How to be Poor

Proverbs 13 and 14 describe how people bring themselves into poverty.

- They are lazy

- They won’t listen to advice

- They won’t live according to God’s teachings (wicked

)

- Certain types of wives are foolish and destructive

- Some people spend more time talking than working.

It would seem natural then to have an attitude like…

- They made their own mess and now they have to find their own way out

- They have reaped what they have sown

- I’m going to let them “bottom out”

- They wouldn’t listen to me and I’ve done all I’m going to do for them

However, Proverbs states that to despise the poor is sinful behavior and it dishonors God. He says we are to be “gracious” to the poor. That being gracious brings honor to God.

God doesn’t want us to behave like humans. He wants us to behave like him, to be little gods. No one ever said it would be easy.