Escaping the Bag Mentality
Haggai 1:6
You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes.
The prophet Haggai paints a vivid picture of what we call the bag mentality. It’s the mindset that says, “There’s never enough.” You work hard, plan carefully, and maybe even earn well, yet it feels like everything slips through your fingers. The more you gather, the less satisfied you become. The bag with holes represents a life consumed by self-preservation — a person so focused on keeping what they have that they can’t see what God wants to do through it. The truth is, the scarcity we feel is not always about what’s missing in our wallet, but what’s missing in our worship.
When we live with a bag mentality, fear drives our decisions. We measure generosity by our supply instead of God’s sufficiency. We start to believe that security comes from saving, not surrendering. But Haggai’s warning wasn’t about money alone — it was about priorities. God’s people were building their own houses while neglecting His temple. In other words, they were investing in comfort over calling. The reason they felt empty wasn’t because they had too little; it was because their hearts were attached to the wrong things.
Scarcity is not always a financial issue; it’s a spiritual one. When we believe that what we have is all we’ll ever get, we start hoarding instead of helping, protecting instead of participating, surviving instead of serving. The Macedonians in 2 Corinthians 8 had every reason to live this way, but they broke the cycle by giving out of faith. The bag mentality says, “I can’t afford to be generous.” Faith says, “I can’t afford not to be.” When we shift our mindset from ownership to stewardship, the holes in the bag begin to close, and what once leaked away starts to multiply.
God never designed us to live with empty bags, but with open hands. An open hand may look vulnerable, but it’s also positioned to receive. The person who trusts God with their resources never runs out of what truly matters. The only thing emptier than a bag with holes is a heart that refuses to trust. The moment you release your grip, you make room for God to fill it with peace, provision, and purpose.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve lived with a bag mentality, clinging to what You’ve asked me to release. Help me trust Your provision instead of fearing lack. Fill the empty places in my heart with faith and peace. Teach me to live open-handed and open-hearted, knowing that everything I have belongs to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes.
The prophet Haggai paints a vivid picture of what we call the bag mentality. It’s the mindset that says, “There’s never enough.” You work hard, plan carefully, and maybe even earn well, yet it feels like everything slips through your fingers. The more you gather, the less satisfied you become. The bag with holes represents a life consumed by self-preservation — a person so focused on keeping what they have that they can’t see what God wants to do through it. The truth is, the scarcity we feel is not always about what’s missing in our wallet, but what’s missing in our worship.
When we live with a bag mentality, fear drives our decisions. We measure generosity by our supply instead of God’s sufficiency. We start to believe that security comes from saving, not surrendering. But Haggai’s warning wasn’t about money alone — it was about priorities. God’s people were building their own houses while neglecting His temple. In other words, they were investing in comfort over calling. The reason they felt empty wasn’t because they had too little; it was because their hearts were attached to the wrong things.
Scarcity is not always a financial issue; it’s a spiritual one. When we believe that what we have is all we’ll ever get, we start hoarding instead of helping, protecting instead of participating, surviving instead of serving. The Macedonians in 2 Corinthians 8 had every reason to live this way, but they broke the cycle by giving out of faith. The bag mentality says, “I can’t afford to be generous.” Faith says, “I can’t afford not to be.” When we shift our mindset from ownership to stewardship, the holes in the bag begin to close, and what once leaked away starts to multiply.
God never designed us to live with empty bags, but with open hands. An open hand may look vulnerable, but it’s also positioned to receive. The person who trusts God with their resources never runs out of what truly matters. The only thing emptier than a bag with holes is a heart that refuses to trust. The moment you release your grip, you make room for God to fill it with peace, provision, and purpose.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve lived with a bag mentality, clinging to what You’ve asked me to release. Help me trust Your provision instead of fearing lack. Fill the empty places in my heart with faith and peace. Teach me to live open-handed and open-hearted, knowing that everything I have belongs to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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