Raising Parents Part II
God Ain't Broke
“I would do that if I had enough time, enough talents, or if I had more money, so I could give more. I don’t have enough to take that on.” These are all things that people who have a poverty spirit and mindset will say. When we have a poverty mindset, we only focus on what we don’t have, claiming to be victims of our circumstances and being blinded from seeing what we have to offer.
Like the widow in 1 Kings 17, who is going through a season of lack - widowed and poor in a season of famine - we see her trapped in a victim mindset. she responds to Elijah’s request for food by claiming that she doesn’t have enough to make him bread because she is preparing a last meal for her and her son before they die. It doesn’t get any more desperate than this. But God! Under God’s direction, Elijah performs a miracle for the woman and her son, not only providing enough food to last through the famine, but later also reviving her son from death. Not until after experiencing these miracles, does the widow change her mindset, recognizing that God is her provider in all seasons of life.
A poverty mindset seems to be more and more prevalent today. As society becomes more secular, turning away from a personal relationship with God, we hear more of this poverty mindset creep into everyday conversations. We may not even realize the dangers these thoughts have on our relationships and words, both with others and with God.
This should be a big concern to Christians because a poverty led spirit and mindset prevent us from accessing God’s blessings and from passing on a spiritual legacy to the next generation. We may not even realize that a poverty mentality has become part of our thinking, especially if we hear this way of thinking on a regular basis, becoming part of our “normal,” daily conversations.
In Genesis, God instructs Adam and Eve to be fruitful. Being fruitful is making the most of what God has given us to honor and glorify him, fulfilling his will for our lives by using our time, talents, and resources in ways that are pleasing to Him. If Satan distracts us from trusting in God’s provisions, trapping us in a poverty mindset, it restricts God’s blessings, leading us to find solutions apart from God. If we only put God first and trust by faith his Word that declares him the God of provision, he will not only provide our needs, but he will pour out blessings beyond anything we could imagine. But we must first give back to God through faith, experiencing how he will use what we give back to him for his glory. We can’t give to God first if we think we never have enough. The Bible is full of promises of God’s provisions. Let’s stand firm on those promises, and when the world talks about lack, we can respond with the plenty of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As parents, we have the great opportunity to break the poverty spirit and mindset in our homes. We can share the amazing provisions of God by putting him first in all of our time, talents, and resources. When we go through seasons of uncertainty and difficulty, we remain constant in giving to God and trusting his miraculous provision. If we do this, we break the worry, anxiety, and stress that seek to bind our children. The mentality of faith we pass on to our children will become a reality in the next generation, building a spiritual legacy in our families for generations to come.
You won’t want to miss Pastor Matt Ward’s message on Raising Parents, part 2.
“I would do that if I had enough time, enough talents, or if I had more money, so I could give more. I don’t have enough to take that on.” These are all things that people who have a poverty spirit and mindset will say. When we have a poverty mindset, we only focus on what we don’t have, claiming to be victims of our circumstances and being blinded from seeing what we have to offer.
Like the widow in 1 Kings 17, who is going through a season of lack - widowed and poor in a season of famine - we see her trapped in a victim mindset. she responds to Elijah’s request for food by claiming that she doesn’t have enough to make him bread because she is preparing a last meal for her and her son before they die. It doesn’t get any more desperate than this. But God! Under God’s direction, Elijah performs a miracle for the woman and her son, not only providing enough food to last through the famine, but later also reviving her son from death. Not until after experiencing these miracles, does the widow change her mindset, recognizing that God is her provider in all seasons of life.
A poverty mindset seems to be more and more prevalent today. As society becomes more secular, turning away from a personal relationship with God, we hear more of this poverty mindset creep into everyday conversations. We may not even realize the dangers these thoughts have on our relationships and words, both with others and with God.
This should be a big concern to Christians because a poverty led spirit and mindset prevent us from accessing God’s blessings and from passing on a spiritual legacy to the next generation. We may not even realize that a poverty mentality has become part of our thinking, especially if we hear this way of thinking on a regular basis, becoming part of our “normal,” daily conversations.
In Genesis, God instructs Adam and Eve to be fruitful. Being fruitful is making the most of what God has given us to honor and glorify him, fulfilling his will for our lives by using our time, talents, and resources in ways that are pleasing to Him. If Satan distracts us from trusting in God’s provisions, trapping us in a poverty mindset, it restricts God’s blessings, leading us to find solutions apart from God. If we only put God first and trust by faith his Word that declares him the God of provision, he will not only provide our needs, but he will pour out blessings beyond anything we could imagine. But we must first give back to God through faith, experiencing how he will use what we give back to him for his glory. We can’t give to God first if we think we never have enough. The Bible is full of promises of God’s provisions. Let’s stand firm on those promises, and when the world talks about lack, we can respond with the plenty of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As parents, we have the great opportunity to break the poverty spirit and mindset in our homes. We can share the amazing provisions of God by putting him first in all of our time, talents, and resources. When we go through seasons of uncertainty and difficulty, we remain constant in giving to God and trusting his miraculous provision. If we do this, we break the worry, anxiety, and stress that seek to bind our children. The mentality of faith we pass on to our children will become a reality in the next generation, building a spiritual legacy in our families for generations to come.
You won’t want to miss Pastor Matt Ward’s message on Raising Parents, part 2.