Poor, or Just Broke?

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3 NKJV

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:15 NKJV

The daffodils are blooming, tulips are sprouting and the fresh scent of spring fills the air, that means that Good Friday and then Easter, are just around the corner. I admit, I love seeing the little ones get dressed up for Easter, I enjoy the beautiful pastels of the season and I definitely eat my share of peanut butter filled “eggs!” But I know that’s not what Easter is really about. It’s a Holy Season, set apart to remember what our Savior accomplished for us, over two millennia ago. This year, as I thought deeply of my own hot-mess, brokenness, and what Jesus did for me, the following story came rushing back to my memory.  A story shared years ago at a ministry meeting.

Teaching on the topic of poverty, and with a heart-felt effort to connect with the kids in the urban ministry youth-group, the leader shared his family’s financial challenges due to recent employment struggles. Curious, one of the young men spoke up and asked the leader if “he had his lights or gas turned off, or if they were on food stamps”.

Shaking his head, the leader replied, “No.”

The young man sat back in his chair, cocked his head, and said “You ain’t po’, you just broke.”

“You ain’t po’, you just broke.” Such profound wisdom from such a young man.

There is a world of difference between being poor and being broke. To be broke is a temporary condition. It implies we just need a few bucks to get by, just a little help to make it through the month. To be poor is interwoven into every aspect of life. How we think, how we dress, where we live, what we eat and even, where we sleep. Poverty is a way of life. Shaping our very identity.

The Lord Jesus calls us to recognize that we are poor in spirit. Not broke. Poor. Every single one of us. Busted. Lint-lined, inside-out pockets. We don’t just need His help to get through a crisis, we need Him to give us new life. Or as Christ Himself put it, we “must be born again” (John 3:7). I know from experience that He often leverages the crises of our lives to lay bare our own poverty, not to shame us, but to heal us. He longs for us to recognize what He already knows; we are poor. Yet all too often, we stubbornly cling to the “few bucks” of goodness we have. Protesting that we aren’t as bad as the other guy, we just need a little help to get back on track. Telling Him in essence, “I’m not poor, I’m just broke.” Trouble is, He only saves the “poor in spirit”, not the broke.

Which are you?

He often leverages the crises of our lives to lay bare our own poverty, not to shame us, but to heal us.

If we’re willing… the choice is ours to make…

Becky White

One last point, sticking with the poor vs broke (money) theme… We’re not just poor, we’re a gazillion dollars in debt, with no hope of paying what we owe. And no one but the Lord Jesus Christ can (and also willing) to pay our debt. Completely. Not you, not another “god”, no one. Try as we might, hope all we want, ignore this Truth to our own peril. HE is The only Way out of the mess we’re in.

Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.  – C. S. Lewis

Father God, I am so thankful for Your tender-goodness towards me. You revealed my poverty and then caught me in Your arms as I fell to my knees in awareness of how poor I really was/am. I surrender my life to You anew (for some, it may be the first time) this Holy season, I need You. I receive new life through Your shed Blood. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Written by Becky White for my Lord Jesus, thank You …

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