(Picture of my childhood home commissioned by Sheila Allen by artist, Stoudenmire)
Proverbs 19:1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool. (Repeated in Proverbs 28:6)
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.
The Poor
Nobody WANTS to be poor! The poor suffer not only from a lack of resources but also lack relationships. (Proverbs 19:4,7) People, generally, are looking for others who can do something for them, NOT who need something from them. Foolishness makes us poor companions and wastes the resources we do have. Proverbs has a great deal to say about foolishness. We will get to that later. (Proverbs 19:3)
Poverty in resources and relationships is a positive in the eyes of God! Why? Because it forces us to depend on God the Father, not others or ourselves. When we seek God we find the kingdom and its unlimited resources. Poverty in the eyes of man is wealth in the eyes of God. We discover riches untold: We gain a constant companion and guide, find eternal life in paradise. Seeking God is WISDOM and leads to a life well lived, in other words, wealth!
Growing Up In Poverty?
I grew up in a low middle class home. We had a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, and clothes on our backs, one car to drive. However, we did not take vacations; there were no country club memberships. I did not hobnob with the in-crowd; I began working at the age of 10, yes, TEN, and I had to earn my allowance. No work, no money. My bedroom did not have matching furniture and our home was not conducive to entertaining since six of us were packed into it. Education in our home was a priority and extracurricular activities such as Girl Scouts, swimming lessons, clubs at school, church youth, choir, and pursuit of interests were encouraged. Yes, most of these activities were FREE but a path of learning, nonetheless..
I did live in a home where honesty was the rule of law! Obedience was mandatory. Profanity was not tolerated. Respect was expected because of the position my parents were granted by God–they were my parents and I was to honor them and others in authority (teachers, police officers, elected government officials, clergy, and anyone over 21 was to be addressed with ma’am and sir).
We did not lack the things that kept us alive and healthy, only the southern social elite extras. I thought we were poor but on reflection we were rich in what matters. My siblings and I had love, learning, and loyalty. I was blessed with disciplined, hard working, frugal, Christian parents. And, in comparison to 90% of the rest of the world’s population, we were wealthy.
Jesus View of Poverty
Jesus taught that to become rich you had to be poor. This is where it begins. He told the rich young ruler to go sell all he had and give to the poor and it tripped him up. (Matthew 19:16-30) The disciples had to learn that persecution led to leadership roles in heaven. (Matthew 5:11-12, Luke 6:22-23; 19:15-19) Jesus, Himself, grew up in poverty.
I learned the principle of giving from my orphaned at 5, ninth grade educated Daddy. He had known the loss of relationships and vital resources, The Children’s Home across the street from my house was his favorite place to go and he would give generously (to my mother’s consternation since she paid the bills for our family) to the children residing there. He purchased meals as well as giving rides to hitchhikers. I watched him put money in as the offering was collected at church every week. He dropped cash into the Salvation Army kettle. He always had a kind word, a smile, and a helping hand for everyone. (Proverbs 19:17, 22) He learned compassion in poverty.
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24) We need to think about this as we are praying for more, more, more. God gives so we can give, not keep. According to Denzel Washington, “There are no U-Hauls behind a hearse.” What is the LORD teaching you in your area of poverty? (resources, relationships) Are you giving generously to the poor, supporting those who are preaching the gospel, and/or are you reaching out to those who are poor in spirit? What will you do if Jesus asks you to sell all you have and give to the poor?
Poverty teaches us to press on, to press in, and to look up!
Yvonne Jones
Additional reading:
https://www.treadingwatertiljesuscomes.com/2015/10/12/fear-not-poverty-22/
