Living Life to the Fullest - Have Abundance in Every Area of Your Life

How many want to get the most out of life that you possibly can? Most never experience life to the extent they were meant to. Just having a good job and making decent money doesn't mean you will experience fullness of life. Many who have been successful, and had more than they could have ever dreamed still end up disappointed with life.

How can you get the most out of life?

Faithful in Small Things. Life is not a broad jump. We don't go from step one to ten all at once. We must move from step 1, 2, 3, and so on, one at time. This is why we must be trustworthy in the little things of life first if we ever expect to have the big chance (opportunity) in life. Pretend you were steward of my money and gave you $50 and said I'd be back in three months and expected you to have increased it. If you do, I will then give you $100 more. If I come back and you haven't increased it but have less, I will not trust you with another $100 but will take back what you have left from the first $50. (Matthew 25:14-29)

Attitude of Gratitude. Be thankful instead of complaining. I new of a man with a law degree for Yale who when he was young went through some struggles. He and his wife leaved in a house with no sub floor. In the winter, it was so bad they could get the temperature above 60 degrees. He told his wife he didn't want to hear of her complaining because he didn't want to stay in the situation they were in any longer than they had to. A year latter they were in a very comfortable home at a more than reasonable rate. (Ephesians 5:19-20; 1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Understand Everyone Doesn't Owe You. Many think that just because something is set up to help that they owe it to us. Everyone has been in a place where they needed help or assistance. It's great that there are things in place to help during those times. (Food stamps, emergency assistance, etc) Often when those organizations aren't able to do exactly what we need we get mad and feel we've been done wrong. (cut our food stamps $20-30) We need to understand these programs are a grace, there to help those in need. They don't owe us. If we understand this we will tend to be more grateful. We will never experience abundance (fullness of life) as long as we think everyone in life owes us.

Don't Focus on nor Neglect Yourself. We live in a world in which we are taught or at least prone to look out for number one. If your entire focus is on yourself you will always end up empty. On the other hand, you can't neglect yourself either. I have seen those so dedicated to helping others (which is commendable) that they totally neglected themselves. Some are able to handle that for a time, even for years, but sooner or latter it gets to them and there's the potential of snapping. The key is to find the balance in completely focusing on you and looking outside yourself to the needs of others. I know in my own life that when I have been really down someone was usually brought my way, which was in need. When I began helping them I all the sudden noticed my problem didn't seem as bad as it did only minutes before. I got my eyes off of me. (Philippians 2:3-5)

Maintain a sober estimation of yourself. Many in life either think too much of themselves or think too little of themselves. It's either one extreme or another. Some think they are all that and the world revolves around them and can't get along without them. Still others have to low of an estimation of their self. They tend to think they are of no value, worthless, and can't do anything. Balance is the key. The world doesn't revolve around us and can get along if we're in the picture or not. On the other hand, you are all of great value, are needed in this world, and have an unlimited potential. The truth is without an element of ego no one would ever accomplish a thing. (Romans 12:3)

Pursue Excellence. Many in our world today just want to get by and experience the bear minimum is all they care about. They are addicted to mediocrity. They live this way in all areas of their life. (Their education, job, finances, relationships, etc) If we are going to get the most out of life that we possibly can we will have to give everything we have and come against our best. (Philippians 1:10)

Be a Visionary. You will only accomplish what you first see. "Future direction is much more significant than past success or failures." Keep your eyes off the past and on what's ahead of you. Many have made bad mistakes in the past, some have had bad things happen to them, and while still others have had some great achievements. We can use our past to learn from but to dwell there will simply slow us down or trip us up. (One running a race)
Keep you eyes on the course (goals, dream, or vision). Blinders on a horse in a race are there to keep it from looking aside to looking away at other things and getting distracted. (Proverbs 29:18; Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 3:12-14)

Have a support system. Every one of us will need help at one time or another. We all go through times of difficulty. You can't conquer life solo. In these times we need the support of others. We can't make it on our own. Get with a group of people who are positive, uplifting, and encouraging. Meet with them on a regular basis. You can be there for them when they need support and they will you also. You can also be there for one another when you see going the wrong direction, doing the wrong things, and making wrong decisions. Make sure your support group doesn't just tell you what you want to hear. When you make the wrong decision or do the wrong thing and mess things up you can help to pick each other up and encourage one another not to give up. This will be a source of strength for you. (Hebrews 10:24-5; Acts 13:1-3)

Be Positive. We live in a negative world. We're surrounded by negative things and people. Name a few - newspapers, and TV. If we are to get the most out of life we are going to have to be different. Have you ever seen negative people who had any peace, joy, and were experiencing fullness of life? (Philippians 4:8; Proverbs 23:7a)
Belief (Faith). Everyone has faith in something. For instance, everyone demonstrated faith when you came into class. Ask if they know how they did? You did so when you sat in your chair. You were confident the chair would hold you up if you sat in it. (Romans 12:3)

1.Faith outside yourself. Everyone needs something outside yourself that you look to and trust in. Otherwise we are doing nothing but trusting in ourselves and you will inevitable let you down at some time or another and most of us do so quite frequently. You need something (someone) you look to greater than yourself.
2.Faith in yourself and what you can do. Believe in what you can do and are good at. Most of us aren't good at everything but you can find a few things that you are really good at. Be confident in yourself and what you can do. (Proverbs 23:7a)
3.Move in faith. If your going to accomplish something you will have just step out and do it. Just like sitting in the chair, you must exercise faith and just step out and do it. There are things in life that if you don't just jump in and do will never get done. It will at time be scary, but ever so rewarding. Hebrews 4:2; James 2:17)

Be Bold. (Absence of fear) What if I fail, what if you don't? What if you succeed? There will be times you do fail, but not always. If you never try you will never succeed. Those afraid of everything will never step out and accomplish a thing. Those throughout history who have accomplished the greatest things failed often an innumerable amount of times before actually succeeding. (Proverbs 28:1b)

Hard Work. The harder you work the luckier you'll become. There is simply no short cut to good old fashion hard work. The lazy never experience abundance in life. (Proverbs 10:4; Hebrews 6:11-12)

Make Steppingstones not stumbling blocks out of life's experiences. Life will throw difficult things at you from time to time. It's what we do with those things that will make all the difference in the world. Difficulties can cause us to stumble and defeat us in life. They can also be used as steppingstones taking us to higher ground. It's all up to us and what we do with them. Will the things of life get and keep us down or will we use them as another step on the upward course? I don't know about you but I choose to keep moving upward. (2 Corinthians 4:7-18; 11:23-33)

Never Give Up. Quitters never experience life in its fullness. If we are going to have abundance in life we have to be determined not to ever give up. Continue moving forward and upward. Never stop! If you will refuse to quit you will overcome every circumstance in life and get the most out of life that you possibly can. Never, never, never quit!!! (Hebrews 12:1-3)