How to Avoid Poverty?

How to avoid poverty?

Does God want us to be poor or rich? Although God may give us poverty to test us and make us strong and humble, He wants us to have wisdom, insight and understanding. These virtues bring wealth and riches. Hence, God don’t want us to eventually become poor. He wants us to become a tree that bears good fruits – a truly wealthy person that shares blessings to the poor. Now, if you are experiencing poverty, the following are the teachings of the Lord that can get you out of poverty and starvation.

We must humble ourselves to the Lord and praise Him – because He is the one who take us out from poverty and gives as wealth and riches.

1 Samuel 2:7-8
The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.

Deuteronomy 8:18
“Thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swear unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

We must not indulge ourselves in pleasures. We should avoid drunkenness and gluttony. I can attest on these – pleasures, drunkenness and gluttony really wash out our money. Furthermore, drunkenness and gluttony weaken our body and cause diseases – another huge expense in the form of hospital bills.

Proverbs 21:17
He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.

Proverbs 23:21
for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

We should be righteous in our ways. We must not become greedy. Righteousness gives us the right decisions. On the other hand, too much crave for money drives away people (parents, siblings, wives, husbands, true friends, customers, employees, suppliers, business partners, et cetera).

Proverbs 10:3
The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

We must be just and generous to the poor. God blesses the cheerful givers, but He is displeased with people who only give for their own interest and expect something in return.

Proverbs 22:16
He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich — both come to poverty.

Proverbs 11:24-25
One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Proverbs 28:27
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

We must have humility and not folly. Boastfulness can push us in the trap of debts and other obligations. We should not try to promise things that we cannot be done.

Proverbs 13:7
One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

Finally, we must not just use our mouth, but we must use our hands to execute and do our works. Many people don’t succeed in throwing poverty away because they only have good plans – but they lack good actions.

Proverbs 14:23-24
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. The wealth of the wise is their crown, but the folly of fools yields folly.

Related posts:

1. How to Become Truly Wealthy?