Economics has been called the study of scarcity. Since God
is the source of all abundance, from whence comes scarcity? Is it real,
or simply a figment of our collective imaginations, figments that we have been
tricked into translating into actualities? Could scarcity be simply an
unfortunate, but mere option?
Many experiments have been conducted to demonstrate the
concept called groupthink has some validity in shaping actual events
experienced by a group of people. At first glance, we may be tempted to
discount the very notion. Yet, any careful study of The Bible affirms how this
principle (a spiritual law, perhaps?) works both at the individual level, also
the community and even national levels. Still a doubter?
Consider this:
·
...As
he thinks [and eventually believes in his heart], so is he, i.e., so ‘becomes’
his factual actuality. (Proverbs 23:7)
...Righteousness
exalts a [whole/entire] nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs
14:34)
Each of these starts first at the individual level, then
expands to the community level, and eventually affects or infects the national
level. This process reflects ‘culture’ – the collective behaviors and beliefs
characteristic of a particular social, ethnic or age group; the sum total of
ways of living built up by a group and transmitted to subsequent generations.
Reprogramming culture similarly starts at the individual level and, over time,
may affect or infect a nation via the community level, as a drop of ink stains
a cup of water. Human cultures always initiate on a positive path, and then
quickly deteriorate negatively.
Persistent, individual thought, thus is the ‘seed’ of
culture. This is why God reiterated His concern about ‘the imaginations of the thoughts of man’s heart’, knowing full well persistent thoughts/imaginations become
beliefs, eventually produce their fruit, and then quickly spread their seeds to
take root exponentially. This is how the earth realm is programmed to
respond to seed of any kind.
This exact process is how abundance becomes scarcity --
thoughts ‘thunk’ persistently, then spread exponentially. Our challenge
remains: how to reprogram our mindsets, beliefs, speech, and expectations to
root out the sickness-poverty-lack mentality we all grew up with. Re-training
our imagination is not so easy, especially as we daily ‘behold’ the
deteriorated conditions in our world that we have created via the above
process. What a conundrum!
The answer is clear and simple, and is reiterated in The
Bible four (4) times as:
The
just (people whom God calls ‘righteous’)
shall
live by faith. *
The object of faith (i.e., that at which the eyes of
faith must steadfastly look) must be something other than
that which is in front of our natural/physical eyes. Why? Continually looking
at the latter will only ensure continuing thoughts, imaginations, beliefs and
seeds to produce more of the same! Rather, we need to focus on
(imagine) things associated with and related to our God of abundance to the
point that these become real, inwardly. As we do, they
will eventually become actual, outwardly. How?
Faith
thus becomes the ‘avenue’ to God’s Grace,
The
portal through which things of Heaven we taste.
Grace
is the pure essence of God’s mighty power.
It’s
exactly what we need in this dark hour!
Thus
we may aptly say, ‘The Just Shall Live by GRACE’,
And
thus our scarcity mindsets we will erase!
Grace,
God’s power through us that accomplishes
That
which pleases Him, that which He cherishes.
Economics
is the study of façades,
Figments
of our imaginations so flawed.
The
only shortage that really exists
Is
one of faith in God's Grace in our midst!
Imagine this: God has made available to each person
the equivalent of a nuclear power plant to generate power to accomplish
whatever we need to live a righteous/Godly life, but we stupidly ignore this
because we cannot imagine that it's true. And so we make do in life, trying to
get by on a couple of rechargeable AA batteries!
----------
* Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians
3:11 and Hebrews 10:38
I agree. Another great post. God has nothing to do with money but everything to do with wealth. I would that you prosper and be in good health even as your soul prosper. Grow your soul through the Word of God. God has an economy that teaches on debt management. He would that we owe no man anything but love. Love is the principle thing. Because there is a love depraved culture existing today, we have a thing called money, which is a fleeting item in every culture, every generation and every stage of life. The haves and the have not attitude keeps the money craze moving.
ReplyDeleteThere is much more that I could say, however I will digress for now,
Imagine a greyhound race in which the dogs are no longer dogs, but people of our world, and what they are chasing on the sticks just in front of them is....money!
DeleteThanks for reading and for your comment with Bible Scriptures. I wish for you ... sound imaginations.
Awesome analogy. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHoward,
DeleteThank you. I am always amazed at the vivid pictures that come to me as I dig deeper into The Word. Moreover, I am grateful for the opportunity to have time and desire to ponder, meditate and, in obedience, share what I am learning.
Here's something you will appreciate, since my Dad was one of your pastoral mentors. The year following his home going, The Lord began prompting me to share in writing the lessons I was learning from deeper times of meditation and study. I am so glad to have caught the vision, and made time to obey! These posts are a handy way for me to review the lessons as I, too, transit this road of constant tests and trials of my faith, patience and love.
Blessings,
J!
I ministered this concept last month on the difference between money and wealth. The church where I was a guest minister did a wonderful job of hearing the concept without hearing the concept. The amens were there, the smiles were shown but the actual hearing was not there. The leader didn't really understand. I walked through the scripts where the Lord gave wealth with the woman with the bottles off oil, Jesus turning water into wine leaving the better wine until the end which many that over a million dollars with of wine was left ad w wedding gift for the young couple to sell as a gift, how Peter went fishing to pay off the taxes, etc. God's gift to mankind is the ability to see the chair inside the forest, not to have to buy chairs but to create wealth. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desired of your heart.we find ourselves attempting to delight ourselves in people in order to get their stuff. When a man's ways please the Lord, he will make even his enemies at peace with him. We serve the God of more than enough. Jehovah Jireh.
ReplyDeleteHoward, Thanks taking time to read and comment on this post. I appreciate your sharing, and apologize for my delayed reply. The initial, rather lengthy reply was lost in cyberspace.
DeletePerhaps this may be the type of spiritual topic that requires the laying of considerable foundations of faith, patience and perceptive insight into the world of spirit. As such, it would be quite a challenge to address to a relatively unprepared audience, especially if it is used to typical lines of thought in most sermons I hear.
Moreover, money is a rather touchy subject to address spiritually. Our natural/carnal lives are so inextricably tied to 'all things money' that introducing a deeper, God-perspective (perhaps other than tithes, with which people are familiar) is risky.
Keep up the good fight, my Friend, and don't give up or in. Keep on planting seeds of deeper/higher spiritual insights. The Lord will send others to water those seeds, and you'll see the fruits someday, whether down here or up there.
Blessings.
J!