I grew up the oldest of six children. We weren’t rich by any means, but we always had enough. We never went hungry. My mom and dad did a great job of shielding us from feeling the pinch when things were tight financially. When we sat down for family dinner, we knew we couldn’t just start grabbing food. Mom had to serve us; otherwise, we would all pig out and there might not be enough left for the last one to the table. Mom was all about being fair and equal. We waited until everyone was at the dinner table, and then we were served.
She wouldn’t buy sugar cereal very often, but when she did, it was like gold. We couldn’t touch it until the next morning.
We were told in no uncertain terms that our ration was one bowl to be eaten in the morning. And you had better not let her catch you eating it at night. Right, Mom?!
(But what’s better than eating cereal as a late-night snack. Am I right? But I digress…)
Growing up, I didn’t always appreciate the care she took to ensure equality and fairness — unless I was the last one to come to the table, of course. But I have grown to appreciate it more as I have four ravenous boys. As my husband and I raise our boys, I have come to appreciate many things about my parents. Who knew? (Well, I guess they did as I always heard, “You’ll understand when you become a parent someday!”)
My parents did a great job working with the finite resources they had, but there was only so much to go around. We had to make it work so no one went without. But our heavenly Father owns it ALL! He has an infinite supply that never runs out. “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1). When blessing His children, either spiritually or physically, God uses words like lavish (I John 3:1, Ephesians 1:8), abundant (2 Corinthians 9:8, John 10:10, etc.), more (Romans 8:37, Ephesians 3:20), all things (2 Peter 1:3).
God doesn’t have just “one box of cereal” with which to bless His children. He operates on a different paradigm. He owns all the “cereal” in the world. (You get what I’m saying, don’t you?) To bless one of His children does not diminish His ability to bless another. That’s why God is the Ultimate Giver; and as His image bearers, we are to be givers, too — not just with our material possessions, but with other things, too. This is the reason we are able to truly rejoice with those who are rejoicing.
When God blesses one of His children, it does not diminish His ability to bless another. Share on XProverbs 11:25 says, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”
The world tells us to get all we can, to take what is rightfully ours, and to guard what we already have. The Bible tells us to give, to take no thought for ourselves and to give more than what is asked of us.
Does that scare you? I know I have felt anxious about giving before, especially if it is an area that I feel a need. “But God, if I give ’XYZ,’ then there won’t be any left for me.”
Imagine you are a successful small business owner, and someone wants you to teach them something or share some knowledge about something. Someone operating in the Scarcity Mentality would feel like they needed to protect what they have. They wouldn’t be as free to share that knowledge. Someone operating in the Abundance Mentality would be freely able to share their expertise in that area. They recognize the value in sharing knowledge.
How you view life is determined by how you view God. How you view God will determine if you live in the Scarcity Mentality or the Abundance Mentality. The gift is as good as the Giver!
SCARCITY MENTALITY: Stephen Covey explains the Scarcity mindset this way: “People with a scarcity mentality tend to see everything in terms of win-lose. There is only so much; and if someone else has it, that means there will be less for me.”
Other people’s giftings can sometimes make me feel threatened. If I encourage them and help them succeed, there won’t be room for my gifts.
I remember a time in my life when my husband took me to my most favorite Mexican restaurant in Omaha. On the drive home, I was complaining how uncomfortably full I was. He looked at me and asked, “Why do you do that? Why do you overeat whenever we go there? Do you think I’m not going to ever bring you back here again?” The context may be different, but the principle is the same. When you are living in the Scarcity Mentality, you hoard what you get so you don’t lose it. Who knows if you’ll get anymore?!
The Bible says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).
ABUNDANCE MENTALITY: Stephen Covey goes on to say, “The Abundance Mentality, on the other hand, flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth or security. It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough for everybody.
ABUNDANCE MENTALITY |
SCARCITY MENTALITY |
Contentment |
Competition |
Givers |
Takers |
Peace |
Anxiety |
Think BIG and takes risks |
Think small and preserve |
Thankful |
Entitled |
Open-Handed |
Tight-Fisted |
Big Picture Thinker |
Tightly Focused on Small Details |
Able to rejoice with others |
Jealousy |
Victor Mentality |
Victim Mentality |
Thinks in terms of “Win-Win” |
Thinks in terms of “Win-Lose” |
Losses/Mistakes are LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES |
Losses/Mistakes are FAILURES |
Trust |
Suspicion |
Possibilities |
Close-Minded |
Growth |
Stagnation |
Team Player |
Individualism |
“How can I give above and beyond what is asked of me?” |
“How can I get by with the least amount of effort?” |
As many of you know, I will be attending She Speaks Conference 2017 this July. I am thrilled to be able to take my writing to a new level by attending this conference for communicators (speakers and/or writers). Let me just say, I have NEVER before experienced a large group of women operate so much out of an Abundance Mentality. As a newbie to these groups, I have been overwhelmed with their spirit of generosity, the way they share valuable insights into the craft of writing, and the freely given encouragement that says, “We are better together!” I have had women share their expertise in areas that would have taken me quite a while for me to figure out on my own. Think about this: The women who are attending this conference are all there to pursue God’s call on their lives to write and/or speak. I could be intimidated by the competition, but instead I find myself inspired and encouraged in my craft.
Being a woman, I know firsthand what it is like to operate out of the Scarcity Mentality. We can be quite petty and jealous of other women. So this is HUGE!!!
The Scarcity Mentality would only think, “What’s in it for me? How can I get ahead in this race? How can I get noticed above everyone else?” The Abundance Mentality thinks, “How can I help my sister in Christ in doing what God’s called her to do?” I LOVE IT!!!