When I go out to eat, I do not usually want to bring home the leftovers, for in my fridge they will sit until it is time to throw them away. Therefore, I lean towards not taking a to go box, for even if my intentions are good to eat them, I rarely do.

For me, it never tastes as good the second time as it did when it first came out of the kitchen, hot and ready to consume upon arrival. Now I have a friend, who will not leave anything on the table, she knows how to turn leftovers into a brand new meal. I marvel at her skills in this area, so I bring home a to go box, not for me, but for her to curate a new creation.

Leftovers do not carry much value for some people and they carry great value for others. 2 Chronicles 31 speaks of the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem under the leadership of Hezekiah and the subject of leftovers comes up.

Verse 10 says, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed His people, and what is left is this great abundance.”

This verse reminded me of the Jesus when He fed the 4,000 and the 5,000 and He had the disciples pick up the leftovers which amounted to multiple baskets full. The Holy Spirit filled my soul and His presence rose in me as I realized a sign of a blessed people, a blessed nation, a blessed family is leftovers.

One of the signs of abundance is leftovers. The narrative of abundance is not heard by a people in debt, a church raising money, or a nation with a debt clock that keeps growing. We live in under a cultural narrative of lack, but the kingdom is declaring a culture of leftovers.

It is time to shift what narrative you listen to. The kingdom of God is an ever increasing kingdom, a kingdom that never runs out, and will always have left overs as a sign of abundance. When this narrative is inside of you, generosity will come natural. But if you live under a narrative of lack, you will fight over money, complain when someone mentions taking an offering and squirm when a bill comes in the mail. You can switch kingdoms, which is the switching of narratives. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org