Bishop of the Diocese on the Coast, Anglican Communion, Ondo State, The Rt. Rev’d OlaOluwa Oluseyi Pirisola, has said living abundant life in the contest of doing the will of God to be able to reap the benefits of obedience, including eternal life, should be the aspiration of every Christian.
In the charge he read to the third session of the 10th Synod of his Diocese, which was held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, LebiOkitipuparecently, Pirisolaexplained that living abundantly in Christ is not essentially about material wealth or worldly success, but about having transformed mind, eyes, feet and hands to guide a person along the path of righteousness.
According to him, a truly abundant life in Christ is one that is marked by the kind of transformation that allows the spirit of God to take control, so that, a person can continually reflect the image of Christ fully each day.Living abundant life means having faith in Christ, enjoying freedom through him, and being free from wickedness and sins to be able to fellowship with God towards gaining eternal life.
With theme,‘That I May Key Into God’s Abundance,’ taken from Deuteronomy 28:12, the Diocesan Bishopsaid that contrary to the thinking that God’s path is full of lack, it is actually full of abundance, and one of the keys to unlocking the divine blessings is by acknowledging Him in all your ways and allow His will to guide your actions. He assured the deluges that when a man is in God’s direction, he is heading towards abundance.
Also in attendance at the Synod were Governor Lucky OrimisanAiyedatiwa represented by the Chairman, Okitipupa Local Government, Andrew Ogunsakin; Bishops of sister dioceses, The Rt. Rev’d Stephen Oni (Ondo); The Rt. Rev’dAdeyemiAdeniji (Ilaje), his predecessor, The Rt. Rev’dOlugbemi and The Rt. Rev’d Cornelius Adagbada (Ekiti West) as well as traditional rulers and other government officials.
Taking the delegates through the scriptures, Bishop Pirisola established that the concept of abundant life is all about experiencing joy despite suffering,peace amid turmoil, love amid hate, forgiveness despite wrongdoings, security in the face of the unknown, confidence in the face of inadequacy, quietness of heart in the busyness of life, living on a higher plane above your circumstances and not feeling crushed under it, andbeing contented despite apparent lack.
According to the cleric, Jesus promised abundant life for all, but only those who do the will of God will enjoy it, and the promise of abundant life does not insulate us from difficulties.Unlike the usual process and experience of achieving goals, living abundant life has a secret, which is, living a life of contentment that makes you feel rich regardless of your real circumstances.
“Living abundant life goes beyond having everything you want or living without struggles or challenges to having enduring trust in God’s plan for your life.A life of abundance is characterised by peace, confidence, power, beauty, hope, love, and being free from stress and anxiety just as God is abundant in answering prayers and pouring His Holy Spirit on His Church,’’ he said.
On what living in abundance requires,Pirisolasaid it is for Christians to be good stewards of the gift they have been given by God through Jesus, and to use the gifts wisely and generously, especially to help people around them.
The cleric revealed that to unlock the gate of abundance, one has to believe in God and His promises, obey His commands, strategise for fulfillment of the promises and imbibe the spirit of giving, which enlarges the heart and sets one up for consistent and explosive harvest.
