The Riches Of Impoverishment

When we think of the words impoverishment, poverty, or bankrupt we tend to cringe because being poor in our generation is a bad thing. We definitely won't find a “3 steps to poorness”, or find a “how to” book on striving for impoverishment. We have been taught all of our lives that you will be trampled on if you are the low man on the totem pole.

We see in Scripture that God is calling us to be poor, impoverished and even bankrupt in spirit. Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.  So, what does it mean to be poor in spirit? Or moreover, being in possession of the kingdom of heaven? It's like God telling us, “give up everything; and you will possess everything”. I think most of us understand that poor in spirit is needing God, or true dependence on God. Do we really believe this? Do we really seek impoverishment so to increase our dependence on him?  Are we really comfortable relying less on physical, financial or emotional support from other sources other than God? We live in a generation that is enthralled with status and position. It's like a pyramid -- he who has the most is at the top; and he who has the least is at the bottom; however, the kingdom of God is like an upside down pyramid where the least is most and the most is least. In the world’s kingdom people are fighting to get to the top but in the kingdom of God you don't have people fighting to get to the bottom. Nobody likes the bottom and nobody likes impoverishment. Why do you think it is important to God that we remain poor and needy? The answer is obvious to teach us how to truly depend on him.

In Exodus 33 God shows Moses that He gave Israel everything He promised and Moses was thankful but he wanted more.  After he heard God saying I gave you everything I promised Moses says, “thank you, now show me YOU”.  It was like Moses saying, “I want you” I don’t want the things of you; I want You! And this blessed God. I think we get lost in the things of God; rather than God himself.

As I start a new ministry, I thought I needed status, position and everyone's approval but the reality is that I really work better when I'm living out of my impoverishment because that's where my dependence is at its best and when my dependence is at its best the anointing flows even more.  God is promising us the kingdom today if we live out of our bankruptcy in spirit. He promises the kingdom… today! The Kingdom of God can only be seen through an impoverished heart.