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Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:7- The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
Are you living in poverty? Or are you living in wealth? Before you go run to your bank account and figure out the answer to these questions, understand that poverty and wealth are conceptual.
That means that they can not be objectively quantified. As a society, we can set poverty lines, but when a majority of the world lives on a few dollars a day, where do we draw that line? And I don’t want to get into an argument about income versus the cost of living right now, I want to get into what poverty and wealth mean. This scripture comes from Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving after the birth of Samuel. She prayed for a son and was given one. She is telling us that the Lord controls everything. That, it is him who sends poverty and he who sends wealth, and it is through these means that he is able to humble us or exalt us.
This can be one interpretation. The other can be that they are two separate ideas and that the Lord humbles and exalts through whatever means he sees fit. Since they can be taken separately, we can assume that the Lord is able to humble and exalt through poverty and wealth and that is the position we are going to take.
But is he sending poverty as he did Job? Is he sending wealth as he did Solomon?
We don’t think so. We think God sends a mindset of poverty and a mindset of wealth.
A man who has millions may still feel impoverished when he sees that his neighbor just built another $10MM home. Yet, a man who just got promoted and making six figures for the first time may feel wealthy. The first was humbled by the comparison to his neighbor, the second was exalted through a promotion at work.
It is God who sends us this mentality of poverty and wealth. But it starts with gratitude, the moment we stop giving Thanksgiving like Hannah did, God will humble us.
So today, send your thanksgiving to the Lord for allowing you to experience this level of wealth today.
Prayer: Lord, bless me with a mindset of wealth. Allow me to see the abundance of life that you provide and not fall victim to the mentality of scarcity. You will provide, and I have faith that you will bring sustenance when I need it.
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About the blog:
Many Christians struggle with the seemingly conflicting views about our faith and the pursuit of financial gain. They were taught that poverty was piety and that a lack of money was the only way to truly detach themselves from the love of money. Our blog debunks some of those claims, teaches you that you can be rich and righteous, and at the same time fulfill your obligation to tithe and give to the less fortunate. We are dedicated to helping you become cheerful givers by organizing your personal finances, providing investment tips to help you create wealth, and encouraging you to create a gifting strategy that will make your family and God proud.
Meet the Author:
A.B. Ridgeway, MBA (info@abrwealthmanagement.com) is the owner and Christian Financial Advisor with A.B. Ridgeway Wealth Management. With a decade in the finance industry, his goal is to give believers clarity around the most confusing topic in the Bible, money, and tithing. A.B. Ridgeway helps tithing Christians become cheerful givers but unlocking their money-making potential, so they can prosper and be the great stewards of the wealth God has entrusted them with.
This communication is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any financial instrument or investment advisory services. Any information provided has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee the accuracy or the completeness of any description of securities, markets or developments mentioned. This is strictly for information purposes. We recommend you speak with a professional financial advisor.