Pastor’s Corner: “POVERTY IS GOOD?”
Matthew 5:3 (NKJV) – 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
If we rewrote the Beatitudes for our culture today, they probably would look like this: Blessed are the wealthy, for they will have it all. Blessed are the beautiful, for they will be admired. Blessed are the popular, for they will be loved. Blessed are the famous, for they will have followers on social media.
Yet, that isn’t what Jesus said. Instead, He started the Beatitudes with a shock: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:2 NKJV). Or, to say it another way, “Happy are the poor in spirit.” Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are the poor.” He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (emphasis added). In itself there is no blessedness in being rich or poor.
The Bible doesn’t commend poverty, nor does it condemn wealth. But the Bible does say this: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10 NKJV). I’ve met wealthy people who were happy and poor people who were miserable. I’ve also met poor people who were happy and wealthy people who were miserable. So it isn’t about your bank account. It’s about your spiritual state before God.
If you want to be happy, if you want to receive God’s blessing, then you must be poor in spirit. It means recognizing the simple fact that, apart from the Lord, you’re lost, helpless, and hopeless. When we live in acknowledgement of our immense need for God’s help, we place ourselves under our Father’s care and blessings. Just as a sheep cannot find food, shelter, or water without the help of a shepherd, we are in immense need of our Good Shepherd. Problems arise when we see ourselves as more than helpless sheep and try to go our own way by living in our own strength. Pride covers up our true state of need. Being poor in spirit opens our eyes to see our true state of helplessness.
Matthew 5:3 (NKJV) – 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. If we turn this around, we realize that the cursed are those who are rich in self-sufficiency. When we can take care of ourselves and control our situations, we’re living in a different kingdom. When God puts you in a situation that you have no power to fix, He’s doing you a favor because He’s making a way for His Kingdom to come in. If you find yourself in this place, you’ll know you’re poor in spirit as thanksgiving replaces your complaining.
The biblical concept of being poor in spirit is foundational to every aspect of the Christian life. Foundational to salvation is a heart-level acknowledgment of our need for a Savior. Foundational to experiencing God’s love is acknowledging our great need of love. Foundational to heavenly peace and joy is an acknowledgment that this world truly offers us neither. If we want all that God in his grace offers, we must pursue a lifestyle of being poor in spirit.
Apart from Jesus Christ, everyone is spiritually destitute—or poor in spirit—regardless of their education, wealth, accomplishments, or even religious knowledge. Seek His help today!
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton and Family