Many human beings seek to provide a decent living for their families and loved ones. Sometimes however, the lack of resources and other things like money get in the way. To God, this is no surprise since lack and poverty are relatives that require insight into the Word of God to clearly understand. This article will shed holy light on the matter at hand: poverty in the Church of God.
God’s Perspective on Poverty
The word poverty is defined as..? Yes, I know. It is something that is not readily defined in measurable terms in the Word of God. In other Words, the scriptures do not provide a quantity-based definition of the term poverty or “poor” per se. Nonetheless, there is a clear meaning for the term poor in the Bible. It usually deals with the lack of food, drink and clothing only.
It is written, “The Lord [Yahweh] maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up” (1 Shimuel/Samuel 2:7 KJV). It is also written, “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s [Yahweh’s], and he hath set the world upon them”(1 Shimuel/Samuel 2:8 KJV).
Based on the Word of God, it should be clear that being poor or in poverty is about being someone who has to beg others to acquire needs and possessions, versus being in the ruling class. Also, to God, being poor means that you DO NOT have an inheritance in His throne. People of God, you may be richer than you think, if you are righteously connected to His throne through obedience to Yeshua’s commands.
Material poverty or the state of being materially poor reflects the inability to meet basic needs (i.e. food and clothing) to the point where one has to beg for their needs to be met.
“Spiritual poverty” however, is a state where one does not know how or what to do to take care of their needs in life. Spiritual poverty is really a lack of wisdom, knowledge and understanding for life’s pursuits in righteousness. It is therefore written, “Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth” (Mishlei/Proverbs 19:1-2 KJV). I should note that spiritual poverty can also lead to the inability to properly manage the little you may have.
You see, God intended righteousness as the standard by which all things were to be done in His Kingdom and on the earth. That is why the pursuit of foolishness—i.e. moral failure such as lying, stealing, cheating etceteras—in order to be rich or to take care of one’s needs is not to be pursued for fear of being poor. If you are faced with this situation, it is better to be poor than choosing moral failure to meet your needs or to be rich. Lastly, knowledge or what is known as “truth” is a requirement to meet your needs in life.
The Poverty of the Church of God
Should the church be poor? That depends on what is happening to it in the WILL of God.
The Word of God says, ““The Lord [Yahweh] maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.” Since the material state of the Church is the choice of the Most High, we as Christians must do all that we can to ensure that we are in right standing with God. This means that we must pursue Kingdom goals and righteous principles FIRST, and based upon this will God ensure that we have our needs met in His will. For it is written, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things [contextually: food, drink and clothing] shall be added unto you” (Mattityahu/Matthew 6:33 KJV).
It is also true that God’s people are sometimes much more able to provide for their needs than other people in the world. It is to say that there are some Christian churches that are richer than others. An assembly of Christians is a political (leadership), economic (wealth creation) and judicial (justice administration) unit.
In other words, a church assembly is an extension of heaven’s government. It is written, “And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all” (1 Corinthians 12:6 KJV). You see, each church assembly is an “operation” or “work” that is set up by God to meet the needs of a particular geographic region in the earth. We can have an assembly or operation in Dormaa Ahenkro, Ghana, Durban, South Africa, or even in Atlanta, USA to be exact.
If a church is poor, it should not be poor because of sin and law breaking. If it is poor, it should also look to God for help. He will provide directions through the leaders among His people regarding what to do about the assembly’s state of economics. As for individuals, each person needs spiritual insight of wisdom, knowledge and understanding in order to get wealth for their home and the Kingdom, based on God’s will.
Conclusion: The Need for Sanity about Kingdom Economics
There is no reason to be poor when God’s provision is available to men and women in the church. On the other hand, when persecution, hatred of Christians and other factors permit the Almighty to test His people’s allegiance to Him and His principles of righteousness, then the church must understand the purpose of God and why He instituted LOVE as a standard practice of His righteous order. Today I implore the Church, know the principles of righteousness: love God first, love your neighbour as yourself and you will never be poor in His sight. Amen (And so shall it be).
The author is a professional designer and communications specialist. He writes on contemporary issues of faith, science, politics, economics, righteousness and reason in the church and beyond.
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