Living in Abundance: Changing Your Thoughts About Wealth
When considering the word abundance; it is easy to interchange this term with wealth. God promises no one a life of wealth. God does promise to meet your needs and to equip you for service. Jesus was very clear in his teachings that basing your sense of abundance on physical possessions and wealth is a mistake. In Matthew 6:19-21 (WEB) Jesus teaches that placing your trust in earthly possessions actually puts you at great risk, as your earthly possessions are subject to moths, rust, and thieves.
Metaphorically, moths, rusts, and thieves are viewed as normative threats to your wealth. The moth represents natural disasters and events that destroy raw materials and crops. The rust is the natural dissipation of wealth overtime. Finally, thieves represent wealth being stolen by corporate greed and unfair market practices. Just like Vegas, when you put your trust in human systems of wealth; the house (or the system) always wins.
Jesus isn’t saying you can't enjoy your physical possessions and prosperity. Instead, Jesus is saying that basing your trust, your personal worth, and your identity on what you own will lead to heartache, and ultimately your personal and spiritual ruin. The problem isn't possession of wealth. Possessions become a problem when you look to them for your personal security and well-being. This is misplacing your trust in the gift of God, instead of God as the giver.
Title: Flowing Stream, Author: Jake Cook, Source: Flickr is licensed by CC BY 2.0
Jesus’s advice runs counterculture to everything taught about money, finance, and wealth. Christ teaches not to be deceived by a false sense of security based upon your possessions, but look to God as your ever-present, abiding source of abundance. This approach is challenging, as often, you will mistake gratitude as dependence on God. Gratitude is a great spiritual practice; however, thankfulness alone does not mean you are placing your trust in the source of your true abundance. Your true sense of abundance can only come from God.
Changing Your Definition of Abundance
If you want to know where your true abundance comes from; it is pretty simple. Your abundance comes directly from God. It's an easy concept to grasp but few can live it practically.
To understand this realistically, you must first understand everything you consider valuable: money, investments, housing, cars, etc. are simply human representations of abundance. Abundance is never defined in the same manner by the world. For example, if you look to the Amish community a horse and buggy are pretty valuable tools and a sign of wealth; however, a car will have very little meaning. From this example, you see our modern definition of wealth is capricious and changes from community-to-community, person-to-person, and family-to-family. When you interchange the term abundance with wealth; you define abundance in an unbalanced manner. What you value one day; you quickly discard the next.
Your abundance comes directly from God. It's an easy concept to grasp but few can live it practically.
Although you know material wealth is fleeting; it continues to be tempting to put your full trust in it. The reason for this is everything in human society depends upon you putting your full trust in the current economic system and abiding by the system’s definition of wealth. You place your trust in the economic markets to guarantee a good retirement. Your purchase of clothing and other merchandise to keep up with the neighbors, fosters a false sense of economic growth in the retail sector. Finally, your use of excessive debt to purchase products continues to stimulate the economy, but also your personal slavery to the system. In the current economic system, you are not your own master; economics determine your life choices versus service to God.
The modern economic system trained you to put your full trust in material wealth. You trust systems of government, economics, and trade to define abundance. Governments and world economies have their place. In fact, a sustainable economy and a beneficent government can create environments for prosperity and growth that benefit all. The trouble comes when we place our trust on currencies and economic systems as your provider. The economy, like your human ego is a tool, but once the tool becomes your master, then you suffer the metaphorical consequences Jesus spoke of, moth, rusts, and thieves.
Where True Abundance Comes From:
There is nothing wrong with prosperity or wealth. In fact, when you see poverty in the world you instinctively know this is not God’s will (Fillmore, 2018). Poverty always equates sorrow and suffering, and this is not God’s plan for you. This leads to a difficult dilemma. How does one live in the economic system while still looking to God as their provider?
The balance comes when you no longer let economics, money, or the accumulation of wealth make your decisions. Jesus taught (not only regarding economics but in all things), we are to, “Seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33, WEB). You do not have to wait for the kingdom of God to manifest, but you have to prioritize and tune your thinking to God.
Once you center in God’s abundance as your source; you move from impossibility to possibility thinking.
To live in true abundance, return to God as the source. This awareness requires you to expand your vision of God to understand that all you see and experience in the universe is God. The authorship of God is what brings everything to you.
The nature of God is all-encompassing. God is limitless and ever present. There is no place, object, matter, or presence that is not connected to God. It is in the vast presence of God where abundance derives. Just as there is no lack of oxygen in the atmosphere; there is no lack of God’s abundance in the universe. All you have to do is look to nature to see there is abundant and creative life force at work. That force is the very essence of God’s abundant supply. As you tune into God’s abundant presence on the planet; you will harmonize with God as your source and sustenance.
Recognizing God, not human systems, as your source of abundance is the first step in tuning into the kingdom of God. When you live in the ever-present nature of God’s provision you will no longer make fiscal decisions out of fear. Instead of fear, you will decide with an awareness of your divine supply. Even if you are currently suffering with lack, need, or poverty; tuning to the divine and abundant provision of God and the creative energy of the universe will open you up to many ideals, thoughts, and actions to improve your situation. You will no longer decide based on fear or lack; but will decide a course of action based upon a trust that God alone is your source.
First Steps in Pursuing Abundance:
Once you center in God’s abundance as your source; you move from impossibility to possibility thinking. You will experience a new creativity and confidence in pursuing right actions that will remedy whatever situation you are facing. Abundance generates in the mind of God; then in you
Rather it be personal health, finance, emotional wellness, clear thinking, or good relationships; God gives you a personal picture of abundance unique to you. God truly desires to give you every good gift. Your desires for health, well-being, and productive relationships are not selfish; they are truly God’s gift for your life. Beyond desire there are two spiritual principles that regulate the flow of God’s abundance in your life. These two principles are wisdom and love (Fillmore, 2018).
Wisdom:
While your desires for abundant health, finances, and relationships are God’s desire; they do not happen automatically, you must act! In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30, WEB) Jesus tells of a wealthy landowner who leaves his estate in the hands of three servants while traveling abroad. To the first servant, the master gave five talents, to the second, two talents, and the third, one talent. The master charged the servants to invest the gifts in his absence. The first two servants invested the master’s talents in various business ventures and doubled their money. The third servant, living in a fearful, poverty mindset, buried the talent for fear he would lose it and disappoint the landowner.
Abundance in the context of wisdom gives direction; abundance in the context of love seeks to serve
When the landowner returned, the investments of the first two servants overjoyed him. He rewarded them by giving each servant greater responsibility over the vast estate. When the third, dug up his talent the landowner became angry and accused the servant of being lazy. The master reprimanded the lazy servant stating, “For to everyone who has, it will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29, WEB).
The moral of this parable is that while God desires you to be abundant; the manifestation of abundance requires action on your part. This is the Law of Mind Action (Fillmore, 2018). If you desire a healthy body; then it requires the actions of eating well and exercise. If your desire emotional well-being; then it requires that you attenuate on positive, life-affirming thoughts. If you desire financial abundance; then it requires work and investment. Desires for abundance by themselves will not bring about prosperity; you must follow through with action.
For every abundant desire, you are to seek wisdom through prayer and meditation. In the process of prayer, God will inspire you with the next right step. Each step will bring a clearer vision on manifesting abundance. If you desire to be healthier, you might receive a vision of drinking more water or taking up running as a hobby. No matter how small or obscure the next step, follow through! These small steps are the metaphorical talents God has given you that lead to an abundant life.
Love:
While abundance is to be enjoyed; it should also bless others. Abundance that is entirely self-focused is not of God. A self-based abundance reflects humankind’s economic system where accumulation and wealth create entitlement and personal superiority.
Whereas abundance in the context of wisdom gives direction; abundance in the context of love seeks to serve. Do you want good health for your own well-being; or will it provide you with energy to help and volunteer? Are you seeking material wealth for your own comfort; or do you want to share your blessing? Love sees abundance as an opportunity to give back and create abundance for others.
As you seek wisdom; it is equally important to meditate and pray upon how your newfound abundance will positively affect your world and others around you. Perhaps economic viability will enable you to be more generous by opening a business that employs others. Vibrant health may enable you to have more energy to volunteer or spend more time with your children and family. It is not only important to seek wisdom, but equally important to meditate on how to use your abundance as a blessing.
Conclusion:
It is easy because of social pressures in western culture to mistake wealth for abundance. Wealth can be part of abundance, but Christ did not promise wealth to anyone. Jesus promised an abundant life. When you mistake wealth for abundance you are at risk for the metaphorical destroyers of wealth, “moths, rust, and thieves” that seek to destroy, dissipate, and steal.
In order to live in Christ’s abundance, you must move from defining abundance as wealth based upon accumulation and possessions. Instead, abundance focuses on God as the ever-present substance of the universe. There is no lack in nature and that same abundance is available to you. This requires you to change from a poverty mindset to a pervasive understanding of God as your provider and source.
Your desires for an abundant life are God given and not selfish. However, as shown in the parable of the talents, abundance is not for your selfish gain. In order to identify where God would like to bless you with abundance, you must ask yourself, “What area of my life do I intuitively desire to prosper in most?”. Then seek wisdom and the next right step, no matter how small it is. Wisdom guides the path to abundance; whereas Love guides you to serve. As you are exploring your desires for abundance; ask not only for the path of how you will achieve your abundance, but how God desires you to use your abundance to bless others.
Written by: Heath B. Walters, Ph.D.
Copyright© March 6th, 2023, Heath B. Walters DBA Spiritual Life Resources, All Rights Reserved.
Reference
Fillmore, Charles, (2018). Prosperity-Talks on Truth. In Charles Fillmore Complete Collection of Twelve Books. (Kindle Edition). Alpha Centauri Publishers.
World English Bible (2022). WEB Online. https://ebible.org/study/.
.