Way back in 2001 a book called The Prayer of Jabez sold over 10 million copies. It encouraged Christians to essentially name and claim bigger and better territory for themselves as a way of agreeing with God's goodness. I read it. I liked it well enough. At the time I was not awake to the prosperity gospel.
Is that what it means to know God? To have a bigger, better, more American dream life than those who do not know God?!?
Not only is this not the gospel of Jesus, but it is a dangerous, perpetually unsatisfying goal. There really is no end to bigger and better. Always wanting more means no amount is ever enough. There's nothing wrong with wanting to have your needs met ("Give us this day, our daily bread."), but that's different from wanting to be bigger and better. Asking to have your needs met is asking for just enough.
Unfortunately many of us have bought in to bigger and better, including myself. Day after day we grind away trying to get just a little bit more. More followers, more money, more success, more fame, more power, more posessions, more fun. Until we find ourselves exhausted from striving and overwhelmed with trying to tend the giant territories we've amassed. Our minds are fried and our hearts are stressed out.
If you are exhausted and overwhelmed, please consider shrinking your territory
whether that be physical, relational, or psychological.
Rather than trying to get more, what if you tried to get less? What would it look like to shrink your territory back down to a size you can steward well? What could you let go of? What activities could you quit? Which people do you need to let handle themselves?
A person who has an appropriatly-sized territory is peaceful. They tend their things, their hearts, and their minds, and are able to give freely and generously to those around them. They live quiet lives and mind their own business, as Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to do. Let's be people with appropriately-sized territories.

Unsplash Marcus Spiske
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