Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

By Aimee Zahora

Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

via GIPHY

In the 1980s movie Dead Poet Society, actor Robin Williams played the role of English professor John Keating. One of the memorable scenes involves each of the students taking his turn standing on top of Keating’s desk to view things differently.

The type of mindset you bring to the table on a daily basis shapes your life. Do you lean toward scarcity or abundance in your thinking and actions? Scarcity suggests there is a quantifiable and limited amount of something. Abundance implies that there will always be more.

Your Favorite, Warm Pie Really Matters in Life

Let’s get practical. When you hear pie, what flavor do you gravitate toward? How about a freshly-baked, dark cherry pie? What about a tart key lime slice or peach ala mode? Does pumpkin smothered in whipped cream, or a sugar coma-inducing slice of pecan oozing with rich, sweet gooiness speak to you?

Select which of the two statements below most resonates with you.

1. There are a defined number of pieces in a pie. When it’s gone, there ain’t no more.

2. Pies can be sliced in many ways. When each slice has been eaten, another pie can be baked.

Option one denotes practicality but imposes limits. Option two tastes of creativity and provides a solution for increase.

What Kind of Mindset Does God Have?

Consider a smattering of examples from the Word of God.

How God Desired to Powerfully Bless Abraham

In Genesis 12 the Lord spoke to Abram because He had land that He wanted for Abram. In verses 2 and 3 the Lord told Abram He would make him into a great nation, that his name would be great, and that he would be a blessing. The Lord went on to share that those who blessed Abram would be blessed and those who cursed him would be cursed. The Lord also said all people on earth would be blessed through Abram. What a magnitude of blessings and plenty!

In Genesis 26 the Lord declared to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, repeating that all Abraham’s offspring would be blessed. It’s worth noting that God states all. All means every single one, barring no one! Not only is this statement inclusive, but it is also abundant.

You Choose Life for a Rich Existence

My two favorite verses are in Deuteronomy 30 where God shares His desire for each of us to choose life. Not any old mediocre life, but abundant life. A life that includes a personal and intimate relationship with Him. In John 10:10 the concept of abundance is reiterated in the following words, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (NIV)

Your Free Gifts of Fullness Are Ready Right Now

In Mark 2:27 Jesus Christ explains that the Sabbath was made for man. God gifted us the Sabbath so that we might rest and reconnect with Him to enjoy a quality life.

In Matthew 14 we have the example of Jesus Christ taking very little (five loaves and two fish) and multiplying that small amount to nourish 5000 people. The disciples then collected 12 baskets of leftovers. Again, God believes in abundance.

In the Book of Job, we see where God blessed Job’s latter days more than his early days. We know that Job was extremely wealthy in his early days with thousands of sheep and camels, hundred of oxen and donkeys, and a great many servants. God made a point to bless Job over and above what he had originally. Why? Because God desires abundance for His people.

In Exodus, we have the example of God delivering the Israelites from the Egyptians and preparing land for the Israelites flowing with milk and honey. Flowing means brimming, teeming, and pouring out.

Joshua and Caleb gained entry into the Promised Land where God had prepared a life of fullness for them.

Will You Allow God’s Glorious Mindset to be Yours?

There are many biblical examples that unequivocally show God’s abundance mindset. Ponder some of the definitions shown below for abundance in English, Greek, and Hebrew. Allow the concepts of “copious supply,” “something above the ordinary,” and “overflow” to penetrate your thinking.

 

Pause and reflect on the powerful abundance God offers His followers in I Corinthians 2:9 and Ephesians 3:20.

“No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—What God has arranged for those who love him” (MSG).

“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” (MSG).

Though God can and does bless His followers with physical abundance, the most important abundance is, of course, spiritual in nature in the form of eternal life.

Actions That Will Bring You a Clearly Abundant Mindset

So, what actions can we claim to ensure the spiritual abundance that He so richly offers?

Immersion in the Word of God holds the power to transform thinking. Language experts agree that immersion wins every time when it comes to language stickiness or retention.

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Surround yourself with friends who think and speak abundantly. It generally takes seven positive statements to counter a single negative comment. Apply that to your friends. You have seven friends whose MO is encouraging, positive and uplifting. Keep them around.

Consider the one friend who might resemble Eeyore. Limit your time with this Eeyore friend. Fill that extra time with someone else who stretches you, believes in you, and supports the growth goals you are working toward.

Be intentional about seeing life differently. As an individual belonging to the Sabbath community, consider whether you operate in a scarcity or abundance mindset. Visualize what you, your family, and your community could look like if you swung the pendulum from scarcity to abundance. After all, such a shift truly draws us closer to the mind and character of God.

By Aimee Zahora, a Sabbath and Holy Day keeping follower of The Way, member of the United Church of God, and blogger on topics that ignite the Spirit.

Tags: scarcity, abundance, pie, God, mindset, immersion, shift