Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK

“Heart Poor”

“Laziness leads to poverty…” – Proverbs 10:4 (CEV)

Poverty is the pronounced lack of well being. It is the inability to satisfy one's basic needs because one lacks income to buy services or from lack of access to services.
Absolute poverty or destitution refers to the state of severe deprivation of basic human needs, which commonly includes food, water, sanitation, clothing, shelter, health care, education and information. Relative poverty refers to as being below some relative income threshold, where this threshold differs for each society or country. One may be relatively poor, without being in the state of absolute poverty; relative poverty is often considered as an indirect measure of income inequality. For most of history poverty had been mostly accepted as inevitable as traditional methods of production were insufficient to give an entire population a comfortable standard of living. Jesus Himself stated, “…the poor you will always have with you.” (Matthew 26:11)

The World Bank estimated 1.29 billion people were living in absolute poverty in 2008. Of these, about 400 million people in absolute poverty lived in India and 173 million people in China. In terms of percentage of regional populations, East Africa at 47% had the highest incidence rate of absolute poverty in 2008. Between 1990 and 2010, about 663 million people moved above the absolute poverty level.
I find it somewhat interesting that areas (regions/Countries) that have the highest amount of poverty either in numbers or percentages are those that have some of the lowest amount of Christians (by percentage) globally. According to a US State Department International Religious Freedom Report taken in 2010, it is estimated that 5% of the population in China is Christian; in India the percentage is 2.3% and East Africa (comprised of primarily Muslim countries), the percentage is approximately 3.6%.
What does all this mean? How does this relate to Solomon’s statement? From my perspective there appears to be a direct parallel between spirituality (Christianity) and prosperity as opposed to the opposite which was described above. When reading the above verse I did some research (which led to the information I shared earlier) and in that study I found some astounding but not altogether shocking results—the countries (areas) that had the highest percentage of Christians had much lower absolute poverty rates. MUCH lower! Here is my conclusion—where Godly principles are accepted (and followed), people are more apt to be far more resourceful in how they live. I am not saying these individuals are wealthy or that they do not struggle with finances. Some may have practically nothing—but they are taken care of because they trust in more than themselves or in a government to take care of them.
Here is another way to approach this: There is more than a physical laziness that leads to poverty—there is a spiritual laziness that exists as well. And it is this spiritual laziness—the refusal to accept God that leads to a suffering beyond poverty. They hunger for purpose. Understanding. Direction. Something no dictator can give, and no amount of burning incense can soothe away.
Interestingly enough—Biblical historians record that during Solomon’s reign, relative poverty did not exist in Israel. And the reason? The nation trusted in God!! And attached to that trust was the fact the people served wholeheartedly. As a result, God blessed them. Isn’t it amazing how that seems to work?
To be “heart poor” is without question the worst poverty that exists and yet one that can be resolved immediately.
Pastor J. T. Carnell