The Abundance Mindset | Matthew 14
Matthew 14
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Chapter Notables:
John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, gets beheaded - verses 1-12
Jesus feeds the 5,000 with 5 loaves an 2 fishes - verses 13-21
Peter walks on water to Jesus - verses 22-34
In His Hands | Lemuel Ayudtud
Multiplying little is God’s modus operandi. From Chapter 13, we read God’s use of small things as object lessons of potential. At times we can fixate on the little we have that we operate with limiting beliefs because we come from the point of lack rather than position of abundance; we consider what we don’t have over what’s already in our hands—because it’s so small compared to the need. This chapter showcases to us God’s ability over the minimum. What may look like a limited source, God sees overflowing abundance.
That’s the catch: approaching everything from the point of abundance instead of the lack. Always.
Operating from the point of abundance instead of lack is what we read when Matthew shares the story of the hungry crowds. Following Jesus on foot for most of the day, the disciples were concerned about the people’s need. Understanding naturally the size of the crowd, they thought it best to have them fend for themselves. They wisely, at least they probably thought, recommended to Jesus that He should send them away to get food. But Jesus, being the Host that He was, didn’t want the people sent home without feeding them first. He tells His disciples to feed the crowd.
The difference in the way Jesus sees needs and the way His disciples (and even ourselves) see the need is totally different. After Jesus instructs them to feed the crowd, the disciples told Him, “We only have 5 loaves and 2 fishes.” Makes sense, of course! How can so little food feed such great a number of people? We find out later that there were at least 5,000 people that followed Jesus that day, so how in the world can 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes be enough? It’s crazy to think otherwise.
Here’s the difference between the thinking of Jesus and the thoughts of the disciples: abundance thinking versus lack mindedness. To Jesus the 5/2 was more than enough, why? Because it’s in the hands of the One that multiplies small things.
Think about, y’all: to God every large thing in this world begins small. 2 cells make a baby. A tiny calf grows into a giant elephant. An acorn gives rise to an oak. The massive, growing redwoods (tallest trees in the world) in California originate from seeds the size of a tomato... seed (not even the tomato)! (And born as a preemie, Shaquille O’Neal became one of the most dominant basketball players ever hovering over 7’3” tall. )
Man, God operates in abundance, y’all! That’s the reason why there’s no fear in God. God doesn’t see limitations, He sees invitations to show His greatness. God loves packing potential in small things.
That’s the thing! God wants us to think in abundance. In the opening of this chapter, Matthew shares the story of John’s beheading. Jesus hears it and goes on doing this incredible miracle of duplication and multiplication because the need was present. Then Matthew shares not only the story of Jesus walking on water but that of Peter who got out of the boat and also did the impossible. If read superficially, one can think that the stories were disjointed, but not so when one understands the proposition of Matthew.
Matthew’s task for his writing was to showcase the messiahship of Jesus. He wanted to express by the retelling of these stories the power and the position of Jesus as the Heir to the Throne of Israel. That Jesus was indeed the One that was prophesied of old to come. He was the Seed of the woman; Jesus was the Branch from Jesse; He was the Stone of Daniel, the One that the builders rejected! Jesus was the sapling of Isaiah! This Jesus was going to be seen as little but will be greater than Solomon, Moses, even all the prophets of old put together! From what seemed to be lacking was overflowing abundance! From something so little will come something so great!
John’s death did not diminish the work of Jesus! It may have seen as a setback to most, but to Jesus John’s life was a seed planted to bring to pass the prophecy. John was the forerunner of Jesus. His short life would announce the One that gives eternal life. And Peter? Peter’s small faith, brought about an incredible feat in walking on water. Jesus showing to us that we don’t need much to do more—Peter did sink because of his lack of faith—but before then, he did something only Jesus had done.
When we operate in lack, we will look at our finances and not give. When we operate in lack, we see our ability to learn decrease as we get older. When we operate in lack, we get frustrated over issues and concerns because we cant adjust or navigate through them. When we operate in lack, we see only five loaves and two fishes. But when we operate as God operates, we see that finances are not finite. They can be made. They can be generated. Sure, we may have to do something different, but it doesn’t mean we’ll run out. When we operate as God operates, we look at our age and consider what can be learned over what we have already learned. We see the abundance of knowledge out there rather than our lack of ability to learn in here (our brains). When we operate as God operates, issues and concerns are doable because our creativity will flourish when met with the challenge. When we operate as God operates, we see five loaves and two fishes and understand that we’re not feeding the crowd, we’re not the one meeting the need… God is!
We must place our perceived lack in the hands of God. We must operate from a point of abundance because doing so is reflecting our trust in Him. Even a shortened life can do so much. Little faith can make you do supernatural things. Little doesn’t become much, it is much when we place them in the Master’s Hands. We should not operate from “ONLY five loaves and two fishes”, we must operate in “HERE IS five loaves and two fishes”! It seems small to us, but to God it will feed thousands with left overs!
Don’t disqualify what you have; God is more than qualified to meet more than what you need.
Lord, teach me not to view my life from the point of lack. Help me to see Your abundance over everything. Help me to not let my personal fears birth a limiting belief that operate in the mindset of lack! Teach me to know that what You’ve given is not little. It’s only little if I don’t see You as the God of the overflow! So help me, Father, to know that what You make mountains out of stones, massive trees out of seeds, and feed thousands out of 5 and 2. In Your Name Jesus, I pray, amen!
