Developing Right Attitudes Toward Money

Do you break into cold sweats whenever there is a downturn in the economy or when you receive a negative financial report? Do your close friends call you Scrooge, tightwad, or a pessimist? Is Murphy’s law more real to you than God’s Word? If you can say yes to any of these, you might have a spirit of poverty controlling your life.

Here are more characteristics of a spirit of poverty:
• You are constantly complaining about how much things cost. 
• You are always trying to get things for less or for free. 
• You are holding on to and hoarding things you should be letting go of. 
• The blessing and good fortune of others bothers you. 
• What others think about what you drive, where you live, and what you wear is a big deal to you. 
• You are obsessed with success and the accumulation of stuff. 
• You feel secure only if you have a certain amount of money in the bank.

You can be a tither, a hard worker, have money in the bank, and still be controlled by a spirit of poverty. It is possible to be poor and have a generous spirit. It is also possible to be wealthy and stingy because a spirit of poverty is ruling your heart.

The Bible reveals how to overcome the spirit of poverty:

 “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; the destruction of the poor is their poverty” (Prov. 10:15).

The rich man’s strength and protection (strong city) from poverty is not just his present financial condition, but that he sees himself wealthy. A spirit of prosperity rules this man’s heart. Likewise the poor man’s destruction is not just his present condition of lack, but that he sees himself poor. A spirit of poverty rules this man’s heart. Whatever spirit rules our heart determines the fruit we will consistently experience in our lives.

The biblical definition of prosperity according to 2 Corinthians 9:8, says: 

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

You always have “all sufficiency in all things.” That means you always have enough in every situation! We must give attention to this and meditate on it until it becomes real to us. We have enough and extra!

The spirit of poverty paints an entirely different picture on the canvas of our hearts. We believe there’s not enough in any situation. There’s not enough money, favor, scholarships, housing, room, time, smarts, wisdom, talent, good paying jobs, strength, health, help, etc.

This type of mentality makes you believe you are left to yourself, so you have to do whatever you can to beg, borrow, manipulate, pressure, scheme, steal, or work yourself to death to get. That is why some people have such a hard time letting go of anything. They worked so hard to get it and have no hope of restoring it without a similar output of personal energy. Romans 4:4 says, “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt” (Romans 4:4).

Prosperity according to the Word of God reveals that God is able to make all grace abound to you (2 Corinthians 9:8).

How do you see yourself and your situation? Do you have enough or are you lacking?

To have an abundance for every good work does not fit into the mindset and thinking of someone controlled by a spirit of poverty. A poverty mentality will first feather his own nest, by making sure his nest egg has been achieved and financial comfort zone has been protected. Then he can give a little bit to charity, but never beyond his comfort zone. A poverty mentality toward giving is tipping. They tip God, tip the poor, tip various charities to impress others or feel better about themselves.

Jesus watches how people give. The widow, giving all she had, gave a greater gift in Jesus’ mind than those who gave out of their abundance (Mark 12:41). The way Jesus measures the size of the gift is by the percentage, not the amount. An abundant gift for a good work that stretches one’s comfort zone is rarely considered, and much less given, by one ruled by a spirit of poverty. This is often because there is a fear of lack. 

Consider Jesus’ pattern of leadership for facing lack:  

Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So, the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”

So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” (John 6:5-14).

Jesus recognized the need (v. 5). He also involved others in the process (v. 6-11). Specifically, He did not allow the need and apparent lack to either rule His heart or thinking, or to dictate the final outcome (v. 7-9).

We can also see that He exalted the truth – what He knew about His Father’s heart to abundantly supply, above the fact that it looked like there was not enough. Jesus trusted in His Father’s care and provision. He possessed the revelation that every time He looked to His Father in the face of lack, He would discover His abundant supply!

Notice how Jesus approached a situation of apparent lack: He blessed the five loaves and two fish (Mat. 14:19) – that appeared to be woefully inadequate to feed the multitude – and gave thanks for it (Jn. 6:11) instead of cursing it by responding to His disciples with something like, “Take that back to that little boy. You know that isn’t nearly enough to feed such a large crowd!” Then the Father multiplied what Jesus blessed and gave thanks for. It fed the entire multitude of people and they gathered up twelve baskets of leftovers. It became enough and extra and I am sure the little boy took home far more than He gave to Jesus and His disciples that day. 

Have you ever experienced a time where you had more month left at the end of your money? What do you do in those times when what you have doesn’t seem like it is enough to meet your needs? I encourage you to follow Jesus’ example of facing lack. Instead of cursing what comes in financially that doesn’t appear to meet all of your needs by saying something like, “What is this $100 gift going to do in the face of my great need? That’s not enough to pay all my bills.” Instead, follow Jesus’ example and say, “Father, I thank you for this $100. I bless this money that you have sent to me and I believe you will multiply it to more than meet my needs!” Then watch the Father multiply what you blessed and have given thanks for. And it will not only meet your needs, but it will be enough and extra for you to bless others. Think about this truth, act on it, and your financial test will turn into a testimony!