“The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin. For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realise and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked….” (Prov. 10:15; Rev 3:17 Amp. Bible)
Other than the HIV/AIDS pandemic, there is probably no other scourge that has devastated humanity more than poverty. It is an ever willing, ready and present ally that works along with the demons of War, Diseases, Corruption, Oppression, religious deception and various godless ideologies. Poverty has distinguished itself as a very merciless efficient and effective killer. Contrary to what leaders of the advanced Countries of the world believe, poverty constitutes the greatest threat against the peace and stability of the global community.
Think about the fact that most regional and global terrorists have some basis for compromise and discrimination in their operations. This is not so with Mr. Poverty . Poverty is not a respecter of any religion, ethnic group, social class, nationality etc. Terrorists have shown that they are willing to deal kindly and to spare territories that are sympathetic to their cause. They even agree to grant some measure of protection to any magnanimous host against external aggression. Poverty does give any consideration that will allow such negotiation.
Poverty seeks to attack, consume and totally eradicate anything and everyone it comes in contact with. It is like a raging fire that leaves only ruins and ashes on its trail. Like an aggressive parasite, it feeds on every substance and the very soul of its target/host to stay alive and keep thriving in its destructive mission. It is not surprising therefore that most rational people have some degree of awareness and serious concern about the scourge of poverty. There is no one that has not felt the impact of poverty one way or the other. Even those born to inherit generational wealth have either heard about or seen the woeful effect of poverty on people around the world.
For these and many other reasons, everyone seems to harbour some personal hatred and grudge against poverty. Only a negligible fraction of the world populace claim to have taken some oath for a life of poverty. Such “commitment” is born out of manipulative religious or ideological brainwashing. Apart from these few exceptions, most people are willing to fight and keep away poverty by every available means. Interestingly, even among those who have settled to live the rest of their lives in poverty have risen great some strong advocates seeking for action s that will deliver the masses from the grip of poverty.
It is not uncommon to hear some concerned individuals, groups of people and government of different nations talk about the need for “Poverty alleviation” or “Total eradication of poverty.” With all these efforts and crusades, why then does the pandemic remain so pervasive all around the world? Among other reasons, it is largely because many people who attempt to fight poverty do so unrealistically. There are those who know nothing about the very nature and psyche of the enemy they are trying to engage in battle. They might know certain things about the havoc that has been caused by this phenomenon called poverty as they can also see the impact it leaves in its trail. But as far as the seeds, roots and the real forces that constitute poverty are concerned, they remain grossly ignorant.
Many have ignorantly embraced poverty, who like Satan is capable of presenting itself as an angel of light and as a loving friend. Such people only realise later that they have actually opened the doors of their lives to a destroyer. When they start seeing and experiencing the destructive and all consuming power of poverty, in some cases when it’s already too late, then they lament that what they thought was the good life or prosperity is actually poverty in a disguised form. It is like accepting a deadly timed bomb as a toy or as a decorative article.
You will no doubt agree with me that it is difficult, if not impossible to fight and conquer an enemy you cannot recognise or describe. This is why there are people like the leader of the Church in Laodicea was claiming “I am rich and have need of nothing…..” Whereas according to the Lord Jesus, he was actually poor, wretched….and naked. This is an example of someone embracing poverty which is perfectly packaged in the guise of prosperity. You can be sure that such people will be fighting things that could make for their true wellbeing and lasting wealth while thinking they are fighting poverty.
There are others who actually recognise poverty and are trying hard to keep it off their arena. Their efforts however amount to fighting a formidable enemy with Kid’s gloves. They are unrealistic in their efforts to overcome this enemy because they think they can keep themselves and family members safe in an island of prosperity surrounded by a sea of angry poor folks! The waves of the sea around them do eventually encroach and sweep away the structures of so called success built on a sandy beach. Poverty is more efficient and successful than the leaders of the dreaded Alkaida Network in recruiting, training and turning the multitudes within its reach into desperate terrorists.
We can safely conclude that part of the weapons of mass destruction that the stronghold of poverty employ in fighting humanity is “the poverty of the material wealth” possessed by many presumably rich people. Lamentably, the implication of this reality is the fact that many that are said to have conquered poverty have actually been taken hostage by it. Think about people that become so rich materially to the point of loosing their health, marriages, children, peace of mind and indeed their souls. Such people are rich in the sight of men but poor from a divine perspective. Their riches or prosperity is so bankrupt that their names become reproachful. Though their bank accounts are overflowing yet their mind are so empty that they are not even aware of their own nakedness! That indeed is the poverty of mere material riches.
The failure of both the poor and many so called “rich” people to comprehend the true nature and the root of poverty, which consequently render them incapable of fighting and overcoming it amount to spiritual poverty. Spiritual poverty is the mother from whose womb every other form of poverty is birthed. It is the fertile soil on which the seeds and trees of complicated, multi-generational and seemingly incurable type of poverty is nurtured. We are going to deal ruthlessly with spiritual poverty in some subsequent write-ups. We need to arrest this godfather of every evil and subdue it permanently. This is an adventure that will both be exciting and fulfilling for those who understand that the realm of the spiritual is where things that happen in the natural realm are triggered. (Watch out for the next topic)
Pastor Sam Aiyedogbon is the senior pastor of Realm of Glory International Church, Lagos.
