Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Poverty

It’s defined as the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor; indigence; insufficiency.

“Are you willing to live in poverty?”

That’s the question I was asked yesterday, I have been wrestling with it every since.

I got up early yesterday @ 6 am to try to get on a schedule for walking, I walked in the fall/early winter & really enjoyed it. I found I had time to clear my head, think about some things & talk with God about some things. My enjoyment, coupled with my expanding waist, inspired me to start walking at the sacrifice of one of my most favorite things…SLEEP!


So I am half asleep, since I am not a morning person, & Denise was leaving at the same time & as I am walking out the door, I open the door & it seemed almost audible…

“Adam, are you willing to live in poverty?”

For those of you who know me, & my past, how I lived & where I have come from…you know I don’t take a question like that lightly.

So...what if?

What if He called me to poverty? What if what I was called to caused me to live in poverty? What if I was to lead my family down that road? Why would He call ME to that? Isn’t someone else willing? Are You serious? Why am I not willing? What’s wrong with me? Should I even be struggling with this? Or should I be “that guy” who just goes & sells all he has to give to the poor…but in the process wouldn’t that make me the poor? Or was He talking about physical poverty at all in that passage? I want to say, “Yes”, but would I REALLY mean it? I don’t want to answer in a way that just kind of snuffs the issue.

As I wrestled with all of that…the second question came…

“Why are you so willing to live in spiritual poverty then?”

Why is it so easy for me to settle? Why am I ok with taking my time seeking the spiritual things of this life? Why am I so anxious to find a better future & set goals for myself in the physical sense, but spiritually…what are my goals? Do I even have any? If so…

Are they big enough?

What do I mean by, “Are they big enough?” So many people are ok with saying what they believe & really that is the depth to their faith. From there, there is no depth to their seeking in the deep things of the faith. Not only that, but when someone is comfortable in the faith, what we need to understand is that we are sliding toward poverty. Think about it, poverty is the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor; indigence (Or destitution); insufficiency. If we walk through this life, or our faith, having no support, no “faith” currency to obtain any spiritual goods, & we are taking in an insufficient amount of “Bread” (so to speak) what does that mean?

We are in spiritual poverty.

I read, I pray, I do all the “good” things I am supposed to do. So, how can I be in poverty? Because, I am destitute in reaching the goals I am called to, what I am taking in is insufficient to get me to those goals, I have very little to support me to get to those goals, I could go on & on. One person’s poverty is another person’s riches, & we must realize that we are not all called to be the same carbon copy, cookie cutter person. We all have different goals, have different callings, and have different…wiring. My point is that maybe what I do to reach my goals and what I am called to is riches to one person, but is another person’s poverty.

So, what are you called to?

Where are you in all of this?

Do you know what you’re personally called to? You don’t necessarily have to KNOW. I don’t know fully, but are you seeking?

So wrestles the Simpleman.

1 comment:

Joel said...

Good thoughts for me, as I'm starting a career and trying to make financial goals.