ARE YOU A SCARCITY THINKER?
My grandparents lived during The Great Depression. Times were indeed tough, and paying jobs were hard to find. Frugality was the word of the day and the need of the hour.
My grandmother loved to tell the story about finding enough change in the cushions of her couch to buy some liver from the butcher shop so she could feed my grandfather, my mom and herself. Since she only had a paltry amount of change, she could only purchase a very small amount of liver. The butcher innocently asked her, “Is this for a cat?” “Actually,” she replied, “it’s for three cats.”
No doubt, The Great Depression was a very hard time for lots and lots of people. One of the distinguishing marks of that era was a scarcity mentality. The people trying to make it in the 1930’s were dealing with such poverty and lack that they were forced to hold onto their pennies with all their might. They were conditioned to think “scarcity” because their circumstances indicated provision was scarce, spotty and uncertain.
NO GREAT DEPRESSIONS IN HEAVEN!
Did you know that many Christians are scarcity thinkers? They tend to dream small, plan small and pray small because they live in the land of little, lack, and not enough. They tend to hoard the resources and blessings God has given them because they think there may not be any more coming their way. They tend to ask God for a little and not for a lot because, after all, who in the world even has a lot? Answer: God does!
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Ephesians 3:20-21: “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory …” This passage teaches me that God is a big God who can do not only more than I ask or think but “exceeding abundantly” more!
THINK ABUNDANCE
As children of God, we need to throw out the scarcity thinking and start to think abundance! We need to pray big and believe God for big things because He is able— more than able—to do far more than we could ever even imagine!
Do you remember the story of the great crowd following Jesus who needed something to eat? There were 5000 men, plus women and children. When you add them all together, there were probably 15,000 or more mouths to feed. The disciples wanted to send the hungry crowd away, but Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.”
They were flabbergasted at that request. How could they possibly feed that many people? When they did find some food, it was so small and meager it seemed laughable to even bring it to the Master’s attention—five small biscuits and two sardine-type fish. It was a bare-bones lunch for a small boy. “What are these for so many people?”
But Jesus took that little, skimpy lunch, and He blessed it, broke it, and fed the entire crowd until they were all sated and satisfied. He then had the disciples gather up the leftovers, and they gathered 12 baskets full of fish and bread! Wow, 12 baskets!
Listen, my friend, God is NOT the God of adequacy, He is the God of abundance!!! There is nothing too difficult for Him. Quit believing Him for little, and start believing Him for much. Scarcity thinkers receive enough liver for three cats, but abundance thinkers, people who really believe God for God-sized miracles, get filet mignon that hangs off the plate.
Regardless of the enormity of your need today, God is more than able, and He delights in doing “exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.” The choice is yours: Will you believe Him for little or for lots?
Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve,
From His Heart Ministries
