The Creative Way: how to move from a scarcity to abundance mindset
How-to move from a scarcity to abundance mindset.
If I were to ask three of your closest friends if you were an optimist or pessimist what do you think they’d say?
What do you say?
Answer these questions, and it’ll be apparent which side you lean toward…
Do you tend to see the glass half empty or half full?
Do you begin projects full of energy and expectation believing that it will turn out great in the end, or do you approach most projects with apprehension, mulling over all the things that could go wrong?
Do you view resources as limited and hard to come by, or see them as abundant and ready for you to seize?
And what about this: Do you believe that God is generous and has a good purpose for your life, or do you consider Him a distant God, with tight fists when it comes to YOUR needs and desires?
This Creative Way Series is all about identifying our BIG, SCARY dreams and running after them with gusto, and in the process discovering a healthier more meaningful way of living and a deeper connection to God.
This week it’s about mindset and how we can shift from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance.
Now, full disclaimer here: I’m in process on this topic. I don’t have it all figured out by any means, but I am making progress.
For the longest time, I viewed resources as hard to come by, I had difficulty believing God had GOOD thoughts toward me, and I generally struggled with envy towards those who had MORE.
If you can relate to this, raise your hand… 🙋🏻♀️
Even though I’ve seen tremendous improvement in this area, I still struggle sometimes. Especially when it comes to embracing the BIG dream I put off for so long.
But, here’s what I know for certain: to move forward in The Creative Way we have to examine our mindset and identify the things that keep us stuck, so we can move past them and recover a sense of possibility in our dreams.
And one of the biggest culprits in staying stuck is a scarcity mindset.
It’s this type of mindset that limits our view of what we can accomplish.
And I have found that more often than not it’s rooted in a limited view of God and His willingness to provide for us.
I know not everyone views their creative endeavors through a spiritual lens but I sure do. And since you’re following along in this journey, you must too, even if it’s on a deeper, intuitive level.
After many years walking with the Lord, here’s what I know without a doubt:
God is the ultimate provider of ALL that is good, and His word (the Bible) is filled with beautiful, exciting promises for His children. But to realize those promises, we have to know His Word, and take Him at His Word.
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Have you ever had a conversation with someone, maybe your children, and tried to explain something you know without a doubt is true, but they dismiss it quickly without even looking into the facts? Or if they do look at the facts, they refuse to be convinced? Yeah, that can be really irritating… 😉
That’s what I think of when I remember all the years I struggled with my view of God and His thoughts toward me. I’m sure it grieved Him to see me miss out on so much, because I held such skeptical views of His promises, even though I didn’t spend enough time studying the Bible to really understand them, or I flat out refused to believe they applied to ME.
I never seemed to have a problem believing God had GOOD thoughts toward others, but I sure had difficulty making His promises personal.
Here are two Truths that are crucial for us to wrap our heads and hearts around in order to see radical change when it comes to scarcity vs. abundance:
1. God is unlimited in supply. He is unlimited in power, resources, knowledge, compassion, grace, and holiness.
1 Corinthians 2:9 “But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.’”
Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 1:18-19 “I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. He displayed this power in the working of His mighty strength.”
2. Every one of His children has equal access to Him and His promises. God loves everyone, and we can come to Him with confidence. He IS trustworthy.
Acts 10:34-36 “Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”
Ephesians 2:19 “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.”
John 16:24 “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”
These are just a snippet of the GOOD promises found in God’s Word. But as you read them, do you find them hard to believe?
This is where faith comes in.
At some point, we have to disregard our skeptical mind and choose to believe God at His word in our heart. I mean, what do we have to lose?
Just like we must choose to believe in our dreams. To believe that if we work diligently and stay with it long enough, something GOOD will come out of it.
THIS is an abundance mindset.
And THIS is the mindset that will move us forward to GOOD things.
When we accept that God is generous, that He is our Source, that we can take Him at His Word, and that we WILL see breakthrough by HIS grace, this in itself is a bold act of faith. And the Bible says without faith it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
If you’ve ever been misunderstood, or accused of saying, doing, or thinking something that wasn’t true, you know how frustrating and offensive that can be.
Unfortunately, because humans are flawed and haven’t always represented God well, this happens far too often with God.
Rather than freely accepting His Good gifts, we look at them with suspicion, questioning their validity, and doubting that we have what it takes to take care of those gifts.
RELATED: Grab your My Daily Mindset Journal
We need to dump these negative mindsets, my friend. We must ditch our rigid expectations of what the gifts should look like, and move into a sense of expectancy instead, letting God manifest Himself and His Goodness however He desires.
We can’t put God into a box made by human hands.
What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27)
So with that in mind, what next step have you been avoiding on your journey because you don’t think you have enough…
Money.
Time.
Talent.
You fill in the blank: ________________
Are you benefitting from staying stuck in this scarcity mindset? If so, how?
Try this, it’ll help ⤵️
Grab your journal and before you go to bed list the areas in which you need guidance. In the morning write what comes to mind on those topics, listening for answers. You might be very surprised what you discover.
Also remember to schedule in time to work on your craft this week, but also schedule down time to do absolutely nothing.
Yep, absolutely nothing. Artists need time for that. We need time to clear our heads and recharge or else we will become depleted. This is an important part of the creative process, so no shame there 🙂
One more thing:
Here are some questions to hash out in your journal this week:
The reason I can’t believe in a supportive, generous God is… (list 3 reasons). Now, do some research about what the Bible says about God’s character. Here’s a great resource for that The Bible Project
My go-to creative block is… (TV, work, social media, rescuing others…?). Now, brainstorm strategies to resist these distractions.
The benefit for staying blocked is… (hopefully you’ll have a hard time coming up with benefits ;-), but if you do, challenge their validity and make a list of the benefits of NOT staying blocked.)
God IS a good God, my friend. He loves you and He cares about where you are now, and He has a GOOD plan for where you can be next week, next month, next year…
Soak yourself in the promises of His Word and you’ll be on your way to an abundance mindset that will help you find breakthrough in your creative journey and in your life.
➡️ NEXT TOPIC: CREATIVE ABUNDANCE AND YOUR MONEY
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Hello! I’m Karen Ferguson, author, content creator, and the owner of Illuminate Communications, LLC.
I’m all about illuminating God’s Truth and His love through the power of words.
It’s my mission to inspire, encourage, and equip you on your faith-journey by providing books, tools, and resources that will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus, and thrive in mind, body, and spirit.
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