Abundant and Purposeful
For so long, I lived in a scarcity mindset, in survival mode. I’m not really sure why. I can see threads of this mindset throughout my whole life, but not the origins. Often, people blame nurture, but I would lean more towards nature, as I don’t see this idea play out in any of the rest of my family. This tendency is probably just a piece of my personality, and my tendency for perfectionism.
Extravagance has always made me uncomfortable. There was an element of it that scared me. When you train yourself toward scarcity, that is what feels safe to you. Extravagance felt wasteful. And waste terrified me. Just like my grandma who lived through the depression learned to make the most out of every scrap, everything in my life needed to be purposefully and efficiently used. Nothing left over… not time or energy or belongings.
God is extravagant. He creates all and controls all, and there is no lack. Everything is at His disposal, because He speaks it all into being.
God is extravagant, abundant, and generous.
Often to describe something as extravagant has an undercurrent of criticism. Because in the hands of humans, extravagance often comes with greed, pride, and conceit.
But God is extravagant in the most pure and holy way. He is abundant. That is just who He is. And in that, he is generous. He lavishes His children with all good things. God is not a magic genie that the Prosperity Gospel might claim, so His generosity doesn’t always come as finances, resources, and success in all our endeavors.
But He lavishes us with love, forgiveness, and mercy. He provides us all we need and more (even if it isn’t all we want). He gives grace upon grace. Salvation where none is to be had.
Not only is God abundant, extravagant, and generous. He also wastes nothing. He is not reckless in what He gives. There is purpose and intent in everything that passes from His hands.
He is not like a parent that spoils with gifts and sugary things to earn love. He is not reckless or prideful. He gives good and difficult circumstances that cultivate holiness and worship. He gives what we do not need, do not ask for, even what we might not want. All for our sanctification.
But everything that passes from His hands to ours is generous. Given willingly and abundantly, but at great cost.
There is an ornament that is hanging on my tree that caught my breath when I pulled it out of the box this year. It says simply “God wastes nothing, 2020”. While it was received as a gift of encouragement after a universally difficult year, we can probably all agree it rings just as true in 2021 as it did in 2020.
God wastes nothing. No hardship is endured without purpose. No pain alleviates without bringing with it deeper faith. No generous gift comes without deeply compassionate intent.
God is not wasteful. He is also not poor or stingy. He stewards His own creation with great care. Giving what is abundant and purposeful, if not earned.
In His most generous act, He gave His very son to endure death on our behalf.
Nothing we endure will not one day proclaim His kindness. It will all point to His glory, His worthiness, and His love.
And if you are struggling to remember that, let me be your reminder. We were not promised that 2021 would be easier than 2020. We are not promised that 2022 will be easier still. But God will be there with us. And in the end, all will be good.
