How christians overcome poverty
Breaking the Spirit of Poverty
Having a relationship with Jesus certainly doesn’t mean we’ll be free of problems or struggles. Life can be tough, and even as Christians, we’ll face many challenges.
Before we were saved, we were no threat to the devil. But when we accepted Jesus into our heart, something changed. We took up a new residence in the spiritual battlefield and immediately became an enemy of Satan.
Many of our battles, struggles, and trials in life are rooted in the spiritual realm. As a result, war must be waged on the spiritual battlefield and fought with spiritual weapons.
Overcoming poverty is one example of this principle. Jesus taught us that the devil is a THIEF who comes to steal and destroy God’s blessings in our life (John 10:10). Many Christians unnecessarily suffer financial lack simply because they don’t understand the nature of the spiritual battle they’re in.
Your Father’s Blessings
God is a good God. Our Heavenly Father wants to bless us, and He would never send us into battle unequipped. He has given us His Word as “the sword of the Spirit” to overcome the lies of the enemy (Ephesians 6:17). Something happens when we put the Scriptures in our heart and mouth and begin to point them at the enemy.
Remember, victory over poverty is already yours. Through His death on the Cross and His Resurrection, Jesus has destroyed ALL “the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). But now He calls on you to enforce that victory by declaring His promises over your life.
The Apostle Paul wrote that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). Through the truth of God’s Word, you have been given dominion over financial lack and every other stronghold in your life. So go ahead and let the enemy know he no longer has permission to harass you!
Defeating Satan’s Lies
Scripture tells us that the devil is “the father of lies” (John 8:44). Many Christians have believed the lie that God wants them to experience lack instead of abundance. Yet God wants to replace that lie with the truth that He wants you to PROSPER and be in health (3 John 1:2)!
If you’re a child of God, the devil has no rights in your life. But you must move into an offensive position and take back anything the enemy has stolen. Boldly speak to your circumstances, reminding them that you are a child of the King and a joint heir with Christ. Your words create your realities, so make sure they line up with God’s Word.
Don’t stop pressing in until you experience the victory you’ve been promised. Make sure you are taking steps of faith—Sowing financial Seeds in anticipation of God’s abundant Harvests in your life.
In Jesus’ name, you have power over the devil, but he’s not going to give up without a fight. You must realize the authority God has given you and lay an ax to the roots of poverty and financial lack.
May God awaken the mighty warrior inside of you, so you can pull down strongholds in your own life and then go to battle on behalf of your loved ones.
How christians overcome poverty
How Do I Get Out of Poverty and Debt?
Poverty is a lack of money or material possessions. Poverty is usually accompanied by debt obligations to others. Debt, whether or not associated with poverty, is a form of slavery. Following God’s principles will break the hold of both poverty and debt.
How christians overcome poverty
First of all, you must commit yourself, your finances, your family, and your life to Jesus Christ. Agree to live by God’s principles and seek to know what He has to say to you in your situation. Be absolutely honest about the faults and mistakes in your life, past or present, that may have caused your problem of debt. To escape trouble, you must know what put you there.
How christians overcome poverty
Second, do everything you can to understand God’s principles. The Bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). There are many Christians who have no concept whatsoever of the principles of God’s kingdom. They understand neither God’s laws dealing with material prosperity nor their own privileges as children of God. So, for lack of knowledge, they suffer.
People in debt or in poverty especially need to understand a rule of God’s kingdom that I call the Law of Reciprocity. This is a law of cause and effect, of action and reaction. In the area of money, the law is simple: “Give, and it will be given to you: Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). When a person begins to give to God’s work and to the poor and less fortunate, God begins to give back to him. Regardless of the debt burden, a person should give a very minimum of 10 percent of his income to the Lord. Even if you are at a poverty-level income, you have something you can give to God. Start where you are. Reach out in compassion to those less fortunate than yourself. As a first priority, get into a position to give love, time, energy, and money to other people even if it is only a little bit.
How christians overcome poverty
Next, set up a realistic budget. Most people do not have budgets, and their spending has neither plan nor control. Whatever your income level, you should set up a budget that includes one or more tithes plus offerings to the Lord, which may be in the form of aid to those who are less fortunate (see Malachi 3:10). After setting aside your tithe, establish a realistic plan to pay off your debts. Go to your creditors and obtain an agreement that they will accept your payment schedule. Make it understood that you cannot pay any more than a certain amount, and they will almost always accept your plan.
Once you have done that, you have to resolve in your mind that there will be no more accumulation of debt. You cannot go back to living beyond your means. Make a vow to God that you will not buy anything on credit, and that your lifestyle will be curtailed to fit your income. This takes a definite mental and spiritual commitment. It may take a year, or two years, or five years, but you are going to get out of debt.
It has been suggested by a very wise businessman that part of any budget should go for recreation. There should be some time each month when the family can get away from the pressures of life. Maybe it can be a picnic in the park, a fishing trip, or possibly a night away from home in a motel or resort. Recreation includes anything to get away from the constant pressure and to allow your mind to be recreated in God.
Along with recreation, I recommend a Sabbath rest. You cannot work seven days a week. There must be one day a week that is dedicated to God, to thinking about Him, praying to Him, studying the Bible, and resting. All of these things are necessary to prepare your mind and spirit to win the battle.
Then, with all of these things going for you, you need a renewed faith in God. He is the source. As you give to Him and trust Him, God will begin to take you from bondage to debt into His blessings. He will open doors for you and will give you concepts and ideas to help you overcome your situation. You must believe this and expectantly look for His answer rather than to some other person as your source. God is your source.
How christians overcome poverty
Every day, speak words of confidence. Say out loud that you are going to be free from debt and that God is going to put you in a different position. Memorize scripture verses where God says things such as, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes” (1 Samuel 2:8). Speak these words over and over again, confidently, knowing that God can do all things and do them well.
With that frame of mind, you should be on your way. It may take a year to pay off your debts. In the instances that I know of, the average was about eighteen months. But it may take three, four, or even five years. You will win the battle if you use the weapons that God has made available to you! You can be debt free!
4 Ways Jesus Would Tackle the Problem of Poverty ( How Christians overcome poverty )
We can end poverty in our lifetimes, if we only believe and take action. As Christians, we should be at the center of this movement. Jesus passionately spoke about the problems of poverty—boldly showing how the impoverished are close to the heart of God. Here are five ways Jesus would approach the problem of poverty.
1. Envision what can be with the hurting.
Listening is the first step to effective change. Often an impoverished group of people knows exactly what must be done for things to change. This principle of community development is directly applicable to the work of the gospel in the world. While Jesus could have just healed people instantly and moved on, he would regularly stop to have a conversation—to engage in relationship (e.g., >Luke 18:35–43; >John 4:1–26).
I believe this framework is directly applicable to the work of alleviating poverty. We have to develop efforts with the impoverished—not just for them. (To make this tangible: Jesus’ Economy, the organization I lead, has a model for holistically transforming communities, but we discern the components of the model with regional leaders who represent the impoverished—here’s an example of a project in action.)
2. Meet the basic needs of the impoverished.
When Jesus spoke about giving to the person who asks, he meant it (Matthew 5:42). Now, while I think there are some caveats here—such as not giving to the person who will obviously spend the money on alcohol—giving is clearly central to the gospel message. There are many problems in our world that simply shouldn’t be: such as people drinking dirty water. We with money need to take care of these problems—outright, without a hitch.
While I am completely in favor of sustainable community development, I also believe that there is a time and place to just meet a person’s needs—right where they are at. (This is why meeting basic needs is a core tenant of the model of Jesus’ Economy—sometimes people just need clean water.)
3. Believe in the miracle-working power of God to heal and reconcile.
Healing was central to the ministry of Jesus. While he often had tough conversations about a person’s circumstances (e.g., Matt 8:5–13; 15:21–28), he also directly addressed the pain a person was experiencing. In Jesus, we see conversation and action, but also outright and bold belief. Jesus doesn’t see what is only; he sees what can be.
I believe in the miracle working power of God. I have seen with my own eyes what happens when Jesus comes to town—people get healed. A Christian faith focused on just natural healing—through medicine and meeting needs—is not a Christian faith at all. We need these things since they do solve many problems; God has given us these tools. But we also have to believe in a miracle-working savior and we must pray as such.
4. Speak words of truth about our world’s problems.
Jesus was anything but timid—he regularly spoke the truth that others did not want to hear (e.g., Matthew 23). Jesus cried out against the injustices he witnessed, suggesting that radical change needed to take place.
Today, we need to do the same thing. We must be advocates for what can be—we must call out injustice when we see it. (Once again, to use a tangible example, this is why we at Jesus’ Economy developed an advocate program. We know that rallying around a cause is just as important as the cause itself.) The work of God is not just meant to transform other people’s lives but also our own. If we as Christians follow our advocacy with our actions, those around us will want to take action too. We will actually have a shot at changing the world.
We have an opportunity to end poverty in our lifetimes, and we can do so the biblical way. It is up to you, it is up to me—it is up to all of us—to take action.