Keep On Growing

1 Thessalonians 3:11–13 NKJV

Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Abounding in hope by the Holy Spirit, Rom 15:13

Romans 15:13 NKJV

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Abounding in faith with thanksgiving, Col 2:7

Colossians 2:7 NKJV

rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Abounding in love toward one another, 1 Thess 3:12

1 Thessalonians 3:12 NKJV

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,

Abundance

To abound is to have more than enough, to have an abundance, indeed, a super-abundance. It is the life Christ gives us (John 10:10). It is what Christ does with our little and makes it abundant (John 6:12–13). It is His grace (Rom 5:15). Any abundance we produce (1 Cor 15:58) is because He produces it through us (2 Cor 1:5).

Let God

When we allow God to keep us growing, the burden is where to put the fruit! Joseph built huge storehouses during the 7 years of plenty in Egypt. The disciples took up 12 baskets of “fragments” (seriously? Fragments filling 12 baskets!!). The ministry we have greatly exceeds whatever was before (2 Cor 3:9). Thus, we work, and we do so abundantly (1 Cor 15:58).