“For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Matthew 13:12

As you come together with family and friends this week to celebrate Thanksgiving and focus on what you are thankful for, try not to let that feeling of gratitude be a fleeting one. As we’ve discussed the scarcity mindset this month and how to shift away from that to a mindset of gratitude, we hope you’ve picked up tips along the way to make a permanent change in your way of thinking.

Kim King really opened up the discussion for us in her interview, where she attributed the spread of the scarcity mindset to the high levels of fear we all operate under today. Do you find yourself thinking about the future, taking inventory of the world around you, and drawing into yourself in an effort to protect what you currently have? You may feel justified in being protective of what you have, but that need to cling to things is just a temperature reading on how cold your faith really is.

What is the opposite of the scarcity mindset, then? Diane said it best in her blog this month: “Those who see that all that they have is God’s and they are blessed to be given the opportunity to share God’s blessing are the opposite of scarcity mindset.” When you loosen your grip on earthly things and acknowledge that the only one with a grip that matters is God, a truly amazing sense of peace will come over you. What do you have to worry about when everything you have has been a gift from God? Has He not taken care of you thus far? What would prevent him from continuing to provide all you need in the future?

Living in the fog of a scarcity mindset not only robs you, it robs those who might have been blessed by your generosity. Your constant fear and worrying over things that are not really yours to hold onto is keeping you from truly enjoying life. By not viewing what you’ve been blessed with as a gift, you will likely never open up your heart to the incredible honor of blessing the lives of others.

God called His children to be good stewards of what He gave them so that we could be His hands and feet. Being grateful doesn’t just mean we verbalize our blessings on Thanksgiving and maybe make a donation somewhere. Gratitude—real gratitude—means moving away from thinking, “Mine” and instead saying, “His.” You wouldn’t hoard someone else’s belongings like they were yours. So loosen your hold on what you’ve been blessed with, vow to choose faith when things seem uncertain, and actively seek out ways to live out your gratitude through loving and edifying those around you.