JonathanHostetler.com

If your goal is to live a free (as in “freedom”) life, then you must understand how having an attitude of abundance effects how “free” you really are. Having this attitude enables you to adapt to major life changes more easily, to let go of the desire to get more “stuff,” and to have a deep appreciation for everything good that is happening in your life. Being in a state of abundance will help you to live a better life, and to feel good about your accomplishments.

The first way that a mindset of abundance effects you is by enabling you to adapt to major life changes more easily. All of us go through changes, and some changes are more dramatic than others. Getting a new job, moving to a new home, or developing a new friendship can all be major changes that require us to adapt. In these situations, having an attitude of abundance means that you know there are plenty of opportunities, more than enough grace from your Father God, and a wealth of wisdom available through the Word of God. Having that level of confidence can really make you enthusiastic about working through major changes, instead of dreading them.

Having an attitude of abundance also helps us let go of possessions and thought pattens that are no longer necessary. Think about this: lack makes us want more, abundance makes us want less. It seems counterintuitive until you think about how merchandise is sold many times. “Limited time offer,” “Only while supplies last,” and “Closeout sale,” are all ideas used in sales to get customers to want to buy right away. It plays on our desire to not be in lack.

But when we know that a particular offer (such as a discount) will never expire, we tend to feel less urgency about owning that product, and many times we just never get around to buying it. That’s kind of how the attitude of abundance makes us operate. When we know that God has great plans for us, and there are so many opportunities in our future, we tend to move forward with enthusiasm and eagerness, instead of with urgency. Urgency can make us feel stressed; enthusiasm and eagerness makes us feel happy!

And finally, having an attitude of abundance usually causes us to become deeply grateful for the good things that Yahweh is doing in our lives. It is only when we are distressed about difficulties we are facing that we become dissatisfied and many times ungrateful for what Yahweh has already done to help us get to where we are now. But as we begin to recognize the kindness and mercy he has shown us in the past, we realize how much we are loved by our Father. As a result, our mindset shifts from being ungrateful and distressed to being filled with joy and abundance.

There is more than enough wisdom, more than enough of Yahweh’s favor, and more than enough of Yahweh’s blessings to help us be enthusiastic about Yahweh’s work in our lives. Choosing to adopt that attitude of abundance will help you enjoy changes as they come, to be content with what you have, and to be grateful for what Yahweh is doing in your life. If you shift your thinking to this abundant mindset, you will see a dramatic improvement in your perspective of yourself, of other people, and of your life in general.

Enjoy life, and watch Yahweh work,
Jonathan Hostetler

Have you ever been given a gift that you had difficulty receiving? Maybe someone gave you something, and you knew it cost them a lot of time and/or a lot of money, but they did it because they loved you. It seems like sometimes it’s harder to receive than to give.

Receiving is just as much an attitude as it is an action. What gives receiving its value and its meaning is the attitudes attached to it. If you were blindfolded and a wrapped gift was placed onto your lap or into your arms, you would not experience much emotion, even though you just experienced the act of receiving.

However, if you were given a suitcase of hundred dollar bills, or something of extreme value to you (without being blindfolded), then you would experience some very strong emotions. Point being, the emotions experienced during the acts of giving and receiving determine the attitude we have as we receive.

It is those who learn the fine art of receiving who go on to do great things in life and to bless so many people in meaningful ways. For no progress can be made until we learn to receive. The very breath you breath is a gift from Yahweh, and each time you breath you are receiving his gift to you. The clothes on your back had to be received by you. Sure, you gave your money to the store that sold you your clothing, but after you did so you had to receive what you purchased.

Many people have learned the art of giving, and that is a good thing. For Yeshua himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 KJV). With such a blessing attached to giving, it’s no wonder so many people have learned to give. Don’t get me wrong – giving is a very important art as well, but that is a subject different from the one I am addressing now. To receive takes guts. It takes a boldness that must be learned before it can be fully appreciated.

Here is one of the best ways to learn and practice the attitude (or art) of receiving: appreciate the giver and the gift. Appreciating the giver completes their blessing, for it makes them feel good about their generosity. Appreciating the gift completes your blessing, for it makes you feel good about being thought of.

We all desire to be known, to be recognized, to be thought of. So when we choose not to appreciate the gifts we have been given, we deny ourselves our deepest desire – to be known. That is why it takes guts to be a good receiver. It requires that we come face to face with our desire to be known, to be loved.

But watch what happens when we rise up and choose to be a good receiver: we first of all acknowledge our desire to be known, and once that desire is fulfilled, we are open to fully appreciating our gift. With our desire fulfilled and our gift appreciated, we then are able to fully and completely appreciate the giver. So the truth of the matter is: the measure of blessing bestowed back upon the giver is directly proportional to the measure we receive (i.e. appreciate) the gift.

The fact that someone gave you a gift means that they desired to bless you, to make you feel special. And when they know that it has done just that, they experience a blessing far greater than the mere act of giving a gift. I think this is why Yahweh made receiving such a foundational part of the gift-giving experience. In order for the giver to fully experience the blessing of giving, the recipient must receive the gift in a meaningful way.

Side note: If you give a gift, and the recipient does not show the appreciation that they should, you still have a blessing. Yahweh sees your kindness and thoughtfulness, and he will bless you. It’s just much more meaningful if the recipient expresses gratitude.

What I hope you’ve learned from this study of the art of receiving is that we should learn to be good receivers for two reasons: 1) to most fully bless the giver, and 2) to most fully receive the blessing.

So the next time you are given something (a gift, or even a kind word), think about how you can be a good receiver. And make sure the giver knows you appreciate both the gift, and more importantly, the giver.

Wishing you Yahweh’s best now and always,
Jonathan Hostetler