If You Are Reading This From Your Home Computer, You're Not Poor

I recently saw a political blurb that said, "Shouldn't we spread the wealth around?" I'm no dummy, I'd love for somebody to spread some wealth in my direction. Because then I could buy some stuff, and I loves me some stuff. Oh, and I could do a lot of good for people in need. And buy them some stuff as well. Or give them my old stuff after I buy new stuff. What the world needs now is stuff sweet stuff.

It isn't realistic to think that the wealth of the world will ever be spread around. Jesus said that there would always be poverty. And let's be honest, as long as there is a line six people deep in the middle of the day at Starbuck's; we are not living in the second depression. There are people who truly struggle at the cost of their health or even their lives for lack of money. Somehow we have painted the entire country with a broad brush as though that is the standard under which we all live. Bull. I know about the Starbuck's line because I was number seven waiting for a white chocolate mocha.

I dare not call myself one of the poor and very few of us could. What we are is so abundantly blessed that we think living with ugly wall paper in the bathroom because we don't have money for a redo is being poor. Shame on us. And yes, I realize that Starbuck's money would pay for paint. That's my point, we think we are poor if we have to choose between Starbuck's and house goods.

I remember twenty years ago when we were at our lowest financial point. I've told you about the grocery conversation, "What is the least you need...?" And I will tell you this today, I was not poor. I felt poor, that's for sure. But I had parents and grandparents and family and friends who would've fed us and sheltered us if necessary. And if there is help, you're not poor.

Poor is starvation not budgeting.

So we aren't all poor. And we aren't ever going to all be wealthy. Maybe the folks who make a certain salary shouldn't be responsible to pass the money on. Maybe we aren't all going to have the best health insurance. Maybe some people could be striking a balance somewhere between poor and wealthy by their own behavior and choose to sit by waiting for taxes to make up the difference. There aren't that many of us who can't make better decisions. And if we're making the best decisions, maybe it's ok if we have to go to the health department for our kids vaccinations because our insurance doesn't pay for it. You're not poor because you have to go to the department of public health. You're poor when there is no department of public health.

There will always be poor people. We've lost the ability to define poor. We've lost the determination to not be poor. We were born from people who lived and died poor because their work accomplished nothing more than a promise for grandchildren they'd never see to be less poor.

Let's be careful not to so quickly be convinced that the government needs to fix us. The one who saves us owns us. I don't know exactly when we stopped considering America the land of opportunity but I suspect it began somewhere in a room where people started trying to figure out how to "spread the wealth" instead of spreading the opportunity.

Yes, the economy is bleak. I live in no less fear than you. But I am ashamed to become a country that cannibalizes itself in battles about whose responsibility it is to take care of "me."

Some of us will always be poor. Some of us will always be wealthy.

Most of us live in the balance. Instead of waiting for someone to spread the wealth in our direction, maybe it's time to consider our blessings for what they are. The wealth of God that we should be offering to feed those few among us who are truly in need.

And let the one who saves us own us.

Matthew 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.