and Gerhard Schneider, Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1990–), 77.
4 Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 598–599.