Not a Sin to be Poor
We tend to have a lot of anxiety and depression around money. We are anxious and depressed if we do not have enough. We are anxious and depressed if we have too much. Funny, how money can have impact us on both ends of the spectrum.
When I was a child, my mother would say often “It’s not a sin to be poor, just inconvenient”. This would be in response to the family not having enough money for “extras” or when there was stress about bills, groceries, and sacrifices had to be made.
As a little girl we were poor, but I did not know the degree until I was older. This saying helped me to stay content with the things we did have and not focus on the things we did not have.
As an adult I have noticed those who are poor, who do not have as much, tend to be the most generous. They seem to be willingness to give to causes, offer help to others, and appreciate the help they receive. There seems to be a community focus whether that’s due to needing the resources or a need to not feel so all alone. Now let me qualify this to say not everyone who is poor takes on this mentality. Just like not everyone who has money or resources take on the mentality of greed.
The Bible records a poor widow giving all she had which Jesus took notice of her. We find this recounting in books of Mark and Luke. Jesus pointed her out after having witnessed many rich people putting in large amounts.
“Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” —Mark 12:43
I believe for Jesus it was not the amount, but the heart of the matter. She was poor and yet she was obedient to what the Lord asked of her trusting that He will take care of her needs. She understood God’s economy. Which is that He sees the sacrifice, the amount sacrificed supersedes the amount given, and obedience requires trust in God.
I am fully convinced that in the story of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17–17) that if he had said yes to Jesus, then Jesus would have given him more. He was fearful of losing his money, his reputation, his power, his things. But with Jesus so much more is gained.
So, let’s put this into perspective. It is not sin to be poor or to have money. There are unknown circumstances for both. What becomes the sin is if we are disobedient to what God is asking us to do with what we do have. Keep in mind it comes down to the heart and our willingness to trust God. When we trust the Father we can rest in all circumstances and trust Him to take care of our needs.
