God tests believers with a season of lack, but we wouldn't imagine God testing us with a season of abundance. And sadly, so many believers pass a lack test with flying colours only to fail terribly in an abundance test.
If there's one person whom we can learn from in facing both seasons of testing, it's Paul. In Philippians 4:12–13, Paul tells us, "I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (ESV).
I once believed that God used bad times to grow us and good times to reward us. While that's partly true, it's not completely true. God uses both good and bad times to grow and reward us. How does He do that?
Times of suffering can also be a time of wonderful blessing and joy. Venezuela is a country filled with crisis, hunger and crime, but in 2013 it was once again ranked number one as the happiest nation in South America. How does that happen? Because it can be in great trial and affliction that we realise what is most valuable. Often abundant finances, possessions and material things can remove our focus from the things that truly matter, such as our relationship with Jesus and with others.
Another time we see that happen is when the apostle Paul talks about the Macedonian church in 2 Corinthians 8:2: "for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part" (ESV).
In the same way suffering can be a blessing, abundance can also choke the soul. Luke 12:15 says this: "And he said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions'" (ESV). More money, possessions and resources can be a blessing when our heart is deeply rooted in the right places and when it doesn't keep us distracted from the things that truly matter. But when they do, then all these things can be a deterrent, not a tool for greater influence.
At the end of the day, the effect of both abundance and lack all depends on the heart. Matthew 6:21 says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (ESV). Where does the treasure of your heart lie today? Where your heart is will heavily determine whether the amount of provision you receive will choke or grow you.
