THE ABOVE LIFE: SHIFTING FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVING

THE ABOVE LIFE: SHIFTING FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVING

OCTOBER 3, 2024

TEXT: “And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them” (Deuteronomy 28:13).

Today makes it Day 3 that we have been on this discourse, and by the grace of God, we shall be concluding discussions on it today. So far so good, we have been able to talk at length about what it entails to live what we call the “above” life. God is not interested in us just surviving.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SURVIVING AND THRIVING

To merely survive is to exist, while to thrive is to live an abundant life. Consider the following examples:

• To eat eba simply because that’s what you have is surviving, but to eat what your heart and soul desires is more related to thriving because it means you have actually done all you need to do in other areas so that even your feeding is well taken care of.
• To take up the job of a teacher merely because that is the only available choice, and not necessarily because you are passionate about it, is survival, but to have the perfect career options that can promote your destiny at your disposal is more of thriving.

Summarily, God desires that we live the most perfect possible life and not just to make do with what we can lay our hands on merely because of being out of choice/options.

BENEFITS OF LIVING THE “ABOVE” LIFE

1. Inner Joy and Peace: This comes from having the conviction that you are actually living out the plans and purposes of God for your life.
2. Eternal Reward: There is a reward for a life well lived according to God’s purpose and direction. He who fails to actually fulfill his or her destiny in line with God’s desire will be answerable to God hereafter, although this is not to suggest that such a person won’t make heaven anyway.
3. Emotional Stability: There is a kind of emotional imbalance that comes with being in the valley of life or living below God’s natural expectations.
4. Physical Well-being: A life of “above” ensures that you are able to meet your diverse needs in line with the expectations of heaven.

STEPS TO LIVE THE ABOVE LIFE AND SWING FROM “SURVIVING” TO “THRIVING”

1. Ensure Genuine Salvation: Sin can prevent a person from experiencing a positive shift in the journey of destiny. (Isaiah 59:2)
2. Be a Bible Scholar: There are hidden and open secrets in the bible that propel a believer on the proper steps to take in living the “above” life. (Joshua 1:8)
3. Be a Prayer Warrior: “Ice cream” prayers won’t help in this regard. Violent prayers are needed to be able to actualize this dream of moving from a life of mere survival to actual thriving. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
4. Invest in Personal Growth: study books and listen to messages by great Christian authors and leaders
5. Surround Yourself with Like-Minded Individuals: Move with people with similar goals and drive. (Amos 3:3)
6. Gratitude: Be grateful to God always for where he has brought you rather than just complaining about what you don’t have. Through this tactic, different positive doors are automatically opened.

SEARCHLIGHT: Never be satisfied with every condition you find yourself. Never believe that it is how God wants it. Sometimes it may be true, but not always. God does not encourage a life of hardship and below-standard for us. We must take our rightful seat in the “flight” of destiny and ensure we don’t allow the devil to cheat us.

PRAYERS: Whatever the enemy has stolen from me, which should actually uplift my destiny, LORD, let there be divine restoration in Jesus’ Mighty name.

BIBLE READING
Jeremiah 27-29, Matthew 6

PST. MICHAEL OMOLE