As people who believe God takes care of all things… why then, does lack mentality appear in some of our work environments? Leaders who take on this persona often push their employees to unnecessary stress, burnout, and stagnancy…yes, stagnancy. The more he or she pushes, the less capable some employees become.
Scarcity mentality in the workplace is created grounded in several factors. One influence is the idea that the more leaders give, the more leaders earn. This is a myth worth dissecting at a later time. It is not my intention to peel back the layers on this thought in this current dialogue. Stay tuned!
On scarcity and abundance, Brueggemann (1999) shared this:
“The conflict between the narratives of abundance and of scarcity is the defining problem confronting us at the turn of the millennium. The gospel story of abundance asserts that we originated in the magnificent, inexplicable love of a God who loved the world into generous being. The baptismal service declares that each of us has been miraculously loved into existence by God. And the story of abundance says that our lives will end in God, and that this well-being cannot be taken from us.”
Believers at work, can often face demanding expectations from leaders who claim to be followers of Christ themselves. How can this be, right? Relating to abundance, I share a brief life experience of my own.
Before I gave my life back to Christ, I attended a metaphysical church. Its leaders harped on the importance of abundance. Now that I look back, this message was almost always included in the weekly sermons. The creation (The Universe as God) and not the creator was general everyday language as well. Yet, there were still so many in this organization who could not find or hold on to abundance. As I weeded myself from this environment, seeing what some would do to gain abundance was astonishing…think taking the ideas of others and using them for their own profit. I witnessed this even from some of the leaders.
I thought this noteworthy to discuss, because it is important to know that scarcity to abundance is not always a perfect ride built on integrity. If we live on what Jesus said “”Don’t be anxious, because everything you need will be given to you”, Matthew 6:25, lives, including work, family, friend, acquaintances, & strangers can be so much different.
Leaders, if you mange from a scarcity mentality, check-in with yourselves as often as possible. Find ways to lead from a compassionate angle. And, if you feel that you cannot do this alone, give us a call. We’d very much like to work with you into becoming a leader of grace and integrity.
Rev. M. Charlotte Oliver
Founding President & CEO
Executive Pastor| Church Consultant
Reference:
Brueggeman, W. (1999). The liturgy of abundance: The myth of scarcity. Chicago, IL: The Christian Century
