Thrive

Casting Crowns sing,

"We know we were made for so much more

Than ordinary lives.

It's time for us to more than just survive,

We were made to thrive."

Webster's defines thrive as to grow or develop successfully; to flourish or succeed.

Grow, develop and then to flourish.  By definition, if we are thriving, we are growing and developing into something more, but we don't stop just with being a student, we flourish.  We grow healthily and we do very well.

Charles Stanley writes, "What is it that would make God see me as a success?"  This is the question we must learn to ask and answer as we determine what succeeding really means.  Mr. Stanley continues by answering the question with "My greatest achievement is a continuing desire to be the person He has called me to be and to reach the goals He has helped me to set."  He is saying that our success is really God's success when it is accomplished.  We are the person God wants us to be and we have done the things God wants us to do.  So, our victories belong to God and He then deserves all the praise.

In order to thrive, we need to recognize that we need to grow and develop continually to have the perfected knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Paul says we are to yearn to know Christ personally,  to know the power of His resurrection, to be willing to partner in His sufferings and go with Him unto death itself.  We have to reach for this and want to find it.

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.   So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet!  - Philippians 3:12-15

What is the "everything God has for us"?  It is Himself.  He works for our "good" (Rom 8:28) and that good is more of Him in us and less sin (1 John 3:8b).  His character in us shall come to rule.  Where He is there is life (John 14:6), but not just life, life abundantly (John 10:10b).  When we are becoming the person God wants us to be we not only have life, our life flourishes.  And it is because it is God in us who is overcoming, reaching out, and worshiping.

"We were made to thrive."  Do not settle for less.  Reach out to God and be willing to grow!