Staying Poor

There is much teaching out there in that the Christian is supposed to remain poor, or well at least hard up, as that is spiritual thing to do. However, I’m not exactly sure what that is based upon. Yes we could say it is based upon Scripture, but is that really the case?

I have been to a few developing countries and I have seen poor people. How we live here in Canada is not poor. We are blessed in that even our poorest neighbours have options either through the government or some charitable organization to help them. They may be still struggling financially but they do have resources that most in other countries simply do not have.

Most of my social circle is middle class. Now being middle class in this nation makes us some of the richest people in the world. However in the middle class there are varieties. You can be low middle class, middle middle class, or high middle class. I think the problem occurs when a low middle class or middle middle class person starts comparing what they have to the class above them. We look at what we have and what they have and think they are being less spiritual (because obviously we are the standard).

When I was in Bible school few of us had cars. I was one of the few. It seemed those who didn’t have a car tried to spiritualize (really tried to make us feel guilty) about why we should let them use our car or give them rides. In my second year a gal was given a fairly new car from her parents and other students seemed to gripe about this fact (something about being spoiled). It seemed we had another case of the has not’s using the people who had such a needed item and calling it spiritual even though it was straight up manipulation at times.

I have been on both sides. I have looked at folks who have more than I do and do wonder where their heart lies. In the above paragraph (as well as other times) I have had others do it to me as well and it seems that my heart is being evaluated.

I suppose checking our own hearts for envy, jealously or coveting is not on the agenda. But why is that? I suppose it is human nature to automatically look to others and start judging then to look at our own hearts and start repenting.

I am learning that those who do have more (or less) than me, what does it matter to me if they are using their items to further the Kingdom of God. Yes it matters to them, but then again it is something they will have to take up with God in the end. The important thing is for me to use what God has blessed me with for His Kingdom. Once I do a heart check, the envy that usually turns into manipulation and guilt dissipates. Yes perhaps we do need to confront others on not doing so, but we better make sure our hearts are checked first so that we are not doing so with the wrong or selfish motives.

I’ve also realized being poor makes us needy. Yes needy in the fact to rely on God, but also needy on others which may not be good if their resources should be used elsewhere. Sometimes I see it as some unwise planning on the person’s part which, in my mind, is not a real need. I believe those in real need are ones who had no control over their circumstances and what happens to them. Yes we do need to be helping each other out, but what I’m describing is that clarification is required to distinguish between a real need and a felt one.

In the end, each of us needs to do the best we can with what we have, whether rich or poor.