Sufficiency in everything is a goal we all have in life, as expressed in the common thought, “Once I have this, then I’ll be happy.” Jesus even explored sufficiency in his parable in Luke 12:16-19: “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?… I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ That sounds like the good life, except God told the rich man, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” (v. 20).
Why were the rich man’s actions wrong? Because his actions showed he thought only of himself and trusted in his resources rather than God. If those resources were gone, the rich man would not “relax, eat, drink, and be merry.”
This thinking comes from the scarcity mindset, fueled by the fear of not having enough. However, as followers of Jesus, we are called to be generous, not selfish, just as He is. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:6, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” To be generous is to “sow”—give—bountifully. And there are no exceptions. Yet, it is hard to live the generous life with the scarcity mindset. We crave the guarantee that we won’t be left with nothing.
Fortunately, we do have that guarantee with God! Paul continues in verse 8, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” Not only does God promise sufficiency, He promises it in all, everything in every aspect of our lives, big and small! We just need to do our part by trusting God will come through with what we need in all situations.
For the next few minutes, sit in a quiet place, close your eyes, and invite God to help pinpoint what you’re afraid to be generous with. Allow God to reveal the reasons behind this fear. Then surrender those fears to God and let Him encourage you with His limitless love to give what He prompts you to with an abundance mindset.
Christina Chaiban
EFCC Attender