Daily Power #331

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (2 Peter 1:2)

One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving is eating the leftovers. You can’t beat turkey sandwiches piled high with stuffing and cranberry sauce. Maybe I love these leftovers so much because with six kids in our house (especially during their teenaged years), we didn’t have many leftovers. I’m starting to realize a perk of being an empty nester is enjoying leftovers more often, as well as just having my favorite cereal last more than a day.

Most retailers in our culture today encourage us to buy their products in bulk. The whole premise of stores like Costco and Sam’s Club is that we’ll save money if we buy an acre-sized box of macaroni and cheese or a thousand pounds of ground beef. While it’s good to save money and plan ahead, it’s easy to fall back into that “more-is-better” mindset. (You know, the one that got me in trouble with Sprees at the movies that time.)

Fortunately, spiritual abundance is not about collecting more stuff. We don’t have to stockpile Bibles, purchase discounted choir robes in shocking pink, or hide boxes of Christmas candles for our church’s candlelight service. The quantity of our material possessions doesn’t determine true abundance—it’s the quality of our souls. When we dwell on the character of God and the example of Christ, we grow and develop an abundance of peace, grace, and joy.

Power Lift

Dear God, I’m grateful for the abundance of blessings you give me materially. But I’m even more thankful for our relationship and for the gifts of your Son, your Word, and your Spirit.