Embracing Abundant Living

Photo by Ron Lach

I grew up with very little material wealth. We lived simply.

However, I never thought of myself as poor. Quite the opposite. It was a rich life. We had fresh fruits and vegetables grown in our own backyard—abundant sunshine, outdoor play, friendship, and community. We lived abundantly.

Yet, in our neighborhood village, there were a few scarce things. Water was one of them. In the dry season, I and the other neighborhood children would make multiple treks a few miles away to fetch water daily. Money was also in limited supply. And so, I learned the principle of economizing and being thrifty early in life. I learned to value each water drop and make a dollar stretch. My sister and I became experts at cutting the cheese very thinly, rationing the bread and peanut butter, and not being wasteful with the little we had.

These principles of economy and frugality continue to serve me well even in adulthood. I want to manage well what God has entrusted me with. However, there is a shadow side to these values, in particular, the scarcity mindset.

The scarcity mindset is a framework where our actions are guided by the idea that –there is just not enough for everyone. We may think: “I need to get mine before someone else gets ahead of me in the queue.”  Alternately, the scarcity mindset can put guard rails around our dreams--we are afraid to embrace larger visions for our lives. A voice in our head whispers: “Don’t be greedy. Sure, aim high, but not too high.” These whispers pull us back to right-sizing our life vision.

This mindset can lock us in a prison of good enough, all the while thinking this is a virtue worth cultivating.

Reflecting on my upbringing, I realize that my early dreams had been shaped through this prism of scarcity. All I wanted was a good job and enough money to make it in life. I could not have imagined that God’s vision for me would bring me to live in one of the largest cities in the United States and push me to obtain a doctoral degree.

The truth is that the universe is bent toward abundant living through the generosity of a benevolent God. My summer garden reminds me that God breathes life into a tiny seed that, in turn, yields hundreds of other seeds—life multiplied.

God calls us into a season of abundance. First, nix the scarcity mindset. Believe in God for abundant living. Then, step forward and begin nurturing those big dreams.

Launch that business, follow that divine calling, and trust in the God who can breathe life into those dreams and multiply their effect and influence many, many times over. Here’s to abundant living.

Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez, Ph.D.

Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez, Ph.D. is an author, professor, and leadership expert. She is the founder of Value What Matters, a leadership brand focused on intentional living through the relationships we cultivate with self, others, and our God. She researches, writes, and teaches habits and strategies for leading a flourishing life. She is the author of Waiting by the Brook: Seven Steps to Deeper Intimacy with God.