7 Ways To Possess A Surplus Mentality

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Let’s make this clear. . .from the very beginning. . .there is no scarcity in the Kingdom of God nor should it exist in the lives of any of His children.

Our Heavenly Father is a God of surplus and He wants His children walking in His good gifts.

Luke 11:13 in the Amplified Bible says:

“If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”

God never has nor will He ever want His children to live in scarcity.

Scarceness is found one time in the King James Bible and it’s in Deuteronomy 8:9 which says:

“A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.”

According to the Strong’s Concordance . . . the Hebrew word mickenuth (H4544) means:

“poverty, scarcity”

Even though scarceness is only found one time in the Bible, it’s important to note that it comes from the root Hebrew word micken (H4542) which means:

“poor, (or) poor man”

Even though scarcity is not a word you often hear in our current vernacular . . .way too many of God’s children are living with a scarcity mentality.

Dictionary.com defines scarce as:

“insufficiency or shortness of supply; dearth; lack; want”

There is nothing in God’s Word which reveals His desire or plans for you to live in insufficiency.

On the contrary. . .God wants us living in sufficiency and surplus.

2 Corinthians 9:9 in the Amplified Bible says:

“And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].”

Deuteronomy 28:11 in the Amplified Bible which says:

“And the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of your body, of your livestock, and of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.”

The first thing that stirred in me. . .is “the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity.”

Our surplus of prosperity is not based on us . . . though our obedience to God’s Word will determine whether or not we receive what God has in store for us.

We’ve established God wants you living in sufficiency and surplus . . . as well as the reason why.

Scarcity is also defined as dearth which is found 101 times in 88 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the King James Version of the Bible.

Dearth is the Hebrew word ra`ab (H7458) and it means:

“famine;  hunger”

It’s interesting to note that of the 101 times the word dearth is mentioned in the scriptures it’s translated 87 times as a famine.

Nehemiah 5:3 says:

“Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.”

When there’s a dearth in the land. . .when times are tough. . .people suffer. . .unless they have a scriptural hedge of protection built around them, their families and their finances.

Nehemiah 5:3 in the Amplified Bible uses the word scarcity instead of dearth.

“Also some said, We are mortgaging our lands, vineyards, and houses to buy grain because of the scarcity.”

Don’t get needlessly into debt. . .owing more than you could possibly repay even in the best of times.

Scarcity is also defined as lack

First, God does not want His children lacking anything.

Deuteronomy 2:7 in the New Living Translation says:

“For the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.”’

Nehemiah 9:21 says:

“Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.”

God reveals to us in His Word. . .how we can never lack for anything.

Proverbs 28:27 in the New Living Translation says:

“Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.”

If we give to the poor. . .we will lack for nothing

1 Thessalonians 4:12 says:

“That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”

Where God directs. . .He provides.

Luke 22:35 in the Amplified Bible says:

“And He said to them, When I sent you out with no purse or [provision] bag or sandals, did you lack anything? They answered, Nothing!”

Psalm 23:1 in the Amplified Bible says:

“[A Psalm of David.] THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.”.

Too many believers live in a scarcity mentality.

They believe . . . there is a limited amount of money in the world.  Not true.  There’s more than enough for every person living on planet earth.

They believe . . . they’re only entitled to have a small portion of income and happiness.  Not true, God wants you to have more than enough.

They believe . . . success comes at the expense of someone else.  Not true, if God didn’t want you to be successful . . . He wouldn’t have told you how to become successful in Joshua 1:8.

They believe . . . sharing recognition, credit, power and profit takes something from you.  Not true, there are no limitations with God’s children.

Here’s what you need to know. . .God will sustain you in every situation.

God makes a promise to His own in Genesis 45:11 in the Amplified Bible says:

“And there I will sustain and provide for you, so that you and your household and all that are yours may not come to poverty and want, for there are yet five [more] years of [the scarcity, hunger, and starvation of ] famine.”

Proverbs 6:11 in the New Living Translation says:

“Then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.”

Now let’s look Proverbs 6:11 in the King James Version which says:

“So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.”

The Hebrew word for want is the same word used in Proverbs 14:23 for penury.

By the way, the previous verse to Proverbs verse 11, verse 10 talks about the lazy person who is not trying to get ahead.

Now let’s look at what Proverbs 14:23 says:

“In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to poverty.”

According to Strong’s Concordance the Hebrew word for poverty is machcowr (H4270) and it means:

“need, poverty, thing needed”


 

A scarcity mentality will lead you into poverty, need and lack.

I did a Google search and found opposite-word.com which is a site for antonyms.  I found the antonyms for scarcity are:

“abundance, commonness, excess, surplus"

If you don’t want a scarcity mentality . . .then why not do what’s necessary to develop an surplus mentality?

It’s important to understand that a Surplus Mentality will take you beyond having a positive attitude.

The positive attitude causes you to look at the bright side of every situation.


The Surplus Mentality knows there is always more than enough when you works the principles of God’s Word.

Here are seven keys to possessing a surplus mentality.

1.         A surplus mentality realizes there are unlimited opportunities for personal growth and development.

Our Heavenly Father is a God of infinite possibilities . . .which means nothing is impossible to those who believe.

God removes all limitations from your life.

Matthew 19:26 says:

“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

Mark 9:23 in the God’s Word Translation:

“Jesus said to him, “As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes.”

This scripture just ignites my faith and stirs by spirit to new levels of expectation.

“. . .everything is possible for the person [that’s me!; that’s you!] who believes.”

There is no limitation to our manifestation.  The Message Bible translation of Mark 9:23 says:

“Jesus said, "If? There are no 'ifs' among believers. Anything can happen."

All things are possible . . .anything . . . no matter how illogical to the natural mind . . . can happen in our lives. . .as we exercise our faith and believe.

                                   

The scripture also says there is nothing impossible to those who believe.

Luke 1:37 in the Amplified Bible says:

“For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.”

A life lived with endless possibilities will produce surplus beyond our imagination.

2.         A surplus mentality realizes there is only one way to do things.

Frank Sinatra sang a popular song called “My Way” which became a classic. . .but it’s scripturally inaccurate.

The world will tell you there are only two ways to do something. . .my way or your way.  However, neither of these two choices ever brings lasting change or results.

The greatest rewards in life don’t come from doing things my way or your way . . . but His way.

Doing things God’s way is so important that He tells us twice in scripture . . .to always do things His way.  We find the exact same wording in 2 Samuel 22:31 and Psalm 18:30.  These references are both from the Amplified Bible.

“As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried. He is a Shield to all those who trust and take refuge in Him.”

If God tells us something once, He wants us to get it . . .  but when He tells us twice in the exact same way. . .He wants us to really get what He’s saying to us.

If you want God directing your path. . .then you must do things His way.

Psalm 37:23 in the Amplified Bible says:

“The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step].”

Now that is a Hallelujah scripture!  Obedience to His instructions. . .doing things His way. . .will create an Surplus Mentality in you.

3.         A surplus mentality realizes that if you don’t at first succeed, try and try again.

A surplus mentality knows that a lack of success is not failure but rather an opportunity to improve on a previous effort.

The surplus mentality produces persistence in the face of incomplete success.

Someone once said:

“A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.”

Napoleon Hill said:

“The most interesting thing about a postage stamp is the persistence with which it sticks to its job.”

What does the Word of God say about persistence?

Revelation 2:2 in the Message Bible says:

"I see what you've done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can't stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. I know your persistence, your courage in my cause that you never wear out.”

Such a powerful verse.

Adlai E. Stevenson II, governor, UN Ambassador and two-time nominee for President, said:

“On the plains of hesitation lie the blackened bones of countless millions who at the dawn of victory lay down to rest, and in resting, died.”

Persistence is one of the main keys to your success and the Surplus Mentality.

4.         A surplus mentality allows you to see beyond today and into tomorrow.

Tomorrow is never an unknown. . .but rather an opportunity awaiting manifestation.

Never worry about tomorrow. . .because you never have to face it alone.

Matthew 6:34 in the Message Bible says:

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

In every challenge. . .every adversity. . every battle. . .the person with the Surplus Mentality knows they’re going to win.

2 Chronicles 20:17 which says:

“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

Not only will God help you defeat every enemy. . .He will remove them from your life.

Joshua 7:13 in the New Living Translation says:

“Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.”

We should face the dawn of every new day knowing that God is going to do supernatural things through those who walk in a Surplus Mentality.

Joshua 3:5 should become our expectation for each new day.

“For tomorrow, Jehovah will do wonders among you.”

5.         A surplus mentality allows you to create and/or experience greater success in the marketplace. . .because you’re under less pressure.

A lack of job security often produces a counterproductive stress in the lives of employees.

This is especially true in today’s economy. . .when unemployment is way over the  number being reported by the government.

There is an unease. . .a fear. . .among many employees about their job.

A Surplus Mentality allows you to realize. . .there will always be a job for you. . . regardless of the economic climate. . .it gives you a peace.

First, being successful in the marketplace is one of the reasons you’re on planet earth.

Ecclesiastes 3:22 in the New Living Translation says:

“So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here! No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we die.”

Second, the Word of God says that you should be happy in your work. . .it’s your portion.

Ecclesiastes 2:24 in the New Living Translation says:


“So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.”

Ecclesiastes 3:13 in the Contemporary English Version says:


“Because God's gift to us is the happiness we get from our food and drink and from the work we do.”

Third, those with a Surplus Mentality always know who they’re working for.

2 Timothy 2:15 in the New Living Translation says:

“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”

6.         A surplus mentality is always looking for opportunities to bless other people.

Thirty years ago I traveled with a national civic organization and I was known among other things for reciting the following poem:

“There is a destiny among us that makes us brothers.

“None goes his way alone.

“All that you pass into the lives of others

“Will surely come back into your own.”

People with a Success and Surplus Mentality understand and practice one scripture perhaps more than any other.

Ephesians 6:8 says:

“Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”

The Contemporary English Version of Ephesians 6:8 says:

“You know that you will be rewarded for any good things you do...”

When you realize that putting others before yourself. . .always brings great rewards, then you’re headed into surplus.

7.         A surplus mentality realizes that regardless of how blessed you are. . .you ain’t seen nothing yet!

When something wonderful happens my 85-year old mother is known for saying “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Once we understand, obey and practice the instructions in the Word. . .we will experience surplus beyond your wildest dreams.

Ephesians 3:20 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].”

I remember reading a pretty good explanation of surplus. . .not sure who said it but there is real power in the words.

"The more I sell, the more there is to sell."

"The more I give, the more there is to give."

"The more I know, the more there is to know."

"People are great. They will help me reach my goals."

"If I need money, I'll find the money."

"If I need people, I'll find the people."

"If I need ideas, the ideas will come."

There is a momentum. . .a seed time and harvest effect of blessing flow that comes through obedience to His word. . . doing the things He directs you to do.

Surplus is created when you sow.  There are no limitations on the number of times and ways in which you sow.

Your giving can create multiple streams of income for you.

Galatians 6:7 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap.”

I realize this is understatement. . .but it bears saying.

The Surplus Mentality begins in your mind. . .but so does the Scarceness Mentality so the choice is yours.

The way you think. . .the mentality you adopt. . .is your choice.

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