Neighbor Groups: Restore Well-Being预览

God’s Abundance

There are stories across both the Old and New Testaments showing us just how much God cares about our physical well-being. In the opening chapters of the Bible, we’re told that God filled the Garden of Eden with all that Adam and Eve could ever need.

The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. ... Genesis 2:9 NIV

God has provided for His creation since the beginning of time, and He provides in abundance. Jesus tells us that He came so that we could live life to the full. So in our abundant world, why do so many have their basic physical needs unmet? 

The answer to this question is complicated. The effects of unjust systems and imbalances of consumption have made their mark over the centuries. We’re limited in our ability to overcome these challenges on the individual level, but one thing we do have control over is our mindset.

Many of us go through life with a scarcity mindset, or the belief that there will never be enough. This mindset causes us to live in a place of fear, stress, and anxiety. When we don’t believe there’s enough to go around, we hoard what we have, and generosity becomes really difficult.

God, however, calls us to embrace generosity and live with an abundance mindset. Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 6:26 NIV: 

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 

God is our Provider, yet He often invites us to play a part in His provision. When Jesus feeds the 5,000, His disciples distribute the bread. Jesus calls His disciples to go heal the sick and proclaim the Good News in Matthew 10. And when they meet the Gerasene man, Jesus invites His disciples to be a part of addressing the man’s every need. 

Jesus didn’t just meet the man’s spiritual needs by casting out the evil spirits. When the people from the surrounding area came out to see the man, Luke 8:35 says they found him dressed and in his right mind.

When Jesus and his disciples first met the man, he was naked. When they left the man, he was fully clothed. This entire event happened in a graveyard, in the countryside. 

Could Jesus have called down jeans and a shirt from heaven? Sure, He’s Jesus, after all. It’s far more likely, though, that Jesus invited His disciples to play a part in this man’s restoration.

Maybe Simon gave up his sandals. Perhaps Thomas donated his tunic. Maybe they all gave what they had because they were in relationship with Jesus, and in that moment, they knew He was enough.

Today, think about your physical well-being. Do you identify more with the Gerasene man or the disciples in the story? 

If you feel more like the man, how can you trust God to provide for your needs? How could you invite others to help? 

Maybe you feel more like the disciples, recognizing you have more than enough. How could you share your excess with more of God’s kids? 

Pray: God, thank You for caring for our physical needs. I trust You as my Provider. You are enough. Give me an abundance mindset so that I can generously share what I have with others around me. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Challenge: How have you been blessed with abundance? How can you give from that abundance in a way that glorifies Jesus and loves people? What are some ways meeting needs might advance the well-being of others?