Many of us can have a tendency, as Eugene Peterson puts it, to “gorge ourselves at the banquet of life”.

It’s the idea that stuffing ourself will satisfy ourself. However, this hardly ever proves true. Rather, too much food can make us overweight and out of shape, and too much drink makes us drunk. And what about too much money? Is there even such a thing? Well, there is too much greed, and misaligned priorities that end up costing us much more heartache in the end.

Prudence teaches us the beauty and elegance of restraint, wisdom, and temperance. It’s really possessing a surplus mentality rather than a scarcity mindset.

Surplus thinking and living helps us also with our generosity. Do we believe there is enough to share, and room for all to grow? When we do, we become wiser stewards, and find ourselves less concerned with clinging, grasping, and hoarding.

This is traveling lightly & living generously. Less gorging, and more giving. When we experience our “cups overflowing” from God, His gifts are made even better when shared.

It’s counter cultural for sure, and not natural for most of us. It takes practice learning to see past our own noses, and our own agendas, but so much healthier for our heart and soul in the end.