What Poverty Teaches Us

When one thinks about poor people, more times than not a feeling of pity floods the mind. How often have we seen the commercials on TV that present scores of poor children in some foreign country with sad eyes and swollen bellies, and been moved to send some money. Having so many of the creature comforts of life available to us, it is easy to feel guilty when we see the desperate plight of the poor of the world. If we are not careful, our good will can be seen as nothing more than a condescending handout.

According to the writer of Proverbs 19, there are a few things that we do well to learn from the poor. First, he says that poverty is not necessarily disassociated with good character. "Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool." (ESV) Integrity is one of those difficult words to define. Here, it means that poor people who are honest, who hold themselves to a sound moral standard, who do not let their poverty dictate their values are better than those who use crooked means to get what they want. Does this mean that the honest poor will have more? No, it does not if more means more earthly possessions. But he will possess something far greater in value. He will have a better standing before God.

A second thing that can be learned from the poor is genuine friendship. "Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend." When we have friends because of who we are and not because of what we can do for them, we have true friends. It is those who stick by us in our poverty that are our true friends. Poverty is not always a lack of material things; it can be anything which we greatly lack. When our health fails, we have a poverty of health. When we loose a loved one or get divorced, this too is a poverty of sort. How we need our friends at these times, and it is our true friends that will come through for us.

Finally, we can learn the importance of sincerity. "What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar." It is far better to have the desire to help but not the means than it is to have the means to help but not the desire. In addition, the poor who desires to help but makes no promises has done better than the rich who promises to help but makes no effort. The latter is a liar.