Dear Family and Friends,

This past Wednesday was the first day of Costco’s latest sale. We were there as the doors opened, along with hundreds of our neighbors.

As Aileen rushed off in one direction, I bee-lined for the most critical item on our list – the best late night snack ever created by man – Boom Chika Pop.

Yes folks, after months of being MIA, it’s back!

And we stocked up on TP too.  Who knows when there’ll be another shortage.

Today we will spend our time on a topic that affects our lives in so many ways. Yet for many of us, we’re unaware of its very existence in us.

Have you ever heard of the scarcity mindset?

It’s the belief that everything (resources, time, money, opportunity, etc.) is finite. When one has this view of the world, it’s hard to not be self-centered and selfish. 

Left unchecked, this belief can drive us to fear not having enough, and leave us with anxieties… I wasn’t the only one grabbing TP.

On a more serious note, do you recall the shortages of PPP, N95 masks, and covid tests, and how these shortages affected us?

If we were to spend some time reflecting on our more difficult moments, not only about stuff but relationships as well, we might just find this mindset lurking in our souls.

The term comes from a book called ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ written by Stephen Covey.

But that’s not where the condition originated. The scarcity mindset actually came to be in the Garden of Eden.

Recall when God told Adam, “the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:17-19‬ NLT

The sins of Adam and Eve not only affected mankind. The world which God once said was good, became cursed as well. Mankind was destined to struggle through life.

And the phrase, “By the sweat of your brow” does not mean what we think. It has nothing to do with hard work.

This phrase is actually an ancient Middle East idiom meaning to have a fear so great, it induces perspiration.

Because of the fall, we live lives that go from one anxiety to another, from one challenging situation to the next (food, shelter, money, health, etc.) all due to the brokenness of Adam’s world.

The unfortunate truth is, this is a sweaty world.

But the fortunate truth is, we are no longer pagans.

As Jesus stood on a hillside and spoke to the multitude, many of whom were ill and suffering, He said, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:31-33 NIV

Being former pagans, we don’t have to join the fight over finite scarce resources.

Let’s remember who we are. We are children of God. He who is all knowing, the creator of all things, who loves us unconditionally, and is gracious beyond comprehension will provide for our needs.

Allow me to close with these thoughts.

I recognize that each one of us are in a different place when it comes to trusting God, especially in this particular area. We are, after all, the products of our upbringing and life experiences. And for some, it will take time.

My prayer is that you receive today’s message as one of hope. Hope that in time, we all arrive to a place where our fears and insecurities are not only a memory but a testament to God’s love and His never ending promise to restore us, build us up and establish us to do His good work.

1 Peter‬ ‭5:10-11‬ NIV says it best.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

In love always,