One of the most anxiety-inducing aspects of being a pastor is trying to discern how much food to order for a church event. This was especially true when planning for youth and young adults. Young people fall onto an extremely broad spectrum when it comes to eating habits. There are those who nibble on the corner of a piece of pizza, eat two Cheetos, and drink a quarter bottle of water and are filled to capacity. Then there are those who can consume a full pizza, the better part of two bags of Cheetos, and a full two liter of liquid and still have room for more. This creates a deep concern that no matter how much food and drink one procures it won’t be enough.
Somewhere along the way, I developed a scarcity mindset, a fear that there won’t be enough. Based on past experience, it is an unfounded fear.
Interestingly enough, not one time in all of the many events for which I have been responsible, youth, young adult, or otherwise, have ever I run out of food. In fact, in almost every instance there was enough left over at the end of the event to take some home for the family to enjoy later and more still to share with local feeding ministries. Somewhere along the way, I developed a scarcity mindset, a fear that there won’t be enough. Based on past experience, it is an unfounded fear.
The scarcity mindset is equally prevalent in American culture at large, equally unfounded, and utterly unbecoming of a disciple of Jesus Christ. It demonstrates a concerning ignorance or ambivalence to the examples of Scripture and a woeful lack of faith in the providential care of our God. There are instances in both the Old and New Testament where God takes what appears to be woefully inadequate resources and increases them to meet needs beyond any reasonable expectation.
In 1 Kings 17, we find the story of Elijah, a widow, and her son. The world is experiencing a terrible drought and famine. God leads Elijah to a widow experiencing what is undeniably extreme scarcity. Elijah asks this poor woman for a drink of water and a piece of bread. Her resources are so insufficient that she is preparing to use her last “handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug” to make one last meal for herself and her son so that they “may eat it – AND DIE.” Elijah instructs her to go ahead and get him that bread and to make something for herself and her son and then gives her the good news that by God’s grace she had more than enough to share. 1 Kings 17:14 reads, “For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry…” God was true to His word and the widow had enough for herself, her son, and the stranger God sent her way. What she believed was scarce was more than sufficient.
A similar, and much more well-known, story is in the gospels. In Matthew 14, we read that Jesus has spent an entire day teaching and healing. As the day draws to a close, the disciples suggest sending the crowd away to scavenge for their own food. Jesus refuses and instead instructs the disciples, “YOU give them something to eat.” This is a problem for the disciples; supplies are extremely scarce. They only have five small loaves of bread and two fish, scarcely enough to even feed themselves (In his gospel, John reveals the resources weren’t originally theirs; they belonged to a kid in the crowd). Jesus takes the limited resources, gives thanks for them, then has the disciples pass them around. The text tells us that everyone eats their fill and the disciples collect 12 basketfuls of leftovers. Then comes the big reveal in verse 21: “The number of those who ate was about 5000 men, besides women and children.” What the disciples believed was scarce was more than sufficient.”
Part of loving neighbor as self is developing and demonstrating a willingness to sacrificially share whatever we have with any God may put in our path.
It is only human for us to be concerned whether or not the resources available are sufficient to meet our needs. We naturally seek to accumulate and protect what we have in attempts to assure that there is enough for us and ours. This, however, is not the way of Jesus.
Part of loving neighbor as self is developing and demonstrating a willingness to sacrificially share whatever we have with any God may put in our path. Yes, we need to be wise stewards of what God provides. But, stewarding is not squirreling it away for a rainy day. Rather, wise stewarding is seen when we courageously invest what has been given. Again, a scarcity mindset is unbecoming of disciples of Jesus Christ. We should share what we have with gladness, because we know that in God’s providential care, whatever we have will be more than sufficient.
