Breaking The Poverty Mentality

Security. Ah what a wonderful thing to be secure. No doubts. No worries. Sounds pretty good to me. But what if that security wasn't what it claimed to be? What if it was a quasi-pseudo-false-goodfornothing security?

That would be unfortunate.

Bad news….it is. Only most people don't realize it.

Worse news. In this context, I am most people.

I hate to say it, but it's true. I'd love to claim complete dependence on God, but I'm not there. I'm not even close. On my best days I cling to God and beg Him for stuff that He's already given me. 

I know you do too. But I think we can get better at this whole life thing. I mean I really, really believe that.

I've seen money ruin relationships. I've seen it alter the course of lives. I've seen it change someone I thought I knew into someone I never thought they'd be. It's gross. And when I see this "thing" in myself, it makes me sad.

I want to be free to love. No agenda. No ulterior motives. Just love, expecting nothing in return.

I am SO desperate to be loosed from the grip of money. Because when you get down to it…..it's a heart issue.

Dangit. It's always a heart issue.

I need Jesus to renew my mind. I need Him to bring me to a place where trust is default and doubt is a distant memory. Not even doubt in general, just doubting His love and goodness.

I don't care if the world is falling a part and I doubt everything I've ever known….I want to believe what He says. I want to believe He's my dad. And I wanna see that change the way I do everything.

As Needtobreathe put it, "All these victims stand in line for the crumbs that fall from the table; just enough to get by. All the while your invitation: wake on up from your slumber, come on open up your eyes."

C'mon!!! He is better than we've ever thought. Our eyes have to be opened. It's reality, but we just don't see it. 

We act like beggars, but He says we're sons. 

We run in circles, and He's right next to us the whole time.

I'm not into prosperity gospel. I'm not into poverty gospel. I just believe that Jesus is really, really good.

And I believe that His plan to give us "life abundantly" involves knowing that we belong to Him. It's not like it's easy or anything. It's actually one of the hardest things ever. But it's truth.

Something wonderful that I've discovered is that the hard things make us like Jesus. Ha! Isn't that great?!

Give me more hard stuff, Lord! 

I think He is alot more dedicated to us becoming like Jesus than He is to our comfort. Don't get me wrong. He wants us to be secure. But security and comfort are two different things. Comfort is fleeting and shallow, but security is based in knowledge and truth.

All this to say….

I'm not mad that I don't have more money, and I'm not going to forsake money because of how detrimental it can be. 

What I really want is to break the poverty mentality, and see money, and all its trappings, be redeemed for the glory of God.

What does it look like when noboby is worried about their bank account? Dude, I don't know. But I bet it's amazing. I bet it's alot better than hoarding everyhting we have for our own gain.

God give us grace. We really need it. Help us to see through all the crazy lies that money whispers to us.