Live Without the Fear of Scarcity
Hoarding is not the answer — you have everything you need
I never knew how to live without the fear of scarcity. I’ve always prided myself on living frugally but looking at life through that lens kept me a prisoner to the lie of scarcity.
I was joking with a friend yesterday about the potential lockdown America is facing from the coronavirus. We joked about the shortage of toilet paper, how we know how to stretch our food staples. Heck, I said, I was raised by a frugal mom who grew up in the Great Depression. I know all about frugality.
My mom taught me a lot about living with a frugal mindset
She modeled it for me. Scarcity was the word of the day in our home. Always worried there would not be enough, we lived as if we didn’t have enough. The idea of living fully each day was a foreign concept and not having enough was a message that was drilled into my heart and mind daily.
I learned to save bread bags and those nicely shaped plastic containers because, after all, they might come in handy someday. I remember, as a child, being fascinated with the box of twist ties in all colors and the tins full of buttons, saved from every housecoat, shirt, or pajama top we ever owned. We washed and saved pickle jars, kept scraps of fabric, and made cuttings of houseplants to create more houseplants. My mom even reused teabags!
The frugality mindset created a scarcity mindset for me but if I want to live fully in God’s abundant provision, I need to make some adjustments to how I think and live.
The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. (Prov. 11:24, MSG)
How to change your mindset when you’ve been holding on and hoarding
I’m learning that my mother’s depression-era-born need for frugality extended far beyond making things last and has had a far-reaching impact on my life. I’ve realized that her mindset of scarcity extended into her ability (or shall I say inability) to love and grow emotionally.
I’m beginning to see that closed fists bring nothing but a closed mind and a closed heart and that in order to live a life of purpose and intention — a full and abundant life — I must stop holding on.
Holding on is hoarding, whether it be the hoarding of possessions and money or the hoarding of time and emotions.
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! (Luke 12:24, NIV)
Money mindsets are developed when we are young
Images of my mom tightly prying twenty-dollar bills from her wallet as my father stood with his hand out asking for more are emblazoned on my mind. There were arguments over money and the stress and tension that hung in the air after one of these rows convinced me that we lived in scarcity and on the edge of losing all we had. I learned how to hold on tightly but I certainly never learned to live fully and embrace what I had with gratitude.
My father was a compulsive gambler and he spent money foolishly, for that I can’t blame my mom for feeling insecure. But the truth was, I had never been in danger of not having my needs met. My father always provided. I am learning — even now — that my Father always provides. This is key to learning how to live fully and contentedly.
What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself. (Luke 12:29–32, MSG)
How to trust in God’s provision
In 2017 when I was laid off from my job, I had recurring concerns — okay let’s call them fears — that we would not have “enough” — enough money to pay our bills, to fix something if it broke, or to save for retirement. I paraded the “what-ifs” through my imagination and responsible sound bites played over and over in my mind, You should get a full-time job — what if something happened to your husband? You should use the talents and experience you have — what if you are unhirable in a few years when you change your mind?
When I brought my concerns to God He always replied, “Mary, are all your needs met today?”
“Yes, Lord,” was always my response. And that was the end of the conversation. Eventually, I stopped entertaining those thoughts and stopped asking God about the “what-ifs”.
He’s provided, timing each provision perfectly. I’ve learned that I don’t live in scarcity and that frugality can be a sin, a wrong belief that God will not or cannot provide for what I need. In fact, I am learning that He not only provides, but He also goes above and beyond. Trusting Him is the first step to learning to live fully in His promises and provision.
When the followers needed to eat lunch and Jesus blessed the offering of the boy’s small lunch, each person ate until they were satisfied — and there were still baskets of leftovers remaining. Remembering that God has all we need and is eager to provide above and beyond what we can do for ourselves helps when we are tempted to opt for worry and frugality over the invitation to live fully and freely.
God does not meagerly parse out a crumb here, a crust there, He provides abundantly so we are full and satisfied.
Live simply but fully
In my quest to live simply, I thought that frugality was a skill that would serve me well. I was confident in my ability to practice simplicity by employing some of the strategies I had learned so well over the years. Yes, I was proud of how I could stretch a dollar or make do, make over, and make last.
But God has been showing me that my mindset of frugality was actually a sin. I had placed my ability to provide for myself in this way above Him and His willingness to provide for my needs. Instead of seeking Him for what He wanted to give me, I was busily planning and working away at making sure my needs were met.
When I first became aware that God was asking me to stop focusing on what I didn’t have so I could live fully in His presence and provision, it was uncomfortable. Frugality and exercising my skills in saving and scrimping seemed like the perfect way to use my talents and honor God at the same time. Wasn’t that my message? The simple life? Doesn’t the simple life mean we learn to get by on less?
But, no, God wants us to see that living simply is much more than canning our own tomato sauce and clipping coupons and skipping this season’s latest fashions. God does not need or desire my frugality. It is a humble realization because if I’m honest, I had prided myself on my ability to scrimp, save, and stretch. There was a self-contentment there in that I had found ways to meet my needs.
But that’s the crux: God doesn’t want us to be self-reliant. He wants us to be confident that He meets all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. Surely he wants us to be practical, responsible, and avoid gluttony and waste, but holding tightly to things we have is not practicing trust.
I am reminded of the story of the beggar who held six small seeds in his hand, tightly clinging to the only thing that kept him from complete starvation. The king came upon the beggar at the side of the road and asked him to hold out his hand and freely offer him the seeds. The beggar, trusting in the goodness of his king, did so and the king replaced the seeds with six gold coins.
Setting aside frugality allows me to live with open hands.
There is no scarcity in God’s Kingdom — reminders to live by
I am practicing open hands, reminding myself each day that God knows exactly what my needs are before I do.
I tell myself daily that there is no scarcity in God’s kingdom and all my efforts are pointless striving.
Setting aside frugality allows me to live with open hands.
Practicing gratitude allows me to live in contentment. Content, my needs and wants are simple.
Simplicity allows me to refrain from striving.
Where do you need to replace a picture of scarcity with God’s abundance in your life? Where can you open your hand and allow Him to gift you with more than you need? Can you practice living fully by opening your eyes to all He has provided?
Praying you will see His abundance in every area of your life even in this difficult time. ~ Mary
This story is published in Koinonia — stories by Christians to encourage, entertain, and empower you in your faith, food, fitness, family, and fun.
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