A popular money myth is that poverty makes us more godly or righteous. Many times we think of people who live in strict self-denial, or who are extremely frugal or who have taken vows of poverty as holy and more righteous than others. This myth is built upon a belief that money is bad and only corrupts people.
Another term for this myth is the “poverty gospel." It can be just as devastating to our effectiveness as Christians as the “prosperity gospel”.
Jesus never condemns wealth in the Bible. He also never exalts the state of being in poverty. Listen to Proverbs 30: 8-9.
“Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”
This verse does not exalt riches or support poverty. It also does not say that we must all be middle class. It is an expression of a proper heart attitude.
The Lord provides material needs to His children unequally but His righteousness is spread equally. What we have does not make us more righteous and what we do not have does not change our righteousness one bit. We are made righteous because of Jesus Christ, not by our material possessions.
