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Blessings of Poverty
(And How to Survive It)
Understanding the Paradox of Blessings
To being with, please understand that I do realize how paradoxical the title of this work may seem. In fact, I can hear the astonished question you may be asking just now: Poverty a blessing! How can that be? Well, let's go to the dictionary and see if the definition of the word blessing can help answer that question. In Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary we find the following entry next to the word blessing: a thing conducive to happiness or wellbeing. Most of us are so focused on the happiness part of the definition that we only see God's hand of blessing when we're happy; we forget that not everything conducive to our wellbeing makes us feel happy. Just as a loving parent will bless their child with both comforts and discipline, so God blesses us with both comforts and challenges. As I look at the lives of my family and myself, I can see how God has strengthened our walk with Him through our financial struggles. Because of this fact, I say with assurance that financial struggles can be used of the Lord to truly bless us.
Reframing the Concept of Poverty
Next, I want to ask you to take my use of the word poverty with the proverbial grain of salt, as my intent is to use the term in a very tongue in cheek manner. I've actually heard of individuals complaining because they have to choose between landscaping their newly built home or taking a second vacation this year; or lamenting the fact that times are so hard they have to cut their annual vacation to Hawaii from the usual four weeks to only two weeks. The truth is many, many people sharing our world would be ecstatic to have the standard of living that most of us are enjoying. So, viewed from their perspective, wouldn't it seem that if we have a roof over our heads, proper clothing to wear, and eat three meals a day, we're doing pretty well for ourselves? It's also true that God has spread His children throughout the world in different cultures, with different gifts, and with different incomes. There is nothing wrong with having a comfortable income or owning lovely things. And there is certainly nothing wrong with working hard to provide for your family.
Examples of Wealth and Spirituality in Scripture
In fact, many Godly people mentioned in scripture had a great deal of wealth: Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Job, King David, and Joseph of Arimathia are just a few that spring to mind. There are also many Godly people mentioned in scripture who had very little wealth: Mary & Joseph, the beggar (Lazarus), the widow with her two mites, and our Lord, Himself. There is nothing inherently more spiritual with one state or the other. Those with wealth need to thank God most sincerely for what they do have and to beware of falling into the trap of pride (look at me and how successful I've been!). And it's been very interesting for me to realize that those with modest incomes also need to thank God most sincerely for what they do have and to beware of falling into the trap of pride (look at me - getting along on a small income must somehow make me more spiritual than the wealthy!).
Money and Spiritual Focus
Did you know that when the Lord was on earth, one of His most frequent topics of discussion was money? He never condemned wealth; He condemned the preoccupation with wealth and the belief that a person's worth or security comes from amassing huge amounts of wealth. Regardless of whether we have a large amount of this world's goods or a small amount, it all belongs to God. We need to use whatever we do have to further God's kingdom and honor Him by caring for our families and reaching out to those in need. And all of us need to embrace the truths found in Matthew 6:25-34 and find our security in the wonderful care of our loving Heavenly Father.
Personal Reflection on Wealth
I, myself, was raised in a Christian home by parents who were quite well off financially. I just never realized it until I was almost finished with high school. I'm sure this is partly because I'm not a very visual person, so I tended not to notice or compare things as much as others. But I really think that it wa
