*This article originally appeared on the author's website
I've been thinking a lot lately about vibrant living. What does it take to live fully alive? And turning the tables on myself; am I doing it? If we have been called to a life of abundance, and I believe as believers that we have, what could or should that look like in our lives? How can we step up and live in more abundance every day?
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, I come that they {YOU} may have life and have it abundantly." {John 10:10, ESV}
I have had seasons in my life where I definitely walked in more vibrancy and seasons with less. The common denominator has always been linked to whether or not I was walking in tune with the following three things; the Lord, reality of today, and authentically me.
1. We need to be in tune with the Lord.
The Lord is the giver of life. He blesses and breaths heavenly favor into our lungs every morning. I believe it's impossible to live a vibrant life without being fully in tune with our Creator. To be in tune we need to be in commune with God on a regular basis. It requires that we are hearing, learning and getting to know God through his word and in relationship and prayer daily. The more we know our heavenly father, his character, and His promises, the more able we will be to live a vibrant life.
"I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things,..." {1 Timothy 6:13}
Let's commit to getting still before the Lord often. Opening our bibles and reading His word first thing in the morning for more vibrancy every day! Do you have a bible reading plan you or following or a devotional you are studying? A couple of my favorite studies on She Believes have been the Ruth study and the Joshua study. If you are looking for some inspiration, these are some great places to start.
You can also sign up for daily devotions sent to your inbox here.
2. We need to be in tune with reality.
It's impossible to live vibrant lives today if we are fixated on tomorrow, and equally impossible if we are constantly living in the past. Good or bad, I believe everyone struggles to some degree with one or the other, and we can get stuck for a plethora of reasons.
Sometimes we remember the heyday when we walked through our high school halls at the top of our game. We were the star of our sports team or maybe always played the lead in the school musicals. Facing the reality today that we are a much smaller fish in a gigantic pond can be too much to let go of the past and step into our current reality.
And if living in the past glory day isn't your struggle, maybe living for the good dreams you have conjured up for the days to come is. Fixating on your dreams for tomorrow because today just isn't what you had hoped it would be.
Either way, when we fail to live in the reality of today, we miss out on the blessings God has right in front of us. The Lord promises that there are seasons and a time for everything. His timing is perfect and trusting God's timing means trusting that where we are right now is beautiful and perfect. Believe that God has abundance for you right here and now!
"He has made everything beautiful in its time." {Ecclesiastes 3:11, ESV}
So how can we stay present? One way that I have learned to stay present is in the daily act of journaling. It's a simple way write down my struggles or emotions around a situation to avoid escaping my current reality. It can also be a place to write our dreams and link them up to step by goals we can do in the present that will lead to achieving those big dreams and make them a reality. Journaling also allows us to write down our daily conversations with the Lord and leverages intentionality in seeking God for today.
Do you have a journal? Whether you are an avid writer or sporadic at best, it's never too late to make a commitment to start.
3. We need to be in tune with ourselves.
It's really hard to live fully alive without knowing who we are. I believe our current culture plays a heavy role in confusing us of our true identity every day. If we are not careful we can find ourselves slipping into believing some of the predominate lies about our identity the world tends to offer up.
To help steady our grasp of ourselves, it can be beneficial to explore and get familiar with how you are wired, what makes you tick. Understanding ourselves will help us avoid reactionary living. Ultimately, the Lord is the best resource for getting to know ourselves, and getting into God's word daily will help with this step too, after all, He is the creator us.
But outside of seeking God and his Word regularly, there are many great resources that can help identify our unique wiring as well; from personality, spiritual gifts, and 5 love language tests to profession organization tests like Myers-Briggs and StrengthsFinder.
Often times, the results will not be surprising, but instead, unlock that tangible illustration of us. Being able to recognize how we are wired sets us up for greater success and awareness for all life circumstances.
There is power in the mastery of us. Knowing ourselves helps trim back the yucky, and often reactionary responses and enhance the good. It gives a platform for change and helps to accentuate what we already do well.
Have you used any of the resources I mentioned above? Are there some areas in your professional, emotional or spiritual life that could use better understanding? Most of the resources I've mentioned are free or can be accessed for a minimal fee. These resources have been extremely helpful in my life and know that they will only help to live in greater understanding of ourselves for more vibrancy.
Could you use more vibrant living today?
What are some tangible steps you could take to live more in tune with God, reality, and greater understanding of yourself for more vibrancy?
Knowing God, being present for today, and understanding our unique gifts and wiring, sets us up for success and most importantly awakens our senses to the Holy Spirit promptings for incredible kingdom blessings every day!
[bctt tweet="Let's fiercely step into the vibrant abundant life the Lord has for us today!" username="bethannforo"]
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/fizkes
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