"My family doesn't have much, so I should lower my expectations and not want too much."
How it sounds in your head: When I see friends with nicer things, I tell myself to be content with less. Wanting more feels greedy. Maybe I'm supposed to just accept lack as my normal.
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."
-- Ephesians 3:20Source: Poverty spirit masquerading as humility, teaching lack as a virtue rather than recognizing abundance as covenant reality.
Well-meaning adults praise her for 'not being materialistic' when she settles for less, reinforcing that wanting abundance is somehow wrong. Lack becomes her identity instead of a circumstance to overcome.
A widow had creditors about to take her sons as slaves to pay debt. Elisha told her to gather vessels—she gathered many. God filled EVERY vessel with oil until she ran out of containers, not oil. She sold it, paid ALL debt, and lived on the surplus.
I REFUSE the lie that I should settle for lack or lower my expectations. IT IS WRITTEN that God does EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY above all I ask or think! Poverty is NOT my portion—the BARAK blessing is. Abraham was EXTREMELY wealthy. IT IS WRITTEN in Deuteronomy 28:11 that God will grant me PLENTY, in goods, in the fruit of my body, in increase. I'm blessed coming in and blessed going out. The Father didn't give the prodigal 'just enough'—He threw a PARTY. I expect ABUNDANCE because that's my covenant reality!
Your Father isn't asking you to lower expectations—He's about to EXCEED them. He's the God who runs out of jars before He runs out of oil, who makes wine so good it saves the best for last, who gives you MUCH so you can be a river, not a reservoir.