Learn To Be Poor

Poverty is widely known as a curse, a bane rather than a boon. But this is a great misconception. To whichever angle one may look at, statistically speaking, a man in riches does more wickedness than those in poverty. The poor had reasonable reasons than the rich in their criminal records. Mostly, the poor are the agents of the rich in carrying out the sinful deeds, often to meet their daily needs. By stating this, I no means endorse their evil deeds; I equally loathed both evil deeds of the poor and the rich alike. 

The point here is "poverty" per se in the context of a Christian faith. No doubt, God is a God of blessing. Yet the gospel of God is never a materialistic prosperity gospel. In the contrary, the Lord Jesus inclined His message towards poverty in a positive sense, of not  loving the world with its money and riches. Experiencially, many of the sinful activities are associated directly or indirectly with the believers having "wanted" things rather than "needed" things. For example, a TV or a computing devices of luxurious items, are not basic needs for survival, its mostly entertainment tools; by no means I am saying they cannot be used for good purpose. These gadgets are mostly thieves of times that eats up the soul of mankind leaving one empty and dreadful, and even killing the liveliness of the believers. Hours and hours can be expended on addictions to TV or Internet or Smartphones chats and games, messages and talks. Seemingly feeding the hungry soul but actually draining and starving it. To be stripped of these, when one has the capacity to possess them is a real challenge. In fact, a herculean task, for these are the devil's tools in an immature hands.

One time, a  brother fellowshiped about "learning to be poor." Initially it sounded very strange to my immature ear. I hardly could understand what he meant. My fallen concept was that, believers must prosper and prosper, physically even, as a sign of blessing. But the Lord later chided me of my ignorance. Yes, the Lord's blessings includes physical and material prosperity too, if He may please so, but  not necessarily. In the midst of the Lord 's physical blessings too, one must not be carried away by the riches. Let these not lord over, instead let them be slaves, use them when you need them for good purpose; learn to be stripped of all these. Do not depend on them too much and do not be overtaken by them. Learn to be poor even when you have the riches. Live a simple and humble life, do not be tenterhook by such.

As years went by, I began to understand the meaning of this striking phrase, "learn to be poor." I know how much deception these material riches can mean to me; choking my soul and weakening my spirit. And once hooked, the way out is not easily forthcoming. Even in such abundance or riches, the grace of the Lord must abound so that I may declare as brother Paul, in Philippians 4:12, "I know also how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to lack."

Lord, teach me how to be poor, even in the midst of Your blessings bounty.