Darryn's Blog

Abundance Thinking Questions and Answers

Here are some of the questions we received from you over the past week and our short answers.  We hope these are helpful as we learn together how to be Abundance Thinkers.  Also, we will post additional answers to questions we continue to receive from your texts and emails. 

Q:  How does Abundance Thinking relate to “Prosperity Theology?”

Great question!  Yes there are many of those who promote what is called Prosperity Theology—name it and claim it; or blab it and grab it.  I’ve heard some of the guys on TV for example say that Jesus was wealthy, that the money bag was so full that Judas could steal from it without any of the disciples knowing; that Jesus wore designer robes!  How silly is that!  Jesus said, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20, NLT)

Jesus didn’t die on the cross to make you rich with the things of this earth.  Abundance Thinking is not about abundance of things.  If you have been listening to this series you know that we spent almost no time talking about Abundance Thinking in regards to material things.  Abundance Thinking is about a way to think with firm confidence in God; being grateful for what God is doing in your life (no matter what the circumstances); and about developing a lifestyle of generosity that shows you believe “There is more than enough!”

"You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9, NLT)

"Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others." (1 Timothy 6:17-18, NLT)

Q: I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on how we view different personalities through the lens of Scarcity / Abundance. I can see that it is easy to label a mother who values security as a scarcity thinker, while an irresponsible young man could easily deceive himself into believing that he is trusting in God's abundance  --Josh Mayes

The person who asked this question may have someone specific in mind.  Obviously, we aren’t endorsing a frivolous / prodigal lifestyle!  A lack of concern can indicate a lack of responsibility, but I want to address the phrase “a mother who values security…”  The lust for security can lead to all kinds of trouble.  This past week I talked with a man who had just lost his job.  He was so troubled to go home and tell his wife because he felt she would leave him.  I believe his fear came from the way his wife controlled the home.  Desire for security can lead to taking control and when that’s in a marriage it can cause disastrous results.  Being controlling can be a sign of scarcity thinking.  It shows a lack of confidence in God; lack of gratitude and leads to being stingy—even hoarding.

Q: Are poverty, lost jobs, and suffering a sign that someone is stuck in "scarcity thinking?"  Or to say it another way, “Are the people of Sierra Leone stuck in scarcity thinking since they are so poor?”

The people of Sierra Leone are only poor with respect to the material things of this world.  I’ve told you about how joyful and happy they are—always smiling; so grateful for the little they have; generous in giving and serving others.  They remind me of what the Apostle Paul said,

"Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything." (2 Corinthians 6:10, NLT)

Q:  I know God takes care of me and always provides, but my weakness is money. When the bills are due and the $ amount in the bank isn't enough to cover them, how do I combat that stress?  How do I think abundantly when there isn’t enough in the checkbook?

This is when (a) confidence in God; (b) being grateful for what you have; and (c) being generous in spite of a perceived lack is most important.  Can you see how this is true?  The lack you are experiencing may be caused by financial choices you have made in the past—choices that are contrary to what God has instructed for handling money.  So your response should be one of “repentance”—admitting you messed up; turning around the other way; and beginning to make the corrections to bring your finances under God’s control.  We have up to 100 people in this church who have just journeyed through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.  They can share with you God’s plan for handling money and are able to share concepts that will free you from financial bondage.  If you need to talk with someone, please write us a note or give us a call. We will contact you and help connect you with some valuable help.

Q: “Give ‘til it hurts.”  I have a lot of debt.  Which comes first?  Give? Or hope God will provide more?  --Anonymous

No matter where you are on your spiritual journey; no matter where you are in your finances you can’t put off giving to God until you get your finances squared away.  Continued disobedience in giving will not bring God’s blessings.  God wants you to give the first part of your income and trust Him to provide the rest.  When you give the first part by faith, you are inviting God into your finances.  He will then somehow multiply the rest and make it stretch—kind of like when Jesus fed the 5000 with a couple of fish sandwiches.  That’s why we are instructed,

"Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines." (Proverbs 3:9-10, The Living Bible)

Q: Several questions we received were regarding “How do I get someone else to think abundantly?” 

Trust God to work in their lives and learn to be an abundant thinker yourself!  I have learned that I’m not good at being the Holy Spirit.  I applied for that job and found the position is already filled!  I need to trust God to work in the lives of others.  No matter how hard I try I can’t control the choices others make.  But with God’s help I can control how I respond to any situation.  Abundance Thinking is filled with confidence in God that “he who began a good work in someone will continue it until Christ returns” (Phil. 1:6).

Q:  How is Abundance Thinking related to the End of Days?

Paul gave us the specific answer to this question when he wrote,

"And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed." (Titus 2:12-13, NLT)

In other words, think abundantly, live obediently and love God completely—all the while looking forward to the day when Christ returns.

Q:  How do you keep trusting in God when the one thing you really want (marriage in my case) is the one thing that keeps eluding you?  –Anonymous

Scarcity Thinking	Abundance Thinking
I don’t trust God has good planned for my future.	I believe God has good plans for me because he says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).  So I am trusting that God will direct my future.
I don’t believe I will ever be married.	I am confident that as I delight myself in the Lord he will give me the desires of my heart (Psa 37:4)
I’m disappointed with God’s lack of providing a spouse for me.	I’m grateful for all of the blessings God has poured out on me and I will focus on my blessings.
I don’t feel like ministering to others since God hasn’t given me what I want.	I pour out my life in service to God by giving freely to others as God directs.

The Apostle Paul struggled with his circumstances.  Notice how he say, "Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." (2 Corinthians 12:8-9, NLT)

God said an emphatic “No!” to Paul’s request.

Paul responded by saying, “I will praise God because I’m even more effective in my current circumstances!”

Q:  What do you say to a believer who is ready to reject his/her life in Christ because of the hurt and unconfessed sin of other supposed believers?  What if you can't fathom Heaven with them there?  Where is God's abundance when repentance is so scarce and rare?   --Anonymous

It’s no shock that Christians are one of the biggest obstacles to some people connecting with God.  We Christ-followers need to be the real thing so that we can as Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16, NKJV)

But God can work in someone’s heart even when Christians don’t act like they should.  He is at work drawing people to Himself in spite of the bad example of many who call themselves Christians.

It would be a shame for your friend to turn away from God.  This would only be harmful to him.  But be confident that a genuine believer is safe in Christ’s hand.  We can have confidence in that!  This is why Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand." (John 10:27-29, NLT)

(Please note: this was posted by George Wiley of Heartland Church, questions answered by Gary Stump & Darryn Scheske)

Build your shield of gratitude

She's known as "hot cop" by her brothers in blue. Fishers Police Officer Leslie Hulse has a smile that will light up any room. She's currently in the fight of her life in her third round with cancer. She is one of the most grateful, joyful people I know. Recently she told me, "One thing I've learned to do in the last year is to recognize the small blessings."

I know it sounds cliché, but learn from Leslie. Make it a regular habit to "count your blessings." This is the process of turning our "have to's" into "get to's." 

For example, there are people who are saying today, "If only I could walk again." "If only I could go to work today." "If only I could talk with my mom or dad."

• Think about what you do have, instead of what you don't have.
• Think about what's right with your life, instead of what is wrong.
• Think about what is beautiful, instead of what is ugly.
• Think about what is true, instead of dwelling on gossip.
• Think about what you get to do today, instead of what you have to do.
• Think about how big God is, instead of how big your problem is.

Protect those first few minutes of your day. They will determine what your day will be like. Go offline. Resist the urge to go to your inbox or the day's headlines. Keep the TV off.  Seek out some quiet. Maybe take a walk to get your heartrate up and the blood flowing.

Then out loud, begin to declare what you are thankful for. What do you "get" to do today? Let the words that come out of your mouth today be grateful, faith-filled words. 

If you're continually thinking about the goodness of God, you will train yourself overtime not to worry and complain. You will train yourself to overcome being down and discouraged. You're going to become consistent, not up one day and down the next...and people are going to notice.

Leslie writes encouraging notes to herself and sticks them in places where she is sure to see them often.

"Spend more time considering God's promises and less time looking at my circumstances."

Do whatever you have to do to build your shield of gratitude. It's worth it!

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." Philippians 4:6-7 (Message)

Remove the roadbocks to change

What do you do when you know what to do but you can't seem to do it? What happens when you "get stopped?"

A few weeks ago, nationally syndicated radio host and author Steve Arterburn wrote me his thoughts about our message series on Scarcity vs. Abundance. Steve writes,...

I think this is a very needed series of messages on changing your thinking.  I would add, "Change your behavior, change the world." Or at least change your world.

I think it is important for people to understand why their thinking is  messed up. In addition to media, parental influence and their own arrogant decision making process.  Then if they see the problem, and desire it to be  different and are willing for things to be different, you have to ask why they did not change.

What we do at New Life is take away the road blocks...the self-sabotaging thoughts, feelings and behavior.  For some it is counseling. For others, it is reading the Bible and for others their thinking will always be anxious ruminations until they finally get medication or start exercising or start eating differently.

Then if you change your thinking and the feelings don't come along, search for why, and then do whatever it takes to fix that or better said allow God to fix it.

The same goes with behavior. If it happens over and over again, is it dependency, addition, personality disorder, character flaw, rebellion, fear? Just what is it that keeps you the same?

The bottom line on all of this is just doing the next right thing.

You don't have to have everything figured out. You just have to do the next right thing, keep doing it and it will lead you to the path you need to be on.

And if you know the next right thing but cannot do it, unblock the path to wholeness by seeing, accepting and surrendering whatever it is that is causing you the problem that won't go away.

I hope this helps in some way.
Steve

Take Steve's advice. Find some space to get quiet and get clear about where you are habitually "getting stopped." What is the persistent roadblock? Resistance is found in the destructive habits (or defensive routines). If you want to be truly free, I invite you to dig deeply into any places of resistance that might be present.  The path to wholeness comes by seeing, accepting and surrendering whatever it is that is causing you the problem that won't go away. 

Post your thoughts and questions below. What does this stir up in you?

Reclaim Your Identity

Thanks for Jim Herrington for posting this comment on his facebook page today.

“For as long as you can remember, you have been a pleaser, depending on others to give you an identity. You need not look at that only in a negative way. You wanted to give your heart to others, and you did so quickly and easily. But now you are being asked to let go of all these self-made props and trust that God is enough for you. You must stop being a pleaser and reclaim your identity as a free self.”

Henri Nouwen

Let generosity pave the way to success

When we think from the filter of abundance, generosity can produce incredible creativity and productivity. Tim Sanders, co-founder of Yahoo.com told this story at The Leadership Forum at Southeastern University this past March.

Elmer Letterman, who is known as the greatest life insurance networker in the history of the United States, started his business in 1924 in Manhattan. He founded his business on a simple philosophy of helping people and making a difference.  His commitment to generosity did not change, even at the height of the Great Depression.

Every Friday he would host a networking lunch, inviting three people whom he felt would benefit from meeting one another. He would not bring any business cards or speak of his insurance company. Mr. Letterman did not confuse networking with prospecting for clients but simply engaged in networking as an act of love.

In 1933, he set a record for most individual policies versus assets in a single year in a single major market, which stood until 1949.

How was he able to accomplish the feat of selling so many policies during the worst economy in American History?  By connecting three people, 50 weeks a year, for 10 years, Mr. Letterman had invested in thousands of people who felt grateful towards him.

Recognizing you are a part of a greater community will give greater self confidence. Generosity will pave the way for success. Continue to make deposits of love into the relationships in your life.  If you do this your life will be satisfying and deeply fulfilling. If you have invested in people, you never face a crisis alone.

"Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation." Proverbs 3:2-4 (NLT)

The compounding influence of a great team

Today I was greatly surprised and honored to receive the Rotarian of the Year Award from the Rotary Club of Fishers, Indiana.

For those of you who don't know, Rotary International is a world-wide organization of over 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders in over 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

Rotary’s main objective is Service Above Self — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. Rotary is greatly respected for it's highly successful initiative to eradicate Polio. Recently, the Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation gave a $255 million dollar grant for ending polio. This is the largest single donation EVER given to any non-profit, humanitarian organization.

I'm very proud to a part of this organization and I am greatly honored to receive this award from my peers in this community. I am humbled, grateful and thankful for their belief in who I am and what I stand for.

I was so surprised to hear my name announced I was rendered nearly speechless (can you believe it). After the presentation moment ended and I went back to my seat, I immediately wished my mind and mouth had been quick enough to express the real convictions of my heart. That one is too small a number for greatness. That no one can do it alone. That what has been accomplished this year is a result of the synergy and compounding influence of a great team.

Let me tell you of some of the incredible people I get to serve with and the gratitude I have for them.

1) I would not have received this award had it not been for then-President Tom Branum, Jr. who caught the vision and has been the spokesperson for the Water is Life Project. He took something that was in my heart and became the real champion for this vision. He is a terrific leader, a great listener, and as I tell him often, "one of the finest 'cat-herders' I’ve ever seen." He has led us cats well this last Rotary year. Tom, words do not express how proud I am of you.

2) Without the talent and abilities of George Wiley, the vision of the Water is Life Project would have never grabbed the hearts of so many people. He was rightly honored by the Club with a Paul Harris Fellowship for his video and website work. I’m his boss at Heartland Church, but all his work comes from the heart and with 100% effort. That’s a gift he gives freely and I’m very proud to serve with him.

3) I’m grateful for the invitation by Corby Thompson to join our club. He introduced me to the Fishers Rotary Club in 2001 so I owe him a lot..more than he probably realizes.

4) We have an amazing club full of deserving people who "get it" and contribute in their own special way.  The Water is Life project is a team effort. I think of all those vision meetings, planning meetings, impromptu conversations and extra presentations. I want to thank Valory Myers who served as Club President the year before Tom. The culture she cultivated methodically each week to serve and make the world better really inspired me to be a better Rotarian and commit to a higher level.  I’m also very grateful to Bill Jerrow, Diane Eaton, Brian Lott, David Cranor, and incoming Club President Michelle Sybesma and the many others who sacrificed their time and energy over and above their regular Rotary obligations to lay the ground work of support. Again without their efforts, Water is Life would have never lifted off the ground. 

5) I also want to thank Dr. JoAnne Lyone, founder of World Hope International who invited me to travel with her to Sierra Leone and see the need of this special country.  I'm grateful to the first groups of people who traveled with me, sacrificially taking the time to expose their hearts and lives to the great need in one of the poorest places on the planet. Their stories and experiences have fueled the vision and caused this powerful ripple of love and generosity to happen: David Cranor, Amie LoPresti, Diane Lott, Jenn Makulusky, Vincent Manganello, Lacey Moore, Lindsay Moore, Jordyn Scheske, Nick Scheske, George Wiley.

As I think about this amazing year of service with such wonderful people, I think, "Who am I that I should receive honor?" I’m just part of telling a story of what could be and what ought to be. The real heroes are every single person who has given sacrificially. The real heroes are those who dig the wells and go into the villages and do the work of making dreams real. It’s action that counts in the end and every well we create will change the lives of hundreds and hundreds of people. 

In the end we are about something much bigger than ourselves. Any gifts I have been given came from my Father in heaven, so any success in my life must be offered back to him. I’m just trying to listen to him, obey his promptings, and get in on what he is blessing. I want to give myself completely to his mission in the world to love people well, one life at a time.

I think of the time I spent in Africa and the life-changing news of generosity and love that thousands of people will receive that says, “Yes, we care!” Proverbs 25:25 says, “Good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty.”   

To my Fishers Rotary Club Family ... I love you all. Thank you for this great honor. In only increases my passion to serve with you here and around the world.

The future of Rotary is in our hands.

_____________________

If you would like to learn more about Water is Life, or make a contibution, please visit, www.waterislife.tv.*

*"Water Is Life" is a project of the Rotary Club of Fishers, Indiana.  Donations will go through the District 6560 World Community Service Foundation, or through Fishers Rotary Club for the benefit of "Water Is Life".  Tax status, intentions of the donations, and information regarding the donor will determine where checks are written.  All donations and fundraising will meet Rotary International Guidelines and are subject to outside audit -- for transparency and integrity of the project's stewardship of funds donated.

 

Respond with purpose

I received this great reading from Jennifer Iverson yesterday. I don't usually keep forwards but this is one I'll hang onto.

What upsets you is not what happens.
What upsets you is your response to what happens.

Just as easily as you respond in a negative way, you can easily and naturally respond in a positive, empowering, uplifting way.

The biggest problems are often caused by what you choose to do about the smallest problems.

Most of those big, painful problems are so unnecessary.

Keep reminding yourself that you are in control of you. You are in control and you can decide exactly how you wish to feel at any point.

Imagine the power of remaining calm and focused and resourceful when some totally unexpected, disappointing development interrupts your day. Truly, you can make the disappointments not disappointing at all.

Respond on purpose, with purpose. Feel the power and the joy as every moment gives you a way to move forward.

—Ralph Marston

So what happens when you have the desire and not the power? See the list of power promises in my last post, including this one ...

"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 (NLT)