“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

As the new year begins, I always look forward to the renewal it brings to my weary soul. The Christmas season is a beautiful time to reflect on the gift of Jesus, yet it is also filled with many other things that press in and seem to steal away every spare moment. Buying gifts, wrapping, gatherings, baking, and the many ways I love to serve and share with others are all good things—but they are also draining.

While many people feel a sense of sadness once the holidays are over, I feel refreshed by the slower pace that follows and the sense of newness January brings. It feels like a deep breath after a long season of busyness.

One tradition I especially look forward to each year is asking God for a word—a word that will shape my spiritual growth in the coming year. Several years ago, after hearing others share how God had used a single word to guide and refine them, I decided to seek Him for one as well. Over the years, He has faithfully answered with words like surrender, trust, courage, release, and confidence. Each one has carried a deeper meaning as I’ve looked back and seen how God used it to transform me.

Last month, I began praying for my word, expecting it to be revealed in January as it had been in the past. Instead, God gave it to me early. As I was reading a devotional several weeks ago, the word abundance leapt off the page. Immediately, I sensed the Holy Spirit impress upon me that this word was significant—and that it had nothing to do with abundance as the world defines it. This was about spiritual abundance, and I knew it would come with both a lesson to learn and a sacrifice to make.

What I didn’t realize was how quickly that lesson would move from idea to reality.

One evening in late December, my husband said to me, “I feel God calling me to retire sooner rather than later—and I believe He means now.” The conviction in his voice was unmistakable. This wasn’t a discussion about finances or whether the numbers made sense by worldly standards. It was about obedience—a surrender to an unknown purpose God had not yet fully revealed.

And when God calls you to obedience, the world’s definition of prudence loses its authority. What matters then is surrender and trust.

After many hours of prayer—together and individually—God made it clear to me that this wasn’t my husband’s flesh speaking. It was a clear directive from Him. God was calling my husband away from the corporate world and into a new season—one marked by physical, mental, and spiritual renewal, and a transition from what appeared to be lack into true abundance for the Kingdom work God has prepared. And so, we surrendered to a timeline we had never considered, one we had always believed was still years away.

So how does this relate to abundance?

Because when we are faced with what appears to be lack, fear often rises—fear of limited resources and of what we might lose. Practically speaking, it means fewer meals out, fewer weekend trips, and fewer vacations. It means letting go of some fleshly pleasures I’ve enjoyed—like clearance-sale shopping that gives me brief moments of pseudo-joy. To be completely transparent, I’ve been convicted this past year that I often overindulge in things I clearly do not need simply because they’re a “great deal.” Yes, you can have too much of a good thing when the world is the one defining what is good.

The goodness of God has never been measured by worldly standards. It is a lie of the enemy that more is always better. Satan still tempts us the same way he tempted Jesus in the wilderness—sometimes with a subtle whisper, sometimes with a loud beckoning—“All this can be yours…” And far too often, we chase after it.

This temptation didn’t begin in the wilderness. It began in the Garden of Eden, when Satan deceived the woman: “When she saw that the fruit was good… she took some and ate it” (Genesis 3:6). In an instant, her perception of what was “good” was reshaped by a lie. She bit—and humanity has been biting ever since.

Satan knows our hunger. He knows how easily we will feast on things, status, entertainment, and delights—whatever it is that appeals most to our flesh. This is the age-old deception: a wolf in sheep’s clothing that looks good on the surface but is destructive beneath. Through seemingly good things, the enemy steals our focus from God, kills humility, fuels entitlement and pride, and quietly destroys our longing for eternal things. When we are consumed by what the world offers, we become distracted from what truly matters—often without even realizing it.

Yet Scripture continually reminds us that God’s abundance is not tied to material overflow, status, or anything temporary. His abundance consists solely of what He defines as good—things of the spiritual realm that will never perish.

When we walk uprightly with Him, we lack nothing we truly need.
“No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

When we live in His presence rather than chasing the world, we are filled with His goodness.
“Blessed are those You choose and bring near to live in Your courts! We are filled with the good things of Your house… You crown the year with Your bounty, and Your carts overflow with abundance.” Psalm 65:4, 8–13

When we surrender to His will and the good works He has prepared for us, He equips us abundantly.
“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

And ultimately, He does far more than we could ever imagine.
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think…”
Ephesians 3:20–21

This is the abundant life Jesus speaks of in John 10:10—and it is found in Him alone.

From the world’s perspective, this kind of life looks like less.

But in the Kingdom of God, less often becomes the doorway to more.

In the releasing, there is always gain—though not one measured by possessions or numbers. We gain clearer spiritual vision when excess no longer distracts us. We gain more of His presence when our hearts are no longer crowded with carnal desires. We gain intimacy, dependence, and trust—riches the world cannot offer.

God’s abundance is not about accumulation; it is about alignment.

When we loosen our grip on the things of this world, we make room for the things of God. And what He gives in return is always better: more fruit—more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

As we release the abundance of this world and set our minds, bodies, and souls fully on Christ—abiding in Him and walking closely with Him—we discover a beautiful truth:

What once looked like lack is actually gain.

As I seek more of Christ’s abundance this year, I pray that you, too, will also seek and experience it as we learn to give up things of this world and embrace only the goodness that He gives. In that exchange, we will find the truest abundance of all.

Ardently His,

Leah

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