There are at least three types of poverty: material poverty, mental poverty, and spiritual poverty. Of these three, I only recommend one: spiritual poverty. The others are not commendable, not even by God.

Are you spiritually poor?

It is written: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

In some Bible versions, it is written: “Blessed are those who are poor concerning the Spirit” or “poor in regard to spiritual things.” Religion has often misinterpreted these verses during pre- and post-colonial times, to the detriment of the African people. The only form of poverty that enriches is spiritual poverty. But what is spiritual poverty? Only the poor in spirit and the humble will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, meaning eternal life (John 3:17) after death.

Jesus said that no one can enter heaven unless they become like a little child. This is the essence of spiritual poverty: recognizing that there is a Supreme Being who created you—God—from whom you came, who begot you, to whom you will return, and without whom you can do nothing. This Supreme Being, God, sent His Son, Jesus—God made man—to die on the cross to save us from the sin of the first man, Adam, our ancestor. And without submission to the Son of God, you can do nothing. Only the proud, the rebellious, atheists, anti-religious, false religious people, pagans, and Satanists will reject this truth.

I am ready to lead you to Christ. Humble yourself and submit! Submit your spirit to the Spirit of Jesus; it is the only way to be saved. It is the only kind of poverty recommended and acceptable in the Holy Scriptures in order to be truly enriched. All other forms of poverty are destructive, unbiblical, and satanic.

Are you mentally poor?
Let me address mental poverty before material poverty.

The Apostle Paul says: “Yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance.” (2 Corinthians 7:9)

Now, replace “sorrow” with “mental poverty.” Because poverty is the source of many human evils—sorrow, frustration, and suffering. Has your mental poverty led you to change your mindset? Besides spiritual poverty, the only poverty God allows—whether mental or material—is temporary poverty for your edification. That is why it is written:

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

THEREFORE, ANY POVERTY THAT DOES NOT LEAD TO SALVATION IS DEMONIC.
So, who are the mentally poor?
They are those who experience delay—delay in every sense: intellectual, emotional, cultural, social, financial, and community delay. Sub-Saharan Africans are among the most mentally poor on the continent. It’s a real tragedy!

They make decisions that are never followed by action. Sometimes, the actions have nothing to do with the decision made. A socially delayed people are those who neither make good decisions nor follow up with appropriate actions. What actions must you take today? Carry them out with GREAT urgency! Especially since the Apostle Paul also says:

“Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.” (2 Corinthians 8:11)

Jesus Christ Himself said: “We must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. Night is coming, when no one can work.” Mentally poor people have no concept of time. They forget that Jesus, though He was rich, became poor for us so that through His poverty, we might be made rich. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Are you materially poor?

If you are materially poor—unable to pay rent, feed yourself or your family, care for your loved ones, or travel from one city or country to another without external help—then you need deliverance from the spirit of poverty. I was delivered from it a few months ago, and I began to see and understand the world differently: a world of endless possibilities, of infinite greatness.

Most of those who are poor—meaning those who cannot afford an unexpected expense without suffering for it—are often the stingiest. There is no other remedy: to be rich, you must sow.

Multi-billionaires invest their time, their resources, and themselves. If you watch TV for more than 2 hours a day, you are materially poor. I won’t argue with you. I’m not talking about those who are immobile due to age, disability, or illness. No, I mean those who are healthy but allow themselves more than two hours of leisure every day. You are digging the grave of poverty, day by day. Even the Holy Scriptures emphasize this:

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Understand this: work does not make you rich. STRATEGY + SMART WORK makes you rich. Because if work alone made people rich, cleaning ladies, prisoners doing hard labor, and slaves would be the wealthiest people on earth. So my question is: how do you invest your time, money, and other resources every day?

The more and better you sow, the more and better you will reap. People sow nothing and expect to harvest. Zero general knowledge, zero social network, zero capital to invest, zero income-generating activities apart from their meager salary as a catechist—welcome to poverty! You don’t even need to bother Satan anymore! POVERTY IS WORSE THAN SATAN—IT WILL GIVE YOU YOUR DOSE OF QUININE! Do you hear me?

Be delivered from sleep, laziness, and their offshoots—all those things that do not build you up! TO BUILD = TO GROW, NOT TO BE ENTERTAINED. Rise up and sow something today to hope for a harvest tomorrow. INVEST IN SOMETHING SERIOUS OR JOIN A COMMUNITY OF INVESTORS. Because sometimes, just like poverty, wealth is contagious. Laughter!

So that “in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (1 Corinthians 9:8)

Because you have sown into your life—especially into the lives of others, those in need or those who ask for help. If I commit to spending at least two hours a day writing these reflections and sharing them with you, it’s out of a duty to sow. Because two hours writing online is usually a waste.

However, I believe this is a good work, one that will bear fruit one day in the life of someone reading me by faith, not by sight. If this one person becomes a giant, then my investment won’t have been in vain. But please—do something with your life!

Now, read with me this biblical promise. It is not a sin to store up wealth. The sin is when you hoard so much that you lose your soul. The real material poverty is when the poor don’t even have enough jars to collect the divine oil flowing on their rooftops day and night. WITCHCRAFT! It is written:

“The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not lack; each had gathered just what he needed.” (Exodus 16:18)

What do you need to “eat”? What do you need to be fulfilled? If you are unable to meet your needs, then know that you are poor, and material poverty may one day drag you to hell. Get up and fight for your destiny! Fight for your seed! Fight for your descendants! And the God I serve will water and grow the fruit of your strategic efforts!

Declare this with me if you are born again:
NO, I AM NOT POOR. I AM RICH. JESUS CARRIED MY POVERTY TO THE CROSS. HE BECAME A CURSE SO THAT MY LIFE WOULD BECOME A BLESSING. NO, I AM NOT POOR, I AM ENRICHED IN CHRIST. AND I WILL CARRY THE SEEDS OF MY FATHER’S RICHES TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. Amen!

This text is an excerpt from the book “THE DESERT CROSSING” written by Jean-Paul Marie (Pastor Samuel Binyou).

We invite you to read the following article: “STRIVE TO BECOME A ROLE MODEL!”