Acres Of Diamonds Why We Should Reject Scarcity

   Russell H. Conwell was the pastor of Baptist Temple in Philadelphia in the 1800s. He was an author and speaker who eventually founded Temple University and served as its first president. He is famous for his book Acres Of Diamonds.

   The book was mostly a transcript of a lecture Conwell delivered to countless audiences across America. 

The Diamonds Beneath His Feet

   It tells the story of a man who sold his farm to travel the world in search of riches. 

  After years of the quest, he found nothing. Broke and in despair, he committed suicide in a distant land.   

   Part two of the story is the new owner of his farm discovered diamonds on the property and became a multi-millionaire. 

   Wealth the man sought was literally right beneath his feet. Conwell’s lectures pointed out to his audience they didn’t need to travel the world to achieve their dream, but could be realized right where they were. 

   He pointed out abundance where people saw scarcity, possibilities when others saw only dead ends.

   It’s a timeless message and applies to our world as well. 

When Scarcity Is Mistaken For Holiness

   Christians seem especially vulnerable to the misconception of scarcity thinking. 

   It’s a long held tradition for monks or priests to take vows of poverty. We see them as somehow closer to God or holier because they don’t pursue wealth.

   I mean no disrespect for them. While they have noble motives, it’s simply incorrect to exalt poverty. 

   There are two warnings in the Bible about wealth. The first is to not wear yourself out trying to accumulate it. There should be an order and balance to everything in life. 

   Our lives as believers should set the example on how to live well to all who see us. The relentless pursuit of money would be a poor example. 

   The other admonition is to not make it an idol and love it more than anything else.

Money As A Tool, Not A Master

   Money is a tool like any asset, enjoy it but maintain proper perspective. Likewise, homes and cars should be tended to and used well, but not something to live for. 

   With this in mind, christians tend to err on the side of caution, and avoid being too prosperous. Enjoying success must be evidence of greed or wrong priorities. 

   Part of this stems from wanting to distance themselves from mega-church pastors who live like kings.

    This is silly. If a high profile christian has an eating disorder, should I quit eating? Money is no different. 

   But somehow the admonition to not wear yourself out for money has become God likes it when we’re broke mentality.  

   A good father always wants to see his children succeed and do well. God is no different. There are scriptures to support this.

   “The Lord will open for you his rich storehouse, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all your undertakings. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. The Lord will make you the head, and not the tail; you shall be only at the top, and not at the bottom–if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God . . .” Deut. 28 : 12 and 13 NRSV 

   Does that sound like He wants us to barely scrape by?

   The New Testament also: 

   “But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!”  John 10 : 10 b TPT  

   And:

    “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 2 NKJV 

The Extravagant Wine Maker

   At the wedding in Cana, Jesus turned six stone water jars into wine. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. One would have been more than enough. But He made all six into wine. In our human perspective, 180 gallons of wine appears excessive. It’s not, He likes more than enough. 

   Someone did the math and it was equivalent to over nine hundred bottles of wine (of our standard 750ml vessel). 

   This is Jesus demonstrating an extravagant mindset. He did it again when He fed the five thousand and they carried home twelve baskets of leftovers for their ‘to-go’ containers.  

Abundance Overflows To Others

   In our world today, it’s the rich people who build hospitals and start charities. When there’s an abundance of money, a person can move beyond meeting their own basic needs and build projects to benefit others. 

   A poor person can’t do that.

"Wealth is power. With wealth many things are possible." ~ George S. Clason

   An ambitious entrepreneur starts a business to become wealthy. If successful, the business may grow into a huge corporation to employ hundreds or thousands of people in many locations. The overflow from one person seeking abundance brings stable incomes and livelihoods to families who need them. Ultimately, the whole community benefits from so many people who are not desperate or in need. 

   Abundance is a good thing by any measure. 

Reach For What God Placed In Front Of You

   Russell Conwell understood these principles. Before Temple University was even a college, it was a class for the working people of Philadelphia. He tutored young men in his church at night after their regular work days to improve their future prospects.  

   To Conwell, it was about service, community and a vision to have more than enough.

   God created an abundant world for us. We would do well to abandon false humility and reach for all He meant us to have.