Life Without Lack by Dallas Willard--- the Mindset created throughout the book.

As we learn more and more about the brain, we know that mindset matters, a lot.  In January, I shared a little bit about a fixed versus growth mindset here. 

The interesting thought, once you are processing your mindset, is what would a Bible believing person's mindset look like.  I found that Life Without Lack encompassed this very idea in a practical way.  

The book starts with setting the expectations for how the reader will focus in order to live without lack.  Dr. Willard's talks challenge the reader,  if  you believe something then you will live as if it is true.  The 23rd Psalm is among the things that people profess to believe.  

Here are a few concepts that hit home and helped ME to internalize how I should set my mind on the Good Shepherd.  

Dr. Willard encourages us to:

• "look at our choices, habits, and practices, on how we live our daily lives, and above all what we do with our minds." 
• "Next to the reality of God, which is the substance and source of a life without lack, there is nothing more important than to experience that life than keeping our minds on God as much as possible."  

We need to really KNOW the Good Shepherd, His nature, and fix our mind on who He is, not on ourselves.  In the book, the reader will learn how to experience the wisdom, power, love, and fullness of God.  But we also have to be willing to have faith, die to self, and embrace and live out agape love.  Just when this plan seems overwhelming to stay fixed on, or you are stuck in the knowledge level of thinking about a life without lack.  Dr. Willard takes the reader through a plan for daily living.  So easy to internalize and believe that you can live without lack, as God has planned. The book ends with a practical example of what a full day living with Jesus can look like in our lives.  

Why is the mind so crucial?  The mind is what sets your heart or soul.  So as believers, who seek to love the Lord Your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, it's key.  What's in your mind, is what connects you to reality.  The first chapter really is an excellent resource. It's all about how what we set our minds on helps us control our lives.  

Then Dr. Willard reviews the nature of God and makes a great case that it's within our ability and it is our responsibility to keep God present in our minds, and if you do this, God will make Himself known to you.  

So the secret to a life without lack? Live in the mindfulness of Our Magnificent God.  Rooted in the knowledge of God.  He makes a compelling case that where your mind goes, your life follows.   

So as you think about a mind set on God, your goals become:

not confusing who God is, not living in fear, not confusing anything with God, remembering people are precious and created for a relationship with God, and living for God's glory, in His sufficiency, and under His care.  

He then explains why people are here, why is there such lack and evil, trusting in God as the key to life, trust completed in death to self,  sufficiency completed in love, and how to live out all the days of my life.  These chapters are practical, solid teaching on who God is, who people are, how we should develop our relationship with God, and how to live in light of all Jesus has done for us, under God's love, sufficiency, for His glory, and under His care.  

The book has some areas that you will read, re-read, and process. Other times I made notes and drew a chart or organizer to process the deep content that is highly practical, but can seem so daunting.  

Now the challenge is taking my new understanding of how to have a life without lack mindset and live with my mind set on God.  

So my energy, my choices, my emotions, and relationships 

are all for His glory.  

He shares practical principles as well.  This is my favorite. 

and it easily turns to this: 

This is a perspective that I needed, if I know the nature of my Good Shepherd, and understand that I will have all I need, He is leading me by STILL water, He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake, and I need not fear evil, for He is with me.  Then I can rest in His sufficiency, bounty, abundance, grace, mercy, goodness, joy, wisdom, confident that My Good Shepherd is guiding me and wants me to let Him lead. 

I can rest in Him.