Our Fear of Loss Killing Our Hope for Increase

 

Our Fear of Loss Killing Our Hope for Increase 

I’ve recently been reading a book about the nation Israel and how, despite having a population of only 7 million people and being surrounded by enemy nations, they produce more start up companies than Japan, India, Korea, Canada, and the UK.  Israel is so succesful that there are more Israeli companies listed on NASDAQ than all companies from the ENTIRE European continent. 

The book states that one of the greatest hindrances to innovation and increase is the fear of loss companies might face if their innovation doesn’t work out.  This fear cripples most companies, but for the nation of Israel they can’t afford to allow fear to coerce them into a conservative, low-risk lifestyle.  Israel must survive, and so a culture has grown among the people that they must press forward and even if they fail at times they can still gain from the lessons they will learn from their failures.  Now more and more companies worldwide are looking to Israel for their research and development and for more amazing innovative ideas. 

Abraham knew he would be blessed wherever he would go because he knew God was with him.  Lot, on the other hand, looked more to the land and his surroundings for his provision.  Abraham was blessed wherever he went, even when he was in foreign lands that seemed unsafe.  Lot, on the other hand, gradually lost his resources and soon his wife and son-in-laws and all of his possessions.  Lot’s fear of loss ended up robbing him of everything he had.  He had chosen fear over faith, and how could God have blessed that? 

Blessed innovation and creativity and increase all require… faith.  God’s people must not allow fear of loss of provision or loss of security cripple them from increasing.  We must be like Abraham and move forward, knowing that God will indeed bless us, even if at times our surroundings don’t seem as fruitful as we would like them to be.  God rewards faith and He delights in people who put their hope and trust in His goodness. 

Bring Your increase, Lord!