Thrive: What It Means To Truly Flourish by Rev. Christie Bature: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

What Does It Mean to Thrive?

To thrive means to prosper, to be fortunate, to be successful, to grow or develop vigorously. To flourish. The synonyms for thrive include: to advance, to arrive, to bear fruit, to bloom, to blossom, to develop, to flourish, to get ahead, to grow, to grow rich, to increase, to progress, to prosper, to radiate, to rise, to score, to shine, to shoot up, to succeed, to turn out well.

For some, thriving means learning how to talk properly — letting God circumcise your tongue so your words are graced with grace. For some, thriving means reconciling with people you haven't spoken to in fifteen years — even though the fault is yours. There are two ways to humility: either you humble yourself before the mighty hand of God, or you are humiliated into humility. When a bone breaks, even though it heals in six weeks, that place of fracture is always a weak point — other parts of the bone will withstand pressure, but where it cracked will always give way first. Do not wait for God to humiliate you into humility.

Running Hard — but in Which Direction?

A child ran a relay race, received the baton, and ran with tremendous speed — back to the starting point. He was running hard, but in the wrong direction. To thrive is to run very hard, but forward, not backward.

Some are resurrecting relationships that God killed. Some are opening doors that God closed for their own good — because they want the familiar, the comfortable, the convenient. They are walking backward with energy.

Biblical Meaning of Thriving

In the original biblical languages, there is no single word that translates directly to the modern English word "thrive." The writers of the Old and New Testament relied on rich visual metaphors — an unstoppable rush forward, a plant breaking out into blossom, a smooth and successful journey.

The primary Hebrew root used where modern Bibles translate "thrive" or "flourish" is parak (P-A-R-A-C-H). Psalm 92:12 and Proverbs 11:28 use this word. Its literal meaning is to break out, to sprout, to shoot upward like a bud opening into a flower.

Biblical thriving is never static. Many believers arrive at some level in their faith and think they have arrived, that they are settled in one place. We have stopped thriving at that point. Someone criticized a believer in church and said, "We are the pillars of this church." The other person replied, "That is why the church is not moving — you have turned into pillars, just standing in one place." Parak indicates that biblical thriving is a visible, undeniable explosion of life and fruitfulness that happens when a person stays connected to the presence of God.

The Presence of God — More Than a Song

The presence of God is something you actively cultivate, actively chase after, actively practice. Many people experience the presence of God only in church. But who do you wait for to activate the presence for you to enjoy? When will you also be the one activating the presence of God in your home?

To men in particular — your first assignment is priest before king. Before provider, before protector, your first assignment is priest. Every man who abdicates spiritual leadership to his wife is obtaining disorder — and what you get is chaos. The one who should have been speaking to the serpent in the garden was Adam, not Eve. Where was he when a deceiver got to his wife? He was not on duty. Spiritual leadership is the husband's responsibility.

Stay connected to the presence of God. This is the essence of our identity as believers. The only difference between us and every other faith is the presence of God. Our God is the only one who says, "Wherever you are, I am with you." Other faiths tell their followers to go seek their god somewhere. Our God says: "I am here with you. If you are in the dark, I am in the dark. If you are in pain, I am in the pain. If you are grieving, I am in the grief. If you are celebrating, I am the cause of the celebration."

Deep Roots and Structural Resilience

To be thriving in the Old Testament language is to be deeply rooted and visibly bursting with life. Some believers have shallow roots. They do not understand why they are worshipping. They come to church and worship is happening and they are looking blank — blank because their roots are shallow.

The reason you are not bowing in worship is because another god is already enthroned in your heart. We come to church waiting for the worship leader to carry us into the presence of God. But that is not the work of the worship leader. The worship leader is providing atmosphere. Every individual has the responsibility to create the atmosphere around them that connects them with the master.

Structural Weakness versus Resilience

Some are structurally weak. Every small thing, before they even touch you, the tears are falling. Everybody knows which button to press to make you lose it. You are not thriving if your internal structure is weak.

There is a man that is structurally resilient — a man who when the riots in Kaduna were going house to house, came out from his room at 3 a.m. with fire inside him and began to pray aggressively and violently until the atmosphere changed. When threats come, the structurally resilient person does not panic; they stand and enforce what the Word of God declares.

I am particular in my private life about the presence of God — because I know if I have the presence, there is no trouble that can knock me down and keep me there. I can fall, but I always get back up. That is what the presence of God does.

Thriving as an Active Process

Thriving was described in biblical imagery as:

• A plant breaking out into blossom — organic, unstoppable growth from within
• An unstoppable rush forward, not backwards
• A smooth and successful journey — purposeful momentum

The synonym for thrive is also "to full ground" — to take ground, cover territory, expand in every direction. Biblical thriving is territorial. It is never passive. It is never about maintenance. It is always about breaking out, bursting forth, shooting upward.

When you stay connected to the presence of God, this is what happens — you do not just survive, you parak. You break out. You bloom. You burst forth in fruitfulness that amazes even those around you.