By Nicholas Keehler of Parkville, Missouri, USA
God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.
(continued from yesterday’s Daily Bread)
In my backyard garden, I grow several things: tomatoes, beans, corn, kale, cucumbers, and native flowers, just to name a few. I could grow only corn year after year, but corn requires lots of nitrogen while growing. Eventually my soil would be depleted of all nitrogen, and my corn would stop growing. Beans, however, put nitrogen back into the soil. By growing both, I am ensuring my soil stays healthy, my plants stay healthy, and I continue to eat from my garden.
Earth is a global garden. When one community consumes all the resources, it can only end in self-destruction. The corn will stop growing. But when we all live within reasonable limits, we are all allowed to thrive. The corn cannot exist without the beans. Our own welfare lies in the welfare of our neighbor.
When I choose a plant-based meal over a steak dinner, or make sure that steak is from a local, responsible farmer, I am saving water and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The resources saved can support my planetary relatives, many of whom worked to get the bean tacos to my table. This same logic applies to fast fashion, electricity, transportation, and more.
We are entering an unprecedented era of our planet. There is much to be said about the limited effect our individual actions have on climate change, and we still must hold the largest polluting corporations accountable. However, the rippling effect of the narratives we tell ourselves will impact both. May we cast off the myths of scarcity and competition, walking with God into an era defined by abundance, cooperation, and commitment to our communal well-being.
Prayer Phrase
“Do good…share what you have” (Hebrews 13:16).
Enough to Share
Take a moment to notice what you are holding onto—perhaps a worry, a resource, or a desire for more. Take a breath and release it. Ask yourself, “Where am I being invited to trust that there is enough?” Think of one way you can share what you have today—your time, your gifts, your attention, or your resources. As you breathe in, say, “There is enough.” As you breathe out, “If I share.” Pray, “May my trust become generosity, and may my generosity create abundance for the welfare of all.”
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.