Proverbs 14: 29 A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.
Proverbs 19: 11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
I have an application on my Blackberry that downloads a daily scripture reading. Several days ago, I read these verses. When I read them, I had to stop and think. My first reaction was that my father had never read these verses. I laughed about that for awhile (He was a very impatient man).
But then, I had to think about me. How do these apply to me? I like to think I have a great deal of wisdom and understanding. I like to think that I am not foolish. The question, of course, is do I display patience? Sometimes, I do. Unfortunately, sometimes I do not.
When I am driving and I see someone tailgating me on a two lane road, I have started pulling over when I can to let them get to where they want to go in such a hurry. That, to me, is a sign of understanding. I’m displaying patience. I will let someone in line ahead of me in traffic sometimes. I’ll laugh to myself at the people who cut in front of me in a line, sometimes, patiently and quietly waiting.
But, most people who know me would probably say that is not the whole story. Sometimes I am that person doing the tailgating. Sometimes I am rude to people who are not ready to pay the cashier after waiting in line forever. Sometimes I am impatient.
Why does Solomon equate patience with wisdom and understanding? Why doesn’t he blame it on bad genes? Why doesn’t he say it’s just the way a person is and they can’t help it? I guess Solomon observed that impatience is a problem with a lack of wisdom and or understanding.
If I understand that sometimes I’m the one who forgets to have my payment handy when I’m checking out, then maybe I’ll be a little more patient when I see someone else do it. If I understand that the old man who is poking along in front of me will be me someday, than maybe I can muster up some patience. If I understand that with all my rushing around impatiently I may be missing an opportunity for God to speak to me, then maybe I can slow down and patiently accept what God wants to teach me today. If I understand that it was only the Good Samaritan that took the time to minister to the man in need, I might patiently look around to see where God would want me to minister today.
How about the part that says, “It is to his glory to overlook an offense.” That’s what God did for me. He could have demanded that I pay for my sins with my blood. How many times have I offended Him?
Ouch. This hurts and I don’t like it one bit.
Lord, help me to patiently live today. Help me to understand that nothing will happen to me today that you are not aware of. Help me to understand that you may have some work for me today that requires to me to patiently wait in a line or patiently stop to minister. Help me to remember that You have overlooked my offenses, and I should be happy to over look the offenses of others. Help me to patiently wait on You for guidance today.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Scarcity Mentality
Your hardworking neighbor comes home with a brand new luxury SUV. One of your in-laws gets a big promotion with a big fat raise to go with it. What’s your reaction to the success of others? Are you happy for your neighbor? Are you happy for your in-laws? Or are you just a little bit jealous? Do you find yourself resenting other people’s success? You might be suffering from Scarcity Mentality.
Imagine as a child, you and a sibling are staring at the last piece of pie. There are only four ways for this scenario to play out. You could get the last piece (You win). Your sibling could get the last piece (You lose). Neither of you could get the last piece (Dad wins, kids lose). You could share the last piece (Compromise). This fighting over the last piece of pie is representative of the Scarcity Mentality. According to Stephen Covey this is a zero sum game. In this worldview, everything in life is limited. In this system, the more one person gets, the less someone else gets. It is the belief that socialism and communism are founded on. This belief affects our ability to be happy for others, even people we love.
There is another way to view the world, especially in a free, capitalistic society (which of course is fading fast in the U.S.). Stephen Covey calls this the Abundance Mentality. This is a belief that there is plenty for everyone. Consider the pie scenario from before. If there was another pie in the refrigerator, then there would be no dispute. We all win and we are all happy.
How does this Scarcity Mentality play out? If I am jealous of my neighbor’s success it might be because I think that I deserve that success. That’s Scarcity Mentality. Did my neighbor’s success prevent me from being successful? Of course not. If my in-law gets a big promotion why shouldn’t I be happy? That promotion did not come at my expense. If my neighbor wins, I don’t lose. Instead it should be a sign that the system still works. Those who work hard are being rewarded. Should anyone really care how much money Bill Gates makes? He didn’t make it stealing from me or you. He earned it by producing great (well, usually great) products. He won and there are plenty of others winning. His winning does not cause me to lose.
In an extreme case of Scarcity Mentality, I will view everyone’s success as hurtful to me. I can’t be happy when someone I love has lost weight and I haven’t. I fail to complement someone on a new hairstyle or a new look, because I am so unhappy with the way I look.
What does God have to say about this? Paul told us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited” (Romans 12: 15-16).
If I can’t rejoice in the success of others, if I can’t be happy for others, that speaks volumes about me. Pride, jealousy or maybe just a wrong relationship with the Father is preventing me from the joy that could be mine. Is God limited? Certainly not! Malachi 3: 10-11: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.”
Father, today help me to focus on my blessings and not my wants. I am most happy when serving You and not when I am acquiring material goods. Bless my neighbors and bless my family and friends as you see fit. My hope and my trust are in You.
Imagine as a child, you and a sibling are staring at the last piece of pie. There are only four ways for this scenario to play out. You could get the last piece (You win). Your sibling could get the last piece (You lose). Neither of you could get the last piece (Dad wins, kids lose). You could share the last piece (Compromise). This fighting over the last piece of pie is representative of the Scarcity Mentality. According to Stephen Covey this is a zero sum game. In this worldview, everything in life is limited. In this system, the more one person gets, the less someone else gets. It is the belief that socialism and communism are founded on. This belief affects our ability to be happy for others, even people we love.
There is another way to view the world, especially in a free, capitalistic society (which of course is fading fast in the U.S.). Stephen Covey calls this the Abundance Mentality. This is a belief that there is plenty for everyone. Consider the pie scenario from before. If there was another pie in the refrigerator, then there would be no dispute. We all win and we are all happy.
How does this Scarcity Mentality play out? If I am jealous of my neighbor’s success it might be because I think that I deserve that success. That’s Scarcity Mentality. Did my neighbor’s success prevent me from being successful? Of course not. If my in-law gets a big promotion why shouldn’t I be happy? That promotion did not come at my expense. If my neighbor wins, I don’t lose. Instead it should be a sign that the system still works. Those who work hard are being rewarded. Should anyone really care how much money Bill Gates makes? He didn’t make it stealing from me or you. He earned it by producing great (well, usually great) products. He won and there are plenty of others winning. His winning does not cause me to lose.
In an extreme case of Scarcity Mentality, I will view everyone’s success as hurtful to me. I can’t be happy when someone I love has lost weight and I haven’t. I fail to complement someone on a new hairstyle or a new look, because I am so unhappy with the way I look.
What does God have to say about this? Paul told us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited” (Romans 12: 15-16).
If I can’t rejoice in the success of others, if I can’t be happy for others, that speaks volumes about me. Pride, jealousy or maybe just a wrong relationship with the Father is preventing me from the joy that could be mine. Is God limited? Certainly not! Malachi 3: 10-11: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.”
Father, today help me to focus on my blessings and not my wants. I am most happy when serving You and not when I am acquiring material goods. Bless my neighbors and bless my family and friends as you see fit. My hope and my trust are in You.
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