According to the experts, regardless of what areas of concern, we are slowly but surely running out of everything. Our sun will burn out in a few million years, and we’ll be left on a cold, dark planet drifting in space. Our fossil fuels are approaching exhaustion. We’ll have to find new sources of power. There’s only so much time, so much food, so many places to live, and so many cars to drive.
In other words, you’d better get while the getting is good because soon there won’t be anything left to get.
Or so the world tells us.
And because the world tells us that we’re running out of everything, we develop a theology of scarcity. This theology of scarcity causes us to start grasping for things in our lives. We have to grab our stuff and hold onto it with our lives. Not only do we have to get our stuff, we have to keep others from getting their stuff. If someone else gets something, that means we can’t have it because there’s only so much to go around.
This of course leads to lives of pettiness, jealousy, shallowness, and frustration.
Yet, Jesus promised us life and life more abundant. A life characterized not by shortages, but by overflowing goodness and joy. How can this be true?
First, God loves you. Now, you’ll read that as “God loves everybody.” While that’s true, that’s not the point I’m trying to make. Do you understand that God loves you? You. All by yourself you. He likes the way you’re put together. You were, after all, His idea. He likes the way you think, the way you laugh, and the friends you hang around.
He loves you—in particular you.
Because of that, every blessing He desires to give you is designed only for you. Your blessings won’t fit me. My blessings won’t fit you. He created us uniquely. He loves us uniquely. He blesses us uniquely.
Second, God never runs out of blessings. He’s eternal. That means He never changes. He’ll be as rich and generous tomorrow as He is today. You’ll never be empty handed in His presence. His goodness will always fill your life.
Now, just a quick warning. Being blessed doesn’t mean you get everything you want. Why? Because some of the things we want aren’t good for us. Why would God give you something that wasn’t good for you? We can trust God not only to be good and generous in our lives, but to also know us well enough so He won’t give us something that would hurt us.
Don’t compare yourself to other people. They’re not you. How God blesses them doesn’t have anything to do with how He blesses you. God created you uniquely, and He loves you the same way.
