Luke 12:47-48 MSG “The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he’ll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!
Think about the last time you checked the ATM. Did you marvel at how much you have or did you struggle to cover all your obligations? Or how about your job? Do you come home each day amazed at how energized and appreciated you are? Or does it feel like you barely have the strength to return tomorrow? These are “not-enough” moments. Not enough money. Not enough time. Not enough energy, patience, connection, happiness, joy, or peace. No matter what you have, you need more of it. And no matter how much more of it you get, it’s still never enough.
It’s nearly impossible to share what you have when you’re constantly worried that you don’t have enough. You filter everything through the sense of scarcity, and this mentality destroys generosity, contentment, and gratitude. Thankfully, there’s another way of seeing life: with an abundance mindset. It declares that there will always be more than enough. It’s the idea that generosity is hardwired into reality. God is the source of everything good in this world. He loves to see his people well-cared for. There is no scarcity with him because God has no needs yet supplies all.
Whenever you see God show up in the Bible, it’s so often to bless people—to provide them with what they need, often to the point of overflowing, so that they can in turn be a blessing to others. God has given us this promise, I will bless you because without it, we will never have enough, do enough, or be enough. God’s blessings are the only cure for not-enough-itis.
The Bible holds powerful proof that God wants to bless us! Jesus’ longest sermon in the Gospels begins with the Beatitudes, which is a whole invitation to blessedness. And in the opening pages of Genesis, the very first thing God does after creating man and woman is bless them. The entire Bible is filled with God blessing his people. And in the New Testament, Paul says that the most important promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 is passed on to you, too, and that it’s not supposed to end with you. God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others.
Genesis 12:1-3 NIV The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
Ephesians 1:3-7 NIV Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace “
Luke 16:10 NIV Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
Philippians 4:19 NIV And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Think about the last time you checked the ATM. Did you marvel at how much you have or did you struggle to cover all your obligations? Or how about your job? Do you come home each day amazed at how energized and appreciated you are? Or does it feel like you barely have the strength to return tomorrow? These are “not-enough” moments. Not enough money. Not enough time. Not enough energy, patience, connection, happiness, joy, or peace. No matter what you have, you need more of it. And no matter how much more of it you get, it’s still never enough.
It’s nearly impossible to share what you have when you’re constantly worried that you don’t have enough. You filter everything through the sense of scarcity, and this mentality destroys generosity, contentment, and gratitude. Thankfully, there’s another way of seeing life: with an abundance mindset. It declares that there will always be more than enough. It’s the idea that generosity is hardwired into reality. God is the source of everything good in this world. He loves to see his people well-cared for. There is no scarcity with him because God has no needs yet supplies all.
Whenever you see God show up in the Bible, it’s so often to bless people—to provide them with what they need, often to the point of overflowing, so that they can in turn be a blessing to others. God has given us this promise, I will bless you because without it, we will never have enough, do enough, or be enough. God’s blessings are the only cure for not-enough-itis.
The Bible holds powerful proof that God wants to bless us! Jesus’ longest sermon in the Gospels begins with the Beatitudes, which is a whole invitation to blessedness. And in the opening pages of Genesis, the very first thing God does after creating man and woman is bless them. The entire Bible is filled with God blessing his people. And in the New Testament, Paul says that the most important promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 is passed on to you, too, and that it’s not supposed to end with you. God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others.
Genesis 12:1-3 NIV The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
Ephesians 1:3-7 NIV Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace “
Luke 16:10 NIV Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
Philippians 4:19 NIV And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
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