Living in Abundance: Stop Competing with Others
If you were to ask anyone to define “abundance”, you would get a multitude of answers. A CEO of a major corporation will list a $55 million salary, stock options, and a secured retirement. A fast-food worker might define abundance as a $3.00 raise and owning their own home. In the same manner, a retired couple may define abundance as a paid mortgage and money to travel.
Abundance becomes a moving target when you define prosperity as outward wealth and accumulation. No amount of wealth, accrual, or asset building will ever make you feel abundant. Once you define abundance based on outward wealth; the target moves farther away. This approach to abundance sets you up to be envious and jealous of others…resulting in comparison and competition.
A major problem in western culture is its definition of abundance is based on advertising, marketing, and social status. From this perspective, abundance becomes demarcated by outward appearances of wealth, accumulation, and possessions. Modern media brainwashes us into exchanging outward appearances for the deeper meaning of abundance and prosperity.
When you stop defining abundance based upon outward wealth, you realize that wealth and possessions are a poor substitute for true abundance. Abundance is a state of being, not possession. Two key factors define true abundance. The first factor is God meeting your current, immediate needs. The second factor is the opportunity and freedom to choose a life that brings happiness, fulfillment, and personal growth.
Living in Abundance: God is not Responsible for your Suffering
Often, we struggle with the concept of God as good. Difficulties and suffering in life harden our view of God. God becomes an easy target for all travesties and crises in life. However, God does not cause suffering! The cause of human suffering are the systems of humankind, existing outside of God’s original order: Eden.
Escaping Scarcity: Changing Your View of God
There is a psychological theory that proposes we project our hurt, pain, and suffering onto God. The theory purports, as infants, we are powerless to meet our own needs. As a result, humans view parents as extensions of themselves. When a child receives feeding, nurturing, and love; they develop a healthy sense of attachment and trust in a good world. However, when a parent neglects or abuses an infant; the baby learns to distrust the world. The infant perceives the world and their circumstances with misgiving and suspicion. Even if the infant eventually experiences a sense of security; they continue to view their caregivers and surroundings as unsafe.
Just like the neglected infant; your experiences of suffering and scarcity skew your view of the world. As you cope with negative life experiences, your resiliency protects you. However, as hardship and difficulties continually pommel you, your resilience wavers. You become desperate and wonder why God is not intervening. As the pain continues, you become angry and distant from God. Out of your grief grows bitterness. You begin to question if God even exists or cares. God becomes the distant parent. You no longer trust God for love, comfort, and safety. In your mind, God becomes your abuser.
Living in Abundance: Leaving Fear Behind
“God created you for good!” Let it sink in for a minute. Repeat the phrase five to ten times, “I am created and designed for good.”
Notice your initial reaction. You may experience a sense of gratitude. You know this is your true, created state. For others, your gut reaction is one of unbelief. You have suffered and these words ring hollow. You’ve experienced trials, difficulties, and incurred great harm on your journey through the world. When you say these words, you question their validity.
Both reactions are natural. Each response reflects your experience of the world. It also reflects your understanding and consciousness of God. Your lack of trust in these words may be warranted. The human world can be harsh and demanding. You face inequities and struggle in daily life. The negative events you have experienced are bound to leave scars on your soul. As a result, your consciousness directs not towards your highest good, but a constant spiritual survivor mode.
Living in Abundance: Encountering Suffering & Scarcity
One of the hardest issues to reconcile when attempting to live in abundance is the ever-present nature of suffering and scarcity. You may see God's provision in your life in simple ways; but you continue to experience a gnawing feeling the floor will drop out underneath you when you least expect it. Even living in an abundance mindset, you will face scarcity and suffering. It is a lie that scarcity and suffering are not part of the world. To reconcile these factors with an abundant life, you must understand you live in two systems.
Living in Abundance: Moving Your Thoughts Towards Prosperity
When moving towards a life of abundance, one of the biggest obstacles you will face is your thoughts. The human brain is constantly scanning for dangers in your environment. This is a protective factor, equipping you for the difficulties of life. Thankfully, most of the risks identified by the brain never happen in real life. However, this constant scanning results in a heightened state of anxiety and a life of fear.
This state of fear, plus the sensationalism of modern media, further intensifies your anxiety. You live in a world that is continually reporting on the propensity of financial depression, economic stagnation, and governmental failures. It seems every media report is about the potential collapse of societal systems.
There is an alternative to this constant state of fear and scarcity. When you look to God as your sustenance and supply; these systems of fear and lack no longer impact you. However, to live in this new state of abundance, you must change your thoughts and how you spiritually see the world.