Redefining the Meaning of Wealth

Tiny hummingbird in nest outside my neighbor's house

I’m a firm believer that abundance is for everyone. It’s our birthright from the time we take our first breath until the time we take our last. And I for one am also expecting a great deal of abundance in the afterlife as well.

The same way I feel everyone has talent and creativity, everyone has something in their life that is abundant. There are different forms of creativity and there are different forms of abundance. I don’t care how much money someone has or doesn’t have – no one has a monopoly on abundance. Just because Bill and Belinda Gates have more money than they know what to do with doesn’t mean they are any more abundant than you or me. And I bet they would be the first to tell you this is true.

www.dictionary.com defines abundance as:

1. an extremely plentiful or over sufficient quantity or supply
2. overflowing fullness
3. affluence; wealth

Any innuendo possibly referring to money is not even mentioned until the third definition.  Although abundance can mean money, it also means so much more. What do you have an abundance of in your life? Love, friends, family, laughter, fun?

I have an abundance of joy lately. You would think that going on month 6 of unemployment would be getting me down a bit. Miraculously, it’s been the exact opposite. Not that I don’t from time to time worry about the future and money, but I’m finding abundance in so many other areas.  I have more love in my life than is probably legal, thanks to my husband, friends, family, and pets. I have an abundance of time to read, write, and exercise. I get plenty of sleep every night and I haven’t caught any of the nasty flus or colds that having been going around the past several months. (Knock on wood!)

I have every faith that I will be taken care of and abundance will continue to be mine.  When I do enter the fear mode, I remind myself of the advice Jesus gave to his disciples. I hope you find his words as empowering as I do.

²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look 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? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^?

²⁸“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34 (New International Version)