God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:28
“It is critical for us to understand that God created a world with vast resources and not scarcity and that he intended for us to be stewards and not owners. Without this foundational understanding, it becomes very difficult for us to live a life of freedom that is overflowing with generosity because our worldview and hence behavior will be based on scarcity. I believe the greatest lie the devil has managed to get mankind to believe is that we live in a world that has scarce resources…
The very worldview of scarcity is one that questions the goodness of God. How can a loving Father create children and place them in an earth that does not have enough resources for them to survive? The poverty spirit that we see in avenging people and nations comes out of the belief that God created a world with scarcity. This spirit stops those with more than enough from sharing with those without because it makes them fearful for their security and provision into the future and hence keeps them bonded into captivity to Mammon.”
Patrick Kuwana in “Freedom to Live the Generous Life as God’s Stewards” in Christ-Centered Generosity: Global Perspectives on the Biblical Call to a Generous Life (Colbert: GGN & KLP) 103-104.
Kuwana is spot on! What we believe impacts how we live, and if we believe “the greatest lie” that we live in a world of scarcity, we will never exhibit generosity! Additionally, we will become a slave to whatever we think we own (a.k.a. “Mammon” in Matthew 6:24). How has scarcity shaped your thinking and behavior related to the handling of resources? What is the pathway to life and freedom?