Poverty
By Michael A. Verdicchio

It is never the will of God for Christians to be in poverty. Quite the opposite is true: He desires for you to prosper and be in health.

The cause of poverty is not a lack of money. Does that statement shock you? It's true. A lack of money may be an effect of poverty, but it is not the cause of poverty.

The cause of poverty is poverty thinking. Poverty comes from poverty beliefs and poverty attitudes; it comes from a poverty mindset.

Here's another statement that might shake you. Not having money does not mean you're impoverished. Let me explain. Suppose your checkbook gets all the way to zero. You are flat broke now. But, being flat broke now does not mean that you will be flat broke permanently. It absolutely does not guarantee that you will forever stay flat broke.

There are countless millionaires who at one time or another were flat broke. Why didn't they stay flat broke? Some have even confessed going broke a number of times. A lack of money is not the issue. What's in your mind is the issue.

Have you ever asked someone who is indeed in poverty why they are in that state? They will tell you exactly why. They will give you one poverty-minded statement after another. They will point out every lack that they have. They come from a poor family. They lack education. Good jobs are hard to come by these days. The price of everything today is too high. They never get a decent break like a lot of people do. The government doesn't really care about them enough.

They have ingrained these thoughts into their minds and hearts. They have allowed that kind of thinking to actually take root in their heart, and become their belief system.

What we as Christians choose to believe is what we will manifest in our lives. This universal law works with accuracy and precision no matter who the person is and no matter what the circumstances are.

I have visited a number of foreign countries. It is just amazing to me how any Christian in the United States can stay in poverty. There is so much wealth, abundance and opportunity in the United States that it staggers the mind.

Now just above the poverty line there are those who are just struggling to get by. Many of them are working very hard to make ends meet each month. Some work two and three jobs. They are labeled as the "lower middle class." They may put forth a great effort, but they still seem to get nowhere except just above the poverty line. They will stay there because that's what they choose to believe.

Life is not just luck or fate. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Are we to believe that some Christians are just blessed with a better life than other Christians? Does the God love and show more favor on some Christians but less on others? No!

Once you identify and accept that you are in a certain category in life and you really believe that in your heart, that is where you will stay. It really makes no difference where you are today. Whether you qualify as in poverty, just above poverty, lower middle class or middle class, none of those descriptions really mean anything unless you continue to accept them as true for your life.

The point is, where you are today is a result of your own belief system. Wherever you are today in life is a direct result of what you have decided to believe.

If you can accept that truth, you can change your circumstances because you recognize what very few ever recognize. The power to change your life is in your brain. The thoughts that you consistently entertain will form your own personal belief system.

Change your life and your circumstances by changing your thoughts, hour by hour and day by day. Fill your mind with thoughts of where you want to go, not where you are today. Start filling your mind with God's many promises of prosperity and abundance!

You may not be in poverty, but, are you where you really desire to be in your life? If not, why not? Do you need to change your thoughts to form a new belief system?

Get honest with yourself and really examine your thoughts. A good indication of your thoughts is what comes out of your mouth.

It is never the will of God for Christians to be in poverty. He desires for you to prosper and be in health.

You can change your life and your circumstance by changing your belief system. And you can change your belief system by changing your thinking, one thought at a time.