The Paradox of Spiritual Poverty
In a world that often equates wealth with happiness, it’s easy to get caught up in the pursuit of riches. We’re drawn to the luxurious lifestyles of the elite, and we can’t help but feel a twinge of envy when we see others who seem to have it all together. But as Christians, we’re called to a different narrative – one that values spiritual poverty over material wealth.
The Illusion of Independence
We tend to think that being spiritually rich means having our act together, being righteous on our own, and not needing God’s rescue. But this is a delusion. The truth is, no one is independently rich in spirit. We all need external intervention to please God. Our self-righteousness is a self-supporting deceit that deepens our blindness.
The Blessings of Bankruptcy
Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3). But how can poverty be a blessing? It’s because recognizing our spiritual bankruptcy is the first step towards receiving the amazing “something” offered to us in Jesus Christ. When we admit our poverty, we open ourselves up to the magnificent blessings of the kingdom of God.
The Gospel Narrative
The infinitely rich one, Jesus, became sacrificially poor so that we might be rescued from our bankruptcy and become rich. This is the whole gospel story in one verse: “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).
Confronting Our Delusions
We need to confront the sad delusion that we’re rich, whether financially or spiritually. Churches are filled with people who think they’re rich, but the truth is, everyone is born poor. The only difference is that some of us have been given eyes to see and confess our poverty.
Celebrating Our Riches
When we confess our spiritual poverty, we begin to celebrate the vast storehouse of riches that are ours because of Jesus. We seek and celebrate the hope of divine grace. We mourn our sin, past, present, and future, and we take comfort in the fact that God delights in identifying with us in our suffering.
Assessing Our Poverty
This season, take time to assess where you’re still telling yourself that you’re rich (righteous) and admit the extent of your past and present poverty. Celebrate the once-unattainable riches that are yours, not because of what you’ve done, but because of what’s been done for you. The richest man who ever lived became poor so that we would, because of him, be rich beyond our wildest imagination – rich in spirit.
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