SURVIVING VS. THRIVING

1 Corinthians 15:58 - Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Here is a thought that I have had for quite some time now. It seems to me that many people today have the mentality of just surving from day to day. We all know how mundane life can get, as well as how hard it is sometimes. I can't help but see it when you consider just how poorly people do at disciplining their children, or the care and upkeep of thier homes, even just paying the bills. With the way the world is today, it appears to me that people are concerned about SURVIVAL. And the thought of THRIVING seems to be just beyond their reach.

Now, I understand that I don't speak for all. However, I do speak for what I percieve in the "world" that I presently live in in Central Pennsylvania. It seems to be faily evident that the reason we don't always see a great increase in people's lives for the better is because they can't help but see themselves just trying to get through another day. And it is beyond economic, and social status... Life is full of challenges and trials today that can get a person way too overwhelmed with themselves...and that is just the problem, isn't it?

When we become too consumed with "me," and "my life," we fail to realize what life is all about. It really isn't so much about "me," as much as it should be about GOD! Then, we become concerned about others, as is a natural response to the Lord in our lives, because He is concerned about others. Jesus summed up the whole Law into a few words in Matthew 22:37-40 - And He said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' [38] "This is the great and foremost commandment. [39] "The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' [40] "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

Finally, an interesting thing happens in our lives when we focus on these two things, rather people. We gain an inspiration for who we are and what we do! We find some resemblance of PURPOSE for our lives, and we "switch gears" so to speak... We go from mere SURVIVAL to THRIVING! Abounding in the Lord!!!

John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." Hey! Don't allow the devil to steal from you anymore, and get back some LIFE! Go into the enemy's camp and get back what he stole from you, as the song says and THRIVE!

We live in perilous times, and now is a great time for the Church to rise up and be what God has called it to be. But it seems to me that this "survival" mode has crept into the Church too. We can't have it any longer! It is time for us, Believers in Christ, to set a new pace and accomplish something for the Lord! May the Church THRIVE once again under the mighty hand of God, and with the Power of the Holy Spirit!