Why Is a Poverty Mindset So Destructive?
A poverty mindset is
incredibly destructive because it puts us in the role of helpless victim.
It tempts us to sit back as spectators to our own destiny. We
believe everything that happens to us is the result of outside forces. We
have no control.
I see this among
Christians all the time. The bible commands us to be diligent and wise
and promises that those traits lead inevitably to a prosperous life. The
opposite of diligence and wisdom is folly and the life of the sluggard.
If you think God has good things to say about the foolish, unwise person,
you might want to re-read the Book of Proverbs.
But instead of
embracing the principles of Proverbs–of hard work, discipline, sowing and
reaping–we embrace the poverty mindset, which says, “The mess I’m in isn’t my
fault, so I’m powerless to change it. I’ll just sit here watching TV,
surfing the internet and chit chatting with my peeps. God is in control,
so I’m sure He’ll figure everything out eventually and make my life better.”
One of my pet peeves
is the way people love to “throw God under the bus.” Hey, I’ve done it
myself. I neglected His principles, then when life turned out badly, I
fell back on, “Well, God is in control, so He must have wanted me to gain 30
pounds and lose a fortune in real estate.”
No, I gained 30 pounds
by consuming more calories than I burned. I lost money in real estate because I
was foolish.
Let’s keep God on His
Throne, where He belongs, ruling a universe that is governed by principles that
are clearly spelled out for us in His Word.
It’s time to take
responsibility. It’s time to admit our lives are where our own choices
have taken us. Time to break free from “poor, poor, pitiful me.”
3 Signs You Have A Poverty
Mindset
Clue #1: Blame
You blame the economy,
you blame the government, you blame the stock market, you blame your employer
(or your employees). If you’re in the direct sales industry, you blame
your up-line or your down-line. You blame your parents. You blame
your spouse, you blame your kids. You blame your genes. And the
ever popular: it’s your thyroid’s fault.
It’s always something
else or someone else. The problem is always anything or anyone else, but you.
It’s not any of those things. It’s a Poverty Mindset. That’s
what’s holding you back from God’s best.
Clue #2: Justify
Or you justify your
situation by saying you don’t really care. You justify being broke by
declaring yourself too spiritual for money. “Money isn’t important,” you
say. But can you name one good thing that can be accomplished in this world
without money? Not a single missionary can remain on the field without
money. Not a single medical facility can operate without money. No
church can keep it’s doors open without money. And the truth is,
financial stress is the leading cause of divorce in America.
Stop justifying your
lack of prosperity by declaring yourself too spiritual to abide by the clear
principles of scripture:
Lazy hands make
for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4
A little sleep, a
little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man. Proverbs 6:10-11
Whoever disregards
discipline comes to poverty and shame. Proverbs 13:18
All hard work brings a
profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23
The plans of the
diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
Proverbs 21:5
Those who work their
land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their
fill of poverty. Proverbs 28:19
God told Abraham:
“I will surely make you prosper” Genesis 32:12
The Lord was
with Joseph so that he prospered Genesis 39:2
Walk in obedience to
all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live
and prosper. Deut. 5:33
The Lord will
grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your
livestock and the crops of your ground Deut. 28:11
Keep this Book of the
Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be
careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and
successful. Joshua 1:8
Well, you get the
idea. I could go on listing verses. But the message is clear.
Faith and diligence bring prosperity. Period.
Let’s stop throwing
God under the bus. If our lives are marked by poverty rather than
prosperity, let’s accept responsibility to change the way we are living.
Let’s break free of that poverty mindset and begin to prosper!
Let’s press in for God’s best!
Clue #3: Complain
Complaining is the
absolute worst possible thing you could do for your health. And I mean
every aspect of your health: spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, relational
and yes, even financial.
Because there is a
universal law that says, “What you focus on expands.” That’s why God
commands us to focus on the positive (Phil. 4:8) . When you are
complaining, what are you focusing on? What’s right with your life or what’s
wrong with it? You are obviously focusing on what’s wrong with it and since
what you focus on expands, you’ll keep getting more of what’s wrong.
I used to call myself
a “weird experiences magnet.” Almost every week, it seemed, something bad
would happen and I’d hear the words, “This has never happened before but….”
You won’t be surprised to learn that I talked constantly about those
weird experiences. Anyone who got near me heard an earful about the
latest frustrating turn of events. And since no one wanted to be near me,
I had to call people and inform them by phone. Which I did. All
day.
I’m not into New Age
mumbo jumbo, but after five decades on the planet, I have no doubt: there’s
something to the Law of Attraction. Here’s how T. Harv Eker, author
of Secrets of the
Millionaire Mind puts it, “Have you ever noticed that people
who complain a lot seem to have crappy lives? It’s like everything bad keeps
happening to them. They say, “Of course, I complain, look how crappy my life
is.” Now you can finally explain, “No, it’s BECAUSE you complain that you
have a crappy life.”
What’s So Great About A Poverty Mindset?
We have to admit there
is one great thing about a poverty mindset. We get to play the victim.
And what do victims get? Attention! Is attention important?
Absolutely, for many people it’s what they live for. But as Joyce Meyer
often says, “You can be pitiful or you can be powerful, but you can’t be both.”
God wants us to be
powerful spiritual warriors. And he wants us to prosper, not play the
victim. “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in
health, just as your soul prospers” 3 John 1:2. That’s God’s best
for your life. Why settle for less?
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