For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

Never enough. Do you live in fear that there won’t be enough time, money or love, for you to be happy? You may be suffering from what’s called a scarcity mentality.

The Bible tells us that fear isn’t from God, but that He is the One who puts courage inside of us. It says, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7) When it comes to fear over not having enough, God’s way is opposite to what we’d think.

The book of Psalms says, “Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely…They will have no fear of bad news…Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear” (Psalm 112:5,8 NIV).

Did you notice in this passage that the act of giving and a lack of fear are interconnected? Those who know and trust God also believe that He is their source. They never have to worry about not having enough in difficult times. Because of this confidence, they don’t have to hoard out of fear but can give freely.

Generosity is the overflow of courage and generosity can include freely giving our time, services, and lives. Courageous generosity encourages others who are fearful, and a lifestyle of generosity shows what it means to trust fully in God, our source.

Is there an area of your life in which you’re living in fear—from a scarcity mentality? This comes from relying on ourselves rather than on God. Today, ask Him to show you what it means to live out of faith in His goodness rather than fear, and ask Him to show how you can respond generously in this area.