Divine Overflow: How Faith, Love, and Gratitude Unlock Life’s Riches
A spiritual journey through New Thought wisdom and the wisdom of Jesus, revealing the path to abundance already present within us.
“Jesus called it the Kingdom of God. New Thought calls it Divine Mind.
Both say: it is here, NOW.”
What does it mean to live abundantly? Is it wealth, comfort, or ease? Or is it something deeper, more enduring? The concept of the "fullness of life" is central both to New Thought philosophy and to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Far from promising material riches or external status, both traditions call us inward, toward a spiritual state of being where love, purpose, and divine connection shape every moment. From a New Thought perspective, which emphasizes the creative power of mind and the omnipresence of Spirit, abundance is not something to attain but something to realize. Likewise, Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is within, suggesting that the fullness of life is not postponed until heaven but available now. This essay explores how the intersection of Jesus' words and New Thought wisdom illuminates a path to authentic abundance.
“You won't find abundance at a shopping mall. What you seek isn't on a shelf or behind a price tag; it's within you, waiting to be discovered.”
The Nature of Abundant Life
Jesus said in John 10:10, "I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly." This declaration has often been misinterpreted as a promise of material prosperity. But when we read it through a New Thought lens, we see that abundance is not about acquiring things but about awakening to a richer experience of life. In this view, abundance is an inner reality marked by peace, creativity, love, and freedom. The New Thought tradition sees life as inherently good, rooted in a benevolent Source that flows through all beings. Jesus, too, pointed consistently to this inner Source: the Father within, the wellspring of life that is not bound by outward circumstance. Thus, abundant life is not a reward after death or the result of moral perfection; it is a present-moment realization of our divine nature.
Consciousness Creates Reality
A foundational principle of New Thought is that our thoughts create our experience. This is not mere wishful thinking, but a recognition of the mind's creative alignment with spiritual law. When Jesus said, "According to your faith be it done unto you" (Matthew 9:29), he affirmed this dynamic. Faith, in this context, is not passive belief but an active knowing that aligns thought with Divine Mind. The Gospel of Luke echoes this: "The kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). Abundance, then, is not something granted from the outside, but something expressed from within. The more we understand our spiritual nature, the more we awaken to a life that reflects it. In New Thought, we affirm what we want to see, not to manipulate reality, but to recognize what is already true in Spirit.
Love as the Core of Abundance
Jesus named love as the highest commandment: love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self. New Thought affirms that love is not only the essence of divine nature but also the most powerful creative force. Living in love raises our consciousness, dissolves fear, and attracts experiences of connection and joy. To live abundantly is to live lovingly. This is not sentimental or soft; it is radical and transformative. Jesus modeled this love in action, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and embracing the marginalized. In New Thought, love is a vibrational frequency that harmonizes us with the flow of life. When we choose love over resentment, compassion over judgment, and kindness over fear, we enter into the abundant field Jesus spoke of.
Gratitude and Presence
Gratitude is another cornerstone of abundant living. Jesus exemplified gratitude in his prayers, often giving thanks before any miracle occurred. In the feeding of the five thousand, he blessed the loaves and fish before they multiplied. New Thought teaches that gratitude multiplies good, not by changing God but by changing us. When we focus on what we have and bless it, we shift from scarcity to sufficiency. Gratitude is a way of seeing—a lens through which life becomes enough. Likewise, presence is essential. Jesus often withdrew into solitude to pray and reconnect with his Source. His life was deeply rooted in stillness. New Thought teaches that the present moment is where God lives. When we are fully present, we move from mental chatter into spiritual awareness. That is where abundance lives.
The Illusion of Lack
Both Jesus and New Thought confront the illusion of lack. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught: "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink... your heavenly Father knows that you need them." (Matthew 6:25-34). This is not a call to passivity but to trust. Worry and fear are forms of spiritual amnesia—they obscure the truth that we are always supported by divine law. New Thought affirms this by declaring that lack is not real in the Mind of God. It is a false belief, a product of conditioned thinking. When we buy into scarcity, we block the flow of good. To live abundantly, we must release these mental constructs and step into the truth of sufficiency. We are not separate from our Source, and therefore not separate from our supply.
Living the Abundant Life
So how do we live the fullness of life in practical terms? New Thought and Jesus offer overlapping tools. First, affirmations and affirmative prayer. New Thought practitioners use these to declare spiritual truths, such as: "I am one with Divine abundance," or "God's good flows to me and through me." Jesus taught a similar principle when he said, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have already received it, and it will be yours" (Mark 11:24). Second, service and compassion. Abundant life is not hoarded, it is shared. Giving activates receiving. Third, faith, not blind belief, but conscious trust in the unseen reality of God. Finally, forgiveness. Nothing blocks abundance like resentment. Jesus taught forgiveness as a daily practice, and New Thought affirms it as emotional and spiritual hygiene. To forgive is to open the gates of flow again.
Conclusion
The fullness of life is not a distant promise but a living presence. Jesus called it the Kingdom of God, while New Thought calls it Divine Mind or Infinite Spirit. Regardless of the name, it is here, now, always accessible through love, gratitude, presence, and faith. It is not reserved for saints or mystics, but available to anyone who turns within and listens. This is the life Jesus modeled and New Thought amplifies: a life of deep joy, rich connection, radiant purpose, and unshakable peace. To live abundantly is to remember who we are: expressions of the Infinite, channels of divine love, and co-creators of a world made new.
Further Reading
The Hidden Power of the Bible by Ernest Holmes
The Sermon on the Mount by Emmet Fox
Discover the Power Within You by Eric Butterworth
The Gospel of John (especially Chapters 10 and 15)
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
This Thing Called You by Ernest Holmes
Have you read, "Sacred Economics" by Charles Eisenstein? I'm about halfway through and am curious what your thoughts on it might be.
These words harken back to the ascendancy of New Age thought and spirituality, which held great appeal for me during that time. Renowned authors such as Deepak Chopra, Stewart Wilde and Wayne Dyer wrote and spoke similar words; ones that I found always encouraging and a source of emotional comfort and spiritual solace.
Looking at the broader canvas of life through, I can but wonder where the Divine mind or Infinite Spirit might be vacationing while the innocent men, women and children of Gaza are being slaughtered by the tens of thousands. The same with the people of Ukraine, Somalia, the Congo and many other places on Earth troubled by violent conflict and unrest. What of they? Their fate seems most cruel and undeserved.