Expansive: A 5-Day Plan to Break Free From Scarcity and Embrace God’s Abundanceਨਮੂਨਾ

What if God wants to take you beyond everything you’ve come to expect?

Just recently, I was chatting with a woman who told me she likes to keep the bar low and her expectations even lower in life—all to avoid disappointment. Beneath her words was a quiet agreement with scarcity: expect little, and you won’t be let down. Maybe that’s a narrative you can relate to—I know I can.

We often think of scarcity as being about material things–money or practical resources on hand. But scarcity isn’t just a lack of stuff, it’s a lens. A lens that distorts how we see God, ourselves, and what’s possible for our future. It creeps in quietly, reshaping our dreams, dimming our hope and capping our prayer life. Scarcity whispers that we live in a world of lack, limits, and leftovers—barely enough, never abundance. Scarcity has trained us to expect so little. Eventually, our vision shrinks, becoming narrow and constrained, and we begin to live a life marked by low expectations and small prayers.

I can point to countless moments—some in the past, many in my daily life—where scarcity has shaped my thinking. Times when I’ve chosen the safe option over risk, because deep down I feared there wouldn’t be enough grace, support, or provision if I failed. I’ve rushed through my days, overwhelmed by the belief that I don’t have enough time. I’ve felt jealousy rise up when I saw someone living out a version of my dream, assuming that meant there was nothing left for me. Scarcity has driven me into competition, comparison, and fear—all while trying to convince me that this is just reality—that this is how life works. It was often easier to cap my hopes and dreams. It felt vulnerable, even scary, to dare to believe for more, let alone pray for it. Afterall, isn’t it more realistic to settle for what you already have than to risk disappointment? Isn’t it safer to lower the bar than to watch your hopes fall flat?

In John 6, we see Jesus feeding a crowd of 5,000 people. The scripture says he looked up and saw them approaching. Let’s pause there for just a moment. Jesus saw what was coming. He anticipated the need—the hunger, the desperation and the impossibility. The passage says that Jesus knew what He was going to do—let that encourage your heart— and yet he turns to Philip and asks, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Notice how Philip responds. Instead of answering where, he answers with an equation: “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” You can feel the scarcity in his reply. He’s sitting in the presence of the miracle worker. Prior to this moment he’s seen Jesus heal, make wine out of water and go about doing the most miraculous things. But at this moment all he can see is their lack.

So often, we live the same way—looking at the problems, the needs, and the lack as though they are so large that there’s no possible solution. But I don’t think Jesus wants us to look at the world that way. We don’t need smaller problems or scaled-down, manageable baby steps with minimal risk. We need a bigger perspective of God. We need a vision of what’s possible when God joins the equation.

Throughout scripture we read a compelling and hope-filled story when it comes to need in our lives. Where we see lack, God sees opportunity.

God is so vast, so great, and so unlimited, that He confronts our small thinking, daring us to pray bigger, risk more, and live in expectation of His abundance. Rather than shrinking our hopes or constraining our vision, scripture urges us to expand them, stretch them, and believe in a God who goes beyond them! We are invited to engage with an expansive God

Where have you been settling for “just enough” instead of daring to ask God to expand your imagination for what’s possible? Who would you be and how would you show up in the world if your day to day life was rooted into a story of abundance and overflow, rather than survival and scarcity? Over the next few days, we are going to explore the expansive nature of God—His love, provision, restoration and mission. Scripture urges us to live with a lens of abundance, not scarcity, because we are known and loved by an extravagant and generous God. Let’s step into that story together.

Prayer

God, show me where I’ve been limiting you and your work in my life, by listening to scarcity instead of your truth. Expand my capacity to dream with you, trust you, and anticipate your goodness. Confront my small thinking. Stretch it and stir it. Fill me with faith.

Amen