🌱 Unlearn So You Can Learn: Does What You Know Keep You in a Cycle of Poverty?

Collette Portis
5 days ago
4 min read

John 10:10 (NKJV)

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Introduction

Many of us say things like,

“I don’t harvest where I plant.”

“Money is the root of all evil.”

“I just want to be comfortable.”

But have you ever stopped to ask: Do these beliefs align with truth—or do they keep me in a cycle of lack and survival?

At RED Development Group, we’ve seen how powerful mindset is in shaping a company’s ability to grow. The thoughts you repeat daily become the systems you build, the prices you charge, and the results you experience.

This isn’t just about business—it’s about belief.

Let’s explore what it means to unlearn so you can learn, and how breaking mental and operational cycles can unlock abundance for your life and your company.

🌾 1. You Can’t Harvest in a Place You Never Planted

We love to say, “I don’t harvest where I plant.” But let’s be honest—that’s not practical, spiritual, or strategic.

Would you plant an apple tree in Michigan and expect to harvest it in Texas? Absolutely not.

You reap where you sow.

“The seed produces where it’s planted.”

The same is true in business. You can’t expect to grow where you’ve never invested. Whether it’s time, resources, or relationships—what you plant intentionally will determine what you harvest consistently.

The parable of the talents (Matthew 25) teaches that burying what we’ve been given leads to loss. God’s expectation was not perfection but productivity—that the servant would at least place it somewhere that would yield a return.

In business, that means planting in strategic soil:

✅ Investing in systems that support growth.

✅ Building a team that multiplies your impact.

✅ Nurturing clients and partnerships that yield long-term fruit.

🧠 2. The Thief Comes for Your Mind First

When John 10:10 warns that the thief comes “to steal, kill, and destroy,” it’s not always about material things. Often, it starts in your thinking.

“If the enemy can steal your belief, he doesn’t have to touch your bank account.”

He just needs to convince you that wealth is evil.

That leadership requires burnout.

That charging your worth is selfish.

And once those thoughts take root, scarcity becomes your standard.

At RED, we challenge business owners to “think about what you’re thinking about.”

Every belief you hold becomes the blueprint for your operations. If your mindset is rooted in lack, your systems will reflect it.

Abundance begins with alignment—internally before externally.

📊 3. The Numbers Don’t Lie, But the Word Speaks Louder

A PNC Bank study found that 67% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck—and many of them are business owners. How can that be?

Because the business was built from a survival mindset, not a strategy for sustainability.

When you believe “just enough” is noble, your pricing, hiring, and decision-making will reflect that belief.

But John 15:16 reminds us of a higher standard:

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”

Lasting fruit looks like sustainability, scalability, and profitability.

It’s not seasonal—it’s generational.

At RED, we call this the Triple Bottom Line: People. Profit. Planet. True abundance impacts all three.

🔁 4. Unlearn to Unlock

You cannot experience new levels of success with old levels of thinking. To grow, you must unlearn what no longer serves you.

Unlearn:

“I have to do everything myself.”
→ Learn: Systems and delegation build freedom.
“If I make more, I’ll become prideful.”
→ Learn: Wealth amplifies your purpose, allowing you to become more of who you are.
“My clients can’t afford that.”
→ Learn: The right clients value transformation, not discounts.
“Growth means chaos.”
→ Learn: Structure makes expansion peaceful.

At RED, we remind clients that systems create stability, and stability creates the space to lead.

“You can’t experience life more abundantly if your business keeps you in survival mode.”

🌳 5. Plant With Intention—Reap With Expectation

Every choice you make in business is a seed. The question is: Are you planting intentionally or emotionally?

Strategic planting means asking:

Will this decision produce lasting fruit or temporary relief?
Is this investment rooted in faith or fear?
Does this partnership multiply my mission or drain my resources?

When you plant with purpose—in the right soil, at the right time—you position yourself for a harvest that endures.

“Fruit that lasts requires seeds planted with strategy and faith.”

💰 6. From Just Enough to More Than Enough

Living paycheck to paycheck—personally or professionally—was never part of God’s design for you.

“Life more abundantly” isn’t about extravagance; it’s about overflow—enough to build, bless, and expand.

That’s what RED helps entrepreneurs create: sustainable, agile, and profitable companies that don’t just survive the marketplace—they shape it.

Breaking the cycle of scarcity means confronting the habits, systems, and mindsets that keep you stuck. When you do, abundance follows alignment.

🌿 7. Become a Master Gardener

Every day, pray to become a master gardener—someone who can grow fruit in any season and any condition.

“Lord, teach me to plant wisely, nurture faithfully, and harvest abundantly.”

When you understand the rhythm of seedtime and harvest, you’ll see that abundance is not random. It’s the by-product of stewardship—spiritual and operational.

You can design systems that bear fruit while you rest.

You can grow a company that thrives through storms.

You can create an inheritance for your children’s children.

That’s abundance by design.

🔥 8. The Call to Abundance

If you’ve been in constant grind mode—working harder but seeing little fruit—this is your wake-up call.

Pause. Reflect. Replant.

Your business doesn’t need another hustle—it needs new soil.

Replace “I don’t harvest where I plant” with:

“I steward what I sow.”

Abundance isn’t found in striving. It’s found in stewardship. And it begins the moment you decide to unlearn what limits you and learn what multiplies you.