48 Abundance

What does it look like to live in a spirit of abundance rather than poverty? I have a friend that is pretty loaded. He lived below his means long enough for his means to become quite substantial, and it has led to an interesting change in lifestyle. He isn't an extravagant person and doesn't live in a flaunting way, but rather in abundance. His financial freedom opens up opportunity. It gives choice, it allows dreams to come to fruition. It is a catalyst to ideas and creativity. Of course it also comes with the risk of becoming an idol, but let's assume for a moment we keep our hearts pure and simply look at abundance as something that can be used positively. When you accept and then leverage the good gifts given by God you have a much easier time dreaming big. However when you reject God's good gifts or squander them under the pretense of righteousness it is easy to tall into a false humility, and as a result live in a sort of bondage. This is the spirit of poverty. You might describe this as someone living paycheck to paycheck, never seeming to catch up with the cost of their lifestyle. This leads to quashed dreams and ideas that can only fit into a budget that is severely stressed. Opportunity and optimism seem to fade into the distance as everyday things seem to pile up, clouding our sight of the horizon. I think, in contrast, there is a way that God intends is to live and a way He does not. I think to live in spiritual abundance is to live in the strength, power, and guidance of our heavenly Father. I am not by any means saying that God will always provide a financial abundance. Unless of course, what God asks you to do requires financial abundance, then He will. The point is this, when we give God our hearts, we also give Him our lives and desires to direct. This sounds like sacrifice and servitude until we understand that it was God himself that gave us our desires and interests and He actually is good. This first step of surrender is good, but the second part is the part that really seems like the game changer. The idea of living in spiritual abundance seems to be a thing that knows no boundaries, is bound by no constraints. When it comes right down to it, the sky is the limit, and understanding that we can dream big knowing the vast resources of the God we serve.